Above: bread on stone

What You’ll Need

• Prepared sourdough dough ready for baking
• Baking tray, pizza stone, or oven-safe tray
• Deep roasting tray or metal dish for steam
• Baking paper
• Sharp knife or bread lame
• Optional: large metal bowl to cover the loaf during baking

Before Baking

1. Preheat your oven to 230–250°C for at least 30–45 minutes.
2. Place an empty metal tray or roasting dish on the bottom shelf while preheating — this will create steam later.
3. Turn your dough onto baking paper and score the top with a sharp blade.

Option 1: Steam Tray Method (Most Common)

Bake

1. Place your loaf onto the hot baking tray or stone.
2. Carefully pour 1 cup of boiling water into the hot steam tray at the bottom of the oven.
3. Quickly close the oven door to trap the steam.

Baking Times

• Bake for 20 minutes with steam
• Then carefully remove the steam tray or let the steam escape
• Reduce temperature to 220°C
• Bake another 20–25 minutes until deep golden brown

Option 2: Metal Bowl Method

This mimics a Dutch oven surprisingly well.

1. Place the dough onto a hot tray.
2. Cover the loaf with a large stainless steel mixing bowl or deep roasting pan for the first 20 minutes.
3. Remove the bowl and continue baking uncovered for another 20–25 minutes until browned.

This traps moisture released from the dough and helps create better oven spring.

How to Tell When It’s Done

Your loaf should:

• sound hollow when tapped underneath
• have a deep golden crust
• feel light for its size
• reach an internal temperature around 96–99°C if using a thermometer

Cooling

Allow the bread to cool for at least 1–2 hours before slicing. Cutting too early can make the crumb gummy.

Helpful Tips

• Strong steam = better rise and crust
• A thoroughly preheated oven makes a huge difference
• Slightly wetter doughs usually give a more open crumb
• If the crust browns too quickly, lower the oven slightly during the second half of the bake

> Purchase a purpose-built cast iron Dutch Oven for sourdough here.