Artisan Dutch Oven Bread

This easy Dutch oven bread has a crisp crust and a soft, tangy crumb with only about 30 minutes of hands-on time. Here’s my step-by-step method and a video!

Are you looking for an artisan bread recipe that’s easy to make and has that perfect crusty bread texture? Meet my Dutch oven bread recipe!

It’s got a beautiful crust and artisan bread appearance, but it takes only about 30 minutes of active time. It’s baked in a Dutch oven to get that crispy crunchy exterior. It’s got a very light tang from some Greek yogurt, and it’s the perfect texture for making sandwiches.

5 Star Reader Reviews

“This bread is SO good. I especially love making it for friends who need a meal, or as thank you gifts, or even alongside a housewarming gift.” -Liz

“I made this recipe today and it was outstanding. Crust was crunchy and the crumb was perfect. Looked like a professionally made loaf of bread. Thanks so much for sharing it.” -Karen

Why You’ll Love This Dutch Oven Bread

It’s easy. I like to call this recipe “cheater’s sourdough” because it’s way less work than sourdough and just as delicious.
It tastes like bakery bread. Three types of flour and Greek yogurt give this homemade bread real depth of flavor: and there’s no starter required!
You’ve got a video to show you how. Alex and I are so enthusiastic about the merits of home bread baking, we’ve made a video tutorial too.

Video Tutorial

This Dutch oven bread is very easy to make: the only tricky part is shaping the dough into a beautiful loaf shape. Because it’s difficult to describe in words, we’ve created a video tutorial to walk you through it! Here I am in our kitchen showing you how to make it!

Ingredients You’ll Need

To make the best Dutch oven bread, you’ll need a handful of very specific ingredients. To ensure you get perfect results every time, it’s crucial that you follow the recipe exactly as written. For this Dutch oven bread recipe, you’ll need:

All-purpose flour and bread flour: Using equal parts of each here gives the perfect chewy, tender texture. Bread flour has more protein, which gives it a more tender crumb. (See my Bread Flour Pizza Dough for more about bread flour.)
Whole wheat flour: Just a bit adds a nutty flavor.
Kosher salt: This brings out the flavor of the bread.
Instant or active dry yeast: Either type works here.
Water: Use purified water at room temperature.
Greek yogurt: Here I’ve added yogurt to give the bread a tangy flavor. I’ve successfully made bread in a Dutch oven using plain coconut yogurt as well, so it’s possible to make this bread vegan if desired.

Required Tools

Making Dutch oven bread requires just a few more tools outside of a Dutch oven! We’ve linked to the exact tools that we used in the video, but you can use whatever suits you!

Large dutch oven
Stand mixer for kneading (or this less expensive version)
Plastic bag for proofing (reuse it every time you make bread)
Kitchen scale for measuring
Parchment paper
Bench scraper for shaping the dough
Lame or sharp knife for scoring the bread
Oven gloves for easily removing the bread from the oven (optional)

The Best Dutch Oven for Bread

What size Dutch oven do you need for bread? A 5 to 6 quart pot is great for loaf: big enough for the dough to rise, and small enough to hold in the steam. You can also use a 7 quart pot if that’s what you have.

Lodge 6 Quart Cast Iron Dutch Oven This is the best Dutch oven for bread, in my opinion! I use it to bake this Dutch oven bread and my sourdough bread recipe and it works like a charm.
Staub Dutch Oven 5.5 Quart I also have this Staub Dutch oven, my workhorse Dutch oven that I use for everyday soups, risottos and more. The 5 quart size is perfect for a large batch of soup or chili.

How to Make Dutch Oven Bread, Step by Step

Alex is the bread baking master in our household, and he created this simple method for people (like me!) who might not be up for the labor of sourdough. Again, I like to call it “cheater’s sourdough” because it’s way less work than sourdough and just as delicious.

It takes very little hands on time: most of the time in the recipe is waiting for the bread to proof and bake. For this recipe, you’ll need a stand mixer and a Dutch oven. Here are the basic steps for baking bread in a Dutch oven.

Mix the dough (10 minutes). Our recipe uses three types of flours to get that perfect artisan bread flavor and texture, and it’s a Greek yogurt bread recipe to bring a slight tang. You’ll use a stand mixer to knead the dough since it’s too sticky to knead by hand.
Proof the dough (about 1.5 hours). Allow the dough to double in size in a warm place. We typically use our oven proof setting, and cover our bread in reusable plastic bag.
Shape the dough (5 minutes). Shape the dough into a loaf shape. It’s easiest to watch the video above for this part!
Proof the dough again (30 minutes). Allow the dough to rest again, this time at room temperature. Start preheating the oven with the Dutch oven inside.
Bake the dough (40 minutes). Place your bread directly into the Dutch oven, and bake for 17 minutes. Then remove it, reduce the oven temp, and bake for another 23 minutes.

That’s it! You’ll find this bread tastes AMAZING, and has the perfect crispy crust and soft interior. It’s definitely a favorite in our family. And we love that the texture is just perfect for sandwiches. Are you ready for baking bread in a Dutch oven? Head to our recipe below.

Bread Toppings

I haven’t tried adding grains or seeds to either the top of this Dutch oven bread or mixed into the dough itself, but you certainly could. If you’re craving a seedy bread, I also recommend making our No Knead Artisan Multigrain Bread. It’s also very easy to make and tastes amazing!

How This Compares to No Knead Bread

Many Dutch oven bread recipes are no knead bread, where you stir together a wet dough and then let it sit overnight. This loaf is different: the stand mixer kneads the dough for 8 minutes, which builds structure quickly. That’s why it’s ready the day you mix it!

If you’re looking for no knead bread try my Easy No Knead Bread recipe. If you have a sourdough starter, you can also try my Sourdough Bread recipe.

How to Store and Freeze Dutch Oven Bread

Store the bread wrapped in a cloth or in a bread bag on the counter for up to 2 days. Skip the refrigerator, which makes bread go stale faster.

This no knead artisan bread freezes very well. You can either freeze the entire loaf, or pre-slice the loaf and freeze it that way (this method works well if you plan on using it for sandwiches over a period of time). Just note that you’ll need to freeze this bread in a freezer bag, otherwise it may get freezer burn or dry out once frozen.

Ways To Serve It

I hope you’ll try out our method for how to bake bread in a Dutch oven: let me know if you try it and what you think! One last thing: this bread is perfect slathered with butter or peanut butter and a bit of Homemade Strawberry Jam. I also love it for any type of sandwich like a pesto sandwich or caprese sandwich, or as toast like avocado toast.

Dietary Notes

This artisan Dutch oven bread is vegetarian and has a vegan, dairy-free and plant-based variation (see below).