I am new at this , purchased 3 qt dutch oven, is it too small??
I have always been told it should be 4-5 quart. Don’t know down size of too large. 3 seems a little small too me.
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I use a 5 qt. dutch oven. But, the loaves I bake in it typically are larger than 1600 kg - i.e. enough dough to make two loaves of bread when baked in conventional bread pans.
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I’ve been successfully using a Corning Ware A-3-B 3-liter casserole for loaves with 15 to 20 ounces of flour. I let the dough rise in the casserole, then put it in a cold oven set to 450. Fifty minutes covered; 13 uncovered. Beats hot cast iron…
But to the question: Your 3-quart DO should be fine.
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Chad Robertson suggests a 3 qt. combo cooker in his first book so you should be alright. I use a 5 qt. double dutch oven from Lodge and a cheap ceramic oval one depending on what shape loaf is being baked. I especially like the double for boules because there is no top handle and the pot can be used as a lid which makes loading the loaf much easier with less chance of burning yourself. Most of my loaves weigh around 1kg. If you are afraid the dutch oven is too small just reduce the loaf size until you feel comfortable with the amount it can hold.
Stu
I use a 2.5 quart le crueset clay casserole with lid to bake 680g / 1.5lb loaf . Most are Tartine type breads . Purchased at home goods here in Tampa for $50.
Cheers
Michael
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I think your 3 qt will be just fine, simply adjust your recipe. The recipe I make in a 5qt dutch oven uses 6 cups of flour. That makes for a BIG loaf. If 3qt is 60% of 5qt, why not simply reduce everything and start out with 3 1/2 C of flour?
it would be good if its 4… if youre planning to bake bigger.
but if more family and medium size bake goodies…i think it will be enough for the mean time
Hi, I just bought a small (4 quart) dutch oven. The width should be fine (10 inches), but it’s only 3.5 inches deep. Think that will work for a loaf of sourdough bread using 3.5 cups of flour? Thanks!!!
I use a 3.5 quart Lodge dutch oven … maybe a bit more height but close. Yesterday, I baked a 600 gram loaf the filled it. 600 g is in the neighborhood of 4 plus cups of flour.
Old Thread, but I have NEW information! AmazonBasics now has a Chinese enamel 4.3Qt DO in two colors for $35. It has a rounded bottom, great for a 800g dough. Metal knob too! They say only good for 400dg., but I have had no issues at 500dg. I am sure the enamel will chip faster than on a high-end enamel pot, but I found it’s a great add to my baking supplies!
You can’t beat the 5qt Lodge dutch oven for value. Only $39 on Amazon. Perfect when using the top as the base for baking bread.