The Ultimate Sourdough Cheat Sheet
Tools and techniques that helped 10,000+ of our happy customers bake Insta-worthy bread.
Let’s solve your biggest sourdough frustrations once and for all:
“Why do my loaves turn out like flying saucers…?”
“How do I choose between round and oval dutch ovens?”
“7 months in, how come my crumb is still gummy and wet?”
“Again?! My breads burn on the bottom and stick to the pot!”
“Why do my loaves turn out like flying saucers…?”
“How do I choose between round and oval dutch ovens?”
“7 months in, how come my crumb is still gummy and wet?”
“Again?! My breads burn on the bottom and stick to the pot!”
To answer, we must ask you a few of our own questions:
Tough love question #1
Lost Steam
Trapped Steam
Did you buy a dutch oven because everyone does? Do you know what makes it work?
To achieve that coveted oven spring in your home oven, nothing is more important than steam control.
A properly designed dutch oven traps a ton of steam (the water cooking out of your dough) during the first crucial minutes of your bake, and convects it around your loaf like an air fryer does. Cool, isn’t it?
Lost Steam
Trapped Steam
IN A LINE
Tight Fitting Seal + Gently Sloped Lid + High Heat Retention = Maximum Oven Spring
Tough love question #2
Sticky, Unseasoned Surface
Enameled, Nonstick Surface
Is your dutch oven seasoned as it should be? If not, is it enameled?
With high-heat cooking, you want your dutch oven to ‘release’ your loaf at the right time. Without a nonstick surface, that usually won’t happen.
If you’re not skilled at cast iron seasoning, a high-quality enamel coating is the way to go. It grabs onto your dough while you’re scoring it, then lets go in time for that mid-bake spin after the lid comes off.
Sticky, Unseasoned Surface
Enameled, Nonstick Surface
IN A LINE
Premium Enamel Finish + Nontoxic Material + Natural Grip Release = Evenly Baked Bottom
So, what’s their secret?
Do they know something you don’t?
Not if you continue reading!
Tough love question #3
Squeezes or Pinches Your Bread
Matches Your Bread Shape & Size
Did you buy the right dutch oven shape, or the one you thought looked prettier…?
Size matters. So does shape. When it comes to the “round vs. oval” decision, consider what you’re baking (and what you might cook/sear/braise in the future).
Generally, boules bake better in round dutch ovens, while batards and focaccia do better in ovals. But, don’t forget dough volume: When baking a larger 1,200-gram loaf, you might need a full 6-quart dutch oven.
Squeezes or Pinches Your Bread
Matches Your Bread Shape & Size
IN A LINE
Go round for classic boules. Go oval for batards. And remember: Right size = right rise.
Which ever shape you get, you get ship-shape results.
Inner Layer
Advanced Nonstick, Nonstaining Enamel
Middle Layer
Ultra Durable, High-Heat Cast Iron Core
Outer Layer
Premium, Easy-Care, Nontoxic Enamel
Tough love question #4
Flat Loaf from Drop Impact
Gentle Transfer & Beautiful Rise
Are you guilty of deflating your dough when transferring it to your dutch oven?
If you’ve ever plopped your dough into your dutch oven in fear of burning your hands, you’re not alone. Thankfully, we have the fix: The Krustic custom-sized silicone transfer mat. Beyond safety, it plays a crucial role in retaining your dough’s yeast bubbles between the score and the oven. That critical window can make or break your bake.
Flat Loaf from Drop Impact
Gentle Transfer & Beautiful Rise
IN A LINE
Get a transfer mat that matches the shape of your loaf and pan. Don’t forget to tuck the ends, so you don’t break the steam seal. It’s always included with any Krustic dutch oven.
Living proof, from bakers just like you.
How we’re helping 10,000+ bakers raise their best loaves
Tough love question #5
Weak, Shallow Score without Definition
Confident, Angled Score with Big Ear
Do you score your loaf on the counter, or in the dutch oven? Ever do a 7-minute score?
Either way, the format of the dutch oven can help or hinder your scoring technique. If you score on the counter, most models work. But if you like to score in the dutch oven, or do a second score at the 7-minute mark, our shallow bottom and domed upper pans offer safer reach when things are scorching hot.
Weak, Shallow Score without Definition
Confident, Angled Score with Big Ear
So, how do you choose your forever dutch oven?
There are enough good arguments for you to own both.
But if you want guidance to choose one, here’s the skinny:
Round
Get the Round if:
- You mostly bake boules
- You bake larger loaves
- You want to bake two loaves at time, and have a wider oven (to fit two round dutch ovens)
- You might sear steaks
Oval
Get the Oval if:
- You mostly bake batards
- You try focaccia/baguettes
- You want to bake two loaves at time, and have a narrow oven (to fit two oval dutch ovens)
- You might roast a turkey
Yes! Both our dutch ovens are made from high-quality cast iron, coated with durable enamel. Even the rim is enameled (unlike some brands…). No seasoning required: they’re ready to use right out of the box.