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    Home » Recipes » Recipes

    How to Make Crusty Bread Without a Dutch Oven

    Published: Nov 12, 2019 · Last Updated: May 3, 2022

    Making a delicious, crusty bread recipe from scratch often calls for baking in a Dutch oven. But what if you don't have one, or want to make extra loaves? No worries - we have you covered with these easy Dutch oven substitutes!

    This post contains affiliate links: if you buy something we'll earn a small commission at no cost to you.

    WATCH THE VIDEO: How to bake bread with no dutch oven

     
    Loaf of crusty bread on a small cooling rack. this recipe
    Recipe: Easy Crusty French Bread

    BREAD! One of our favorite topics.

    If you've read through our easy crusty bread recipe, you know we're fans of baking no-knead bread in a preheated Dutch Oven in order to achieve a crispy, crackly crust and a soft interior.

    But if you don't have a Dutch oven, or if you want to bake more than one loaf at a time, never fear! We're about to walk you through three of our favorite easy ways to bake crispy, crusty bread without any special equipment.

    Crusty bread in a blue Dutch oven.
    Recipe: Crusty Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Bread

    Why bake in Dutch Ovens, anyway?

    A Dutch Oven conducts heat evenly for consistent baking, and has a heavy lid that traps any steam released by the bread while it cooks.

    And the key to crusty homemade bread? STEAM. (But not too much!)

    Bread dough in a glass bowl on a white countertop.
    Recipe: Easy Crusty French Bread

    Why Steam Matters for Crusty Bread

    Steam is useful because it keeps the outside of your loaf from setting before the bread rises, drying out, or baking too quickly (you don't want to burn your crust while you wait for the center of the bread to cook!)

    By slowing down crust formation, steam helps the bread rise rapidly without the constraint of a stiff crust when it hits the oven (known as "oven spring"), keeps the outer crust thin and crispy rather than tough and chewy, and lets bread develop a deep brown color without burning. (PS - Want to know more about how steam works in bread baking? There's a great article here!)

    A loaf of crusty bread on a wire cooling rack.
    Recipe: Easy Crusty French Bread

    Professional bread ovens have steam injectors built right in. In a dutch oven covered with a lid, the bread essentially steams itself!

    SO. When we talk about a Dutch oven alternative for bread, what we're really talking about is how to create steam inside your oven.

    Steam is an important ingredient in crusty bread baking right up until the loaf has set and begun to brown. Once that happens, it's time to remove steam from the equation (too much steam can make your crust thick and tough!)

    In our Easy Crusty Bread recipe, we accomplish this by removing the lid for the last 10-20 minutes of bake time. In the methods below, you'll either remove a lid, remove a dish of water, or control the amount of water you use so it evaporates in time to let the bread crisp up.

    Crusty french bread in a metal pot.

    Alright. Let's look at a few substitutes to help you bake crusty bread without a Dutch Oven.

    For reference, our favorite Easy Crusty French Bread recipe calls for baking bread in a Dutch oven at 460 degrees F for 30 minutes covered and an additional 10-20 minutes uncovered.

    Please note: Do not substitute glass bakeware for any of the equipment discussed in this post as glass can shatter when exposed to extreme temperature changes. When using these techniques, please use the recommended equipment.

    Option 1: A pair of cast iron skillets + Ice cubes

    White table with a large cast iron skillet next to a small cast iron skillet.

    Preheat two cast iron skillets (we recommend one 8" to 12" skillet for the bread itself, and one 6" to 8" skillet to hold the ice cubes we'll use to create steam) in the oven while it heats before baking. Place the smaller skillet on a separate oven rack directly below the large skillet.

    Note: If you're using a Dutch Oven Bread recipe like ours, the instructions will usually tell you to preheat the Dutch Oven. If you're using this method, just preheat the cast iron skillet instead!

    When it's time to bake, grab 8-10 ice cubes from the freezer and have them ready to go (I like to put them in a small bowl for easy pouring later).

    Use oven mitts to remove the large cast iron skillet from the oven. Gently set your bread down into the hot skillet (don't burn yourself!).

    Bread dough in a cast iron skillet with a blue towel wrapped around the handle.

    Put your oven mitts back on, then carefully place the hot skillet back into the oven.

    As soon as the bread is in the oven, quickly (but carefully!) pour your ice cubes into the second hot skillet and close the oven door.

    The ice will steam as it hits the hot pan, creating the steam you need for a crispy crust. The water from the ice cubes will completely evaporate after 20ish minutes, leaving your bread to finish baking in a steam-free oven for a perfect crispy crust.

    Note: We do NOT recommend using this ice cube method with a glass or ceramic baking dish, as the extreme temperature difference can cause these materials to break.

    Loaf of crusty bread in a cast iron skillet.

    Option 2: Use an oven-safe pot and a tight lid or sheet pan

    Next up: baking crusty bread with an oven-safe pot and a sheet pan! If your pot has a tight-fitting, oven-safe lid, feel free to use that instead of a sheet pan.

    Note: I always opt for a sheet pan here because most of my pot lids have drainage holes for easy straining. Great for draining pasta, but not great at keeping steam trapped inside the pot.

    Baking sheet next to a stainless steel pot on a white table.

    I recommend a stockpot instead of a regular baking dish because traditional casserole dishes are usually too short to successfully bake crusty bread in: the bread will either hit the baking sheet on top and flatten out into a sad blob, or it will rise so high that it lifts the cookie sheet up off the dish and lets out all the steam.

    For best results, make sure you're using a pot or dish that's at least 4 inches deep in order to give the bread room to rise as it bakes. A 5 or 6 quart saucepan or stock pot will do a great job - just make sure it's oven-safe (like this one, which is safe up to 500 degrees F!)

    Uncooked bread dough, shaped into a round loaf, sitting in a stainless steel pot.

    If you're using a regular stainless steel pot, you can skip the preheating-your-pan step here.

    A steel pot like this will heat up much more quickly than a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven, and because it doesn't distribute heat as evenly it's more likely to burn the bottom of your bread if preheated.

    Sheet pan on top of stainless steel pot in an oven.

    Instead, when you're ready to bake, place your formed loaf directly into the cold pot, then set in your hot oven and immediately cover with your baking sheet.

    Bake as directed by your recipe, and remove the baking sheet during the last 10-20 minutes of baking just like you would a Dutch oven lid.

    Crusty french bread in a stainless steel stockpot.
    Recipe: Easy Crusty French Bread

    Option 3: Use a baking steel or pizza stone and a dish of water

    Last, but definitely not least - bake your bread on a good ol' pizza stone or baking steel. (We love our baking steel!) and use a dish of water to create steam. Like Dutch ovens, a baking steel conducts heat well and distributes it evenly for a uniform bake.

    For best results, preheat your baking steel for 45 minutes to 1 hour before baking.

    Bread dough on a black cutting board lined with parchment paper.

    To create steam, fill a small baking dish with water (1 cup is usually plenty) and place it in the oven, on a rack directly under your baking stone or steel, 5-10 minutes before you place your bread in the oven.

    Bread dough baking on a baking steel in the oven.

    When you're ready to bake, place your bread onto the baking steel (use a piece of parchment paper to make it easier to transfer bread to the oven if you like!) and bake as directed.

    Carefully remove the dish of water from the oven for the last 10-20 minutes of baking (if you're following a Dutch oven bread recipe, pull the water dish out when it tells you to remove the Dutch oven's lid!)

    Crusty bread on a baking steel in the oven.

    Don't worry about trying to pour off the water while it's still hot (that's a good way to burn yourself!) - just set the baking dish on the stove or a trivet and let it cool.

    PS - You can totally use a cast iron skillet and ice cubes to create steam with a baking steel or stone, or use a dish of water when baking with a cast iron skillet! We just wanted to illustrate both options for you - choose the steam method you like best!

    Loaf of crusty bread on a sheet of parchment paper.
    Recipe: Easy Crusty French Bread

    Other ways to create steam in your oven:

    This isn't an end-all, be-all list of all the ways to bake crusty bread without a Dutch oven! We've also tested and generally liked the following methods (and if you have another strategy you love, be sure to drop us a comment!)

    • Fill a clean spray bottle with warm water. Spray several pumps of water right into the oven or onto the bread dough right when you place the bread onto a pizza stone, baking steel, or even a preheated sheet pan, and then again after 5-10 minutes in the oven. I've baked bread this way many times, and it works in a pinch, but it's probably my least favorite method. It just doesn't quiiiiiite give you the same crispy, crunchy crust as some of these other strategies!
    • Place an oven-safe mixing bowl upside-down over bread that you bake on a pizza stone or baking steel. This method does a great job of creating steam and developing a crisp crust, but it's awfully annoying to try to lift a big bowl off of a flat surface while wearing oven mitts, not to mention a lot easier to accidentally burn yourself.
    • Pour water into a hot cast iron skillet right when you put your bread onto a pizza stone or baking steel. Some bakers recommend pouring very hot water into a preheated cast iron pan to create steam, and some recommend pouring COLD water into a preheated pan, either from a bowl or a long funnel. Does it work? Sure. But again: ANNOYING. I find it much easier to use one of these other methods.
    Loaf of bread cut in half on a wire cooling rack.
    Recipe: Easy Crusty Asiago Bread

    So. Do you need a Dutch Oven to make great homemade bread?

    No. But if you bake bread often and can make the investment, it will certainly make the process a little bit easier. Of all the methods we've tried to make crusty bread at home, a Dutch oven is far and away our favorite.

    If you're ready to pull the trigger on a Dutch oven, here are a few of our favorites:

    Le Creuset 5 ½ quart Dutch oven.

    Le Creuset 5 ½ qt. Enameled Cast Iron French Oven

    Lodge Dutch oven in red.

    Lodge 6 qt. Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven

    Marquette Castings 6 quart Dutch oven in grey.

    Marquette Castings 6 qt. Cast Iron Dutch Oven

    Our favorite homemade bread recipes:

    Ready to bake some bread? Check out our favorite (and most popular!) crusty bread recipes:

    Loaf of crusty bread on a black background.

    Easy Crusty French Bread

    Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Bread Recipe.

    Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Bread

    Easy Crusty Asiago Bread recipe.

    Crusty Asiago Bread

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    Discussion

    1. Serah :
      January 4, 2021

      I'm curious about the cast iron skillet option. I don't have two, so I'd plan to use the one I have for the bread itself, but for the steaming pan would it work to just use a sheet pan for the ice cubes?

      Reply
      • Team Life As A Strawberry :
        January 6, 2021

        Hi Serah! Yes, you can use a thick metal baking dish or sheet pan for the ice cubes! Just be sure to avoid using glass or ceramic because the temperature change can cause those materials to break.

        Reply
    2. Julie W :
      December 25, 2020

      Well Jessie, I sure wish you'd elaborated on "Some bakers recommend pouring very hot water into a preheated pan to create steam, and some recommend pouring COLD water into a preheated pan, either from a bowl or a long funnel."

      I used room temp water in the hot glass pan and it exploded in my oven. I'm glad the baking stone was above it and I wasn't impaled by the glass chards. I wish I could upload a picture of the mess that was made. I hope you revise your article with very clear instructions. Perhaps don't recommend a glass dish. Ugh.

      Reply
      • Jeff :
        December 27, 2020

        You mis-read the instructions. Option 3 using a glass dish says to place water into dish and then into oven. The dish is not pre-heated. If you look at the end of option 1 which talks about preheating, it says not to use ceramic or glass.

        Reply
      • Team Life As A Strawberry :
        December 27, 2020

        Hi Julie! We know how scary and frustrating it can be when equipment breaks in the kitchen! The instructions you're referencing are from the section on using a cast iron pan to create steam. As we mention in the post, we do not recommend using glass cookware because it can shatter when it experiences extreme temperature changes.

        Reply
    3. Sherri :
      November 10, 2020

      I was wondering if you could cut the proofed dough in 1/2 and bake in 2 smaller cast iron Dutch ovens. Would the bake time be the same? Great recipe but there’s just 2 of us so I thought I could gift the other 1 lol

      Reply
      • Team Life As A Strawberry :
        December 21, 2020

        Hi Sherri! Totally! Smaller size Dutch ovens work great. You would just shape and have the final rise after the dough is cut in two. Cut the bake time to 18 min with the lid and 5-10 minutes without (as needed). If you would prefer to bake a whole loaf, check out our post How to Make Crusty Bread Without a Dutch Oven to find other alternatives you already have in your kitchen.

        Reply
    4. Connie :
      October 21, 2020

      Can’t wait to try, I have a 4qt oval roaster, you know the ole darK blue and white speckled with a lid , think that would work instead of a Dutch oven. Thank you

      Reply
      • Team Life As A Strawberry :
        October 21, 2020

        Hi Connie! We don't recommend using a roasting pan, but you're in luck! We have a whole post about alternatives to using a Dutch oven, check it out here!

        Reply
    5. Raymonde dasper :
      July 4, 2020

      Like those instructions. Can I print them . Thanks

      Reply
    6. Cecilia C. :
      June 26, 2020

      Thank you for the great tips! I was staying over house that had really had no good way to bake a sourdough loaf. I ended up greasing a metal sheet pan and performing my last proof on it with a clear glass mixing bowl around it upside down to keep it from spreading too much. I also preheated an iron skillet on the rack below and placed the bread on the sheet on the top rack then immediately poured 1 cup boiling water into the skillet and shut the oven door. I have used this method twice now and have gotten a really nice crispy crust on top. The bottom of the loaf was not as crispy but I don't mind because it is easier to cut. I think parchment paper or preheating the sheet can achieve a crisper underside. Thank you so much!!!

      Reply
    7. Wini Williams :
      June 12, 2020

      I wish you had indicated in the skillet alternative to the dutch oven the amount of time to bake the bread? All the other recipes indicate 20-30 minutes before removing the lid and then an additional 10-15 without the lid. How long without a lid, with ice cubes?
      I'm going to try 30 minutes and. hope for the best.

      Reply
    8. Kath Wall :
      June 6, 2020

      Thank you for the step by step including video on how to make artisan bread.
      Made this today for the first time, my partner couldn't wait to sample it, we had a warm slice with butter, absolutely gorgeous and so crusty and light, I will be making this on a regular basis.

      Reply
    9. Denise McKinney :
      May 19, 2020

      Thank you so much for the step by step guidance and the tip on the two iron skillet steam baking method. I baked my first ever sourdough loaf tonight and it was magnificent, thanks to your help! 🙂

      Reply
    10. Jeanie :
      May 19, 2020

      Can this recipe for Easy Crusty French Bread by adapted for a bread machine?

      Reply
    11. Jay :
      May 14, 2020

      Great tips, thank you.
      For the stainless steel pot, can I just use the lid that’s with the pot?

      Reply
    12. Pina :
      May 13, 2020

      Hi Jessie
      I find it frustrating that all I see is round bread and dutch ovens. What if I want to make long loafs of crusty bread?
      Can you advise
      Thanks
      Pina

      Reply
      • Lucky :
        October 11, 2020

        If you want to make long loaves, you can place the loves on a heated baking stone and create steam using any of the methods above.

        Hope that helps.

        Reply
    13. Lynne :
      May 13, 2020

      Can I use a commercial aluminum pot with a lid in place of cast iron?

      Reply
    14. Gina Gotthilf :
      May 6, 2020

      Thank you!!

      Reply
    15. antonita arbolino :
      May 5, 2020

      Hello Jessie,
      Thank you so much for your suggestions to bake bread without a Dutch oven. I used the cast irons and it worked beautifully! Also your instructions were clear and easy to follow.
      Antonita

      Reply
    16. lynn :
      April 29, 2020

      there are so many ads consistently popping up including the never-ending "FREE EMAIL COURSE" that I still have not seen the actual ingredients...big time waster and no good result.

      Reply
      • Janice :
        November 17, 2020

        Might be time to install Adbocker Plus....I had no issues at all.

        Reply
    17. Hannah :
      April 20, 2020

      Fabulous and clear to understand recipe. I just made this bread and had it for dinner, smell and tasted amazing. Thanks for sharing! can't wait to have it for breakfast tomorrow

      Reply
    18. Ann :
      April 2, 2020

      My oven has a steam bake feature. I don't have a dutch oven pot so I will use a skillet to try this recipe. Do you think it will work fine with my oven steam bake feature? It has Low, Med and High level. Will I need to cover the skillet with a lid if I go this way?

      Reply
      • Ford :
        June 16, 2020

        Steam on high works great for me without the use of a dutch oven, or any other kind of container! 30 mins at 210 centigrade with fan asdist and steam on high produces a loaf that the family cant get enough of.

        Reply
    19. TL :
      April 2, 2020

      Can I put the bread into a cast iron skillet and cover the skillet with a baking sheet?

      Reply
    20. Christine :
      March 30, 2020

      Can I use the pot from my slow cooker to make the bread in the oven?

      Reply
      • Martin :
        April 18, 2020

        Yes you can. I've been baking my crusty bread in a slow cooker ceramic pot, because I don't have a Dutch oven yet (ordered one last week). Just make sure there's no plastic on either the pot or lid. I had to remove the plastic handle on the lid and replaced it with a metal screw so it was easier to open. Works fine if you don't mind an oval shaped bread.

        Good luck

        Reply
        • Krystin :
          April 20, 2020

          Is the glass lid on the crock pot safe to use in the oven at 460 degree temp?

          Reply
    Newer Comments »

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