The 10 Best Dutch Ovens for Bread Baking

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This post is all about the best dutch ovens for bread baking. If you’re making dutch oven bread loafs, these are the best of the best dutch ovens out there.

We started our sourdough bread making journey a couple of years ago, and wanted to find a great quality cast iron Dutch oven that was amazing quality but was also within the small budget we had at the time.

When we started looking, there were so many shapes, sizes and colors of dutch ovens that we got bit overwhelmed. We knew there were other people out there who wanted to find the best dutch oven whether they were making sourdough or other artisan bread.

That being said, we searched the internet for dutch ovens that were enamel coated, easy to clean, and heat evenly.

Without further ado, here are the 10 best dutch ovens for bread baking, plus the 3 things we always look for when choosing the perfect dutch oven.

This post is all about best dutch ovens for bread baking.

3 Things We Always Look for When Buying a Dutch Oven

1. 4-quart to 5-quart dutch oven

When baking our sourdough bread, we prefer to use a 4-5 quart dutch oven. It’s the perfect size to create the perfect size bread loaf and gives the loaf enough room to rise. It’s also the easiest size to pick up and handle.

Living in an apartment with limited kitchen space, we also prefer to buy a smaller dutch oven to save space in our cabinets.

2. Cast Iron

For years we’ve heard from our grandpa how much healthier it is for you to cook with cast iron then other cheaper non-stick surfaces. We also think that cast iron dutch ovens cook things way better than other materials, but that’s just our biased opinion.

3. Circular Dutch Oven

You may come across dutch ovens that have oval or even rectangular shapes. We prefer the look of circular bread loafs, so we always look for dutch ovens that have a circular base.

This isn’t to say you can bake bread in other shaped dutch ovens, but we prefer to bake bread in a circular dutch oven.

Our Top Picks

Best Dutch Ovens for Bread Baking

1. Le Creuset Signature Enameled Cast Iron Round Dutch Oven, 4 1/2 Quart

We have a couple of these Le Creuset Cast Iron dutch ovens in a matte grey color. We absolutely love them. They are specifically designed to heat evenly whatever you are baking or cooking. This dutch oven is made in France and meets the upmost standards of cookware and bakeware.

This dutch oven comes in so many beautiful colors, so you can choose the one that you absolutely love to compliment your kitchen.

2. Caraway Dutch Oven

Caraway is a fairly recent brand that’s begun to trend all over Instagram and Tiktok for it’s beautifully designed, eco-friendly cookware and bakeware. 

This dutch oven features non-toxic ceramic coating that is so easy to clean. It’s a beautiful pot that is perfect for baking bread and will look beautiful on your stovetop when you’re not using it.

3. Milo By Kana Dutch Oven

We are obsessed with the look of this dutch oven. It’s so sleek and modern in appearance, but is so well designed. It’s a California-designed enameled cast iron dutch oven. It comes in so many beautiful colors and a couple of sizes, so you can choose the one that’s best for your bread baking journey.

4. Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven Hearth and Hand

This was the first dutch oven we ever bought and we are seriously so obsessed with it. Not only is it the most affordable dutch oven on the list (under $50!), but it is impeccable quality.

We have baked several sourdough bread loaves in this dutch oven and they have turned out so delicious and beautifully golden brown.

5. Staub Enameled Cast Iron Deep Oven, 5 Quart

We rated this the best overall dutch oven, because Staub creates such high quality cookware and bakeware. This pot is taller than a traditional dutch oven, but we thought that it made a great dutch oven for baking high-rising loafs.

This cast iron dutch oven retains heat evenly, its resistant to rust, chips and cracking and the enameled coating on the outside of the pot beautifully resembles fine ceramics.

6. Martha Stewart 4 Quart Enameled Cast Iron Round Dutch Oven

This is such a beautiful dutch oven option designed by non other than the baking queen herself—Martha Stewart. This dutch oven is great for bread baking and will look beautiful on your stovetop when you aren’t using it. The beautiful gold knob adds a sophisticated touch too!

7. Our Place Perfect Pot

Are you looking for a dutch oven that’s lightweight, and easy to use? This dutch oven from Our Place is the perfect choice! 

The fact that this brand literally took over the Instagram by storm this past year, speaks to how much of cult following it has and that it’s really such an amazing brand. It’s made of a nontoxic, nonstick ceramic coating and has a sturdy aluminum body for fast and even heat reduction.

8. FINEX Seasoned Cast Iron Dutch Oven

Isn’t his seasoned cast iron skillet the most adorable thing ever? We love the unique side shape and the coil detail on the pot’s handles. The pre-seasoned oil finish resists sticking and rust. Not to mention, each one of these dutch ovens is hand-crafted in Tennessee, so it’s 100% American made!

9. Misen Dutch Oven

The Misen Dutch oven is such a great quality dutch oven and has a pretty comparable price to others of its size. This dutch oven is only available as a 7 quart, but it’s absolutely perfect for baking a large loaf of artisan bread. It comes in five classic colors that would look beautiful in any kitchen.

10. Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron Dutch Oven

Last, but certainly not least of them all is the Lodge seasoned cast iron dutch oven. We absolutely love lodge products. Their classic cast iron look is simple, but so classic. 

This dutch oven is impeccable quality, 100% toxin free and are super affordable. This one is less than $60, which is such an amazing deal.

This post is all about best dutch ovens for bread baking.

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