no knead bread 101

Jul 26, 2015

No Dutch Oven?

No knead bread depends on the steam created inside a pot with a tight-filling lid. I use an enameled cast iron Dutch oven but other people have commented on my website that they had success using:

  • a glass pyrex dish with a lid
  • a stainless steel pot with a lid
  • a stainless steel pot with foil on top and the original pot lid over the the foil
  • a clay baker
  • a springform pan with an aluminum foil top
  • a pizza stone with a stainless steel bowl as a cover
  • several people posted that they used a black cast iron pot with a lid
  • a roasting pan with a tightly sealed foil heavy duty top
  • a heavy soup pot with a lid
  • a corning dish with a glass lid
  • a Romertopf clay pot
  • a crock pot bowl with a lid
  • two nonstick bread pans, no parchment paper – put the dough in one of the bread pans, flip the other pan upside down over the first pan and put binder clips on the two ends to hold the pans together.
  • an oven-safe stoneware insert (removed from a slow cooker) with a cookie sheet over it as a lid.
  • a cast iron skillet and foil as a lid
  • 2 1/2 quart corning ware casserole.

Keep in mind that any lid must be tight fitting because you need to create steam inside the pot and the lid should have an oven-proof handle (not plastic). Your pot will need to hold at least 3 quarts but 5 to 6 quarts is most common. Or… You can make my No Knead Ciabatta Bread or No Dutch Oven Bread – they both bake on a pan, no Dutch oven needed. Click here for the recipes.