Tried to bake bread in my cast iron Dutch oven and the bottom came out black as charcoal

Blake Bell · 2026-09-30T13:05:08.102255+00:00

So last Saturday I got this idea to bake a sourdough loaf in my 12 inch cast iron Dutch oven instead of my usual enamel one. I preheated it at 475 for 40 minutes like every recipe says, dropped the dough in, and 25 minutes later the bottom was completely charred while the middle was still raw dough. I panicked and tried to scrape the burnt layer off with a butter knife, which just tore the whole loaf apart. Turns out my oven runs about 30 degrees hot and cast iron holds way more heat than enamel, so I scorched it from below. Anyone got a trick for baking in raw cast iron without burning the crust, or should I just stick to my enamel pot?

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Tried to bake bread in my cast iron Dutch oven and the bottom came out black as charcoal | Baking Fails And Wins - Opinions Matter