I baked two loaves side by side, one in my Dutch oven and one on a sheet pan, and the crust difference was wild

Paul Brown · 2026-09-16T05:05:04.680184+00:00

Last Saturday I did a little test in my kitchen here in Boise. I mixed one batch of sourdough, split it in two, and baked one loaf in my cast iron Dutch oven and the other on a plain sheet pan with a tray of water underneath. Same dough, same oven, same 450 degrees. The Dutch oven loaf came out with a crust that crackled when it cooled and a big open crumb. The sheet pan one was pale, soft, and kind of flat. I think the lid traps steam in those first 20 minutes, which lets the dough spring up before the crust sets. The sheet pan steam tray just could not keep up. I have been baking for about 3 years and this was the first time I really saw how much the pot matters. Now I want to know if anyone gets good results on a stone with a metal bowl over it. Does that trap steam as well as a Dutch oven, or do I need to spend the money?

Opinions Matter

Loading…

I baked two loaves side by side, one in my Dutch oven and one on a sheet pan, and the crust difference was wild | Bakers - Opinions Matter