Proof & LoafBaking Steel vs. Stone vs. Dutch Oven for Sourdough
Dutch ovens trap steam for you; steels and stones give you room and crisp bottoms. Here’s how to pick, and how to get great results from each.
The short answer
For a beginner baking one round loaf at a time, a Dutch oven or combo cooker is the easiest path to a great loaf, because it traps steam for you. A baking steel or stone shines if you also bake pizza, want to bake two loaves at once, or prefer long baguettes and batards, but you’ll need to add steam yourself.
| Dutch oven | Baking steel | Baking stone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam | Built in (lid) | Add your own | Add your own |
| Loaf shapes | Fits the pot | Any, several at once | Any, several at once |
| Pizza | No | Excellent | Very good |
| Durability | Very high | Won’t crack | Can crack from thermal shock |
| Weight | Heavy | Heavy (15 lb for the Original) | Moderate |
How to add steam with a steel or stone
- Cover the loaf with an upside-down roasting pan or large stainless bowl for the first 20 minutes, then remove it.
- Or put a sturdy metal pan on the lowest rack while preheating and pour in hot water right after loading the bread. Protect your hands and the oven window from steam.
Baking Steel Original (14" x 16" x 1/4")
Serious Eats’ best pizza steel overall in its 2026 testing. The listing says the 14 x 16" surface fits a 13" pizza or two loaves side by side, and it ships pre-seasoned.
- Excellent heat transfer for crisp bottoms
- Won’t crack or shatter
- Pizza and bread on one surface
- 15 lb and needs storage space
- Needs steam added for bread
Unicook 20" x 13.5" Cordierite Baking Stone
A large cordierite stone with room for two or three loaves. Serious Eats found it produced crisp crusts with strong heat retention.
- Large surface
- Lighter than a steel
- Stones can crack if wet or shocked; never put a cold stone in a hot oven or soak it
EXO Super Peel Pro Composite (14")
Getting dough onto a hot steel or stone is the hard part. America’s Test Kitchen’s winning peel uses a conveyor-belt cloth that slides delicate dough off cleanly.
- Makes loading easy
- Great for pizza too
- Fussy to set up and clean, per ATK
Lodge Cast Iron Combo Cooker
If you only bake bread, this is still the simplest and most forgiving option.
- Built-in steam
- Easy loading
- One round loaf at a time
More guides
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