Dutch Oven Recipes
- Brittany Young
- Nov 10, 2025
- 7 min read
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Versatile Enough for Every Day
Comfort food season is here! There is something about these cooler months in New England that has me craving warm, crusty bread, chili, or soup! There is nothing quite like stacking firewood for winter and coming back inside to amazing aromas as your dinner is simmering on the stovetop. Today, I'm sharing a few of the best recipes to make this season in your Dutch oven. This piece of equipment is the powerhouse of the kitchen, with the ability to be used on all stovetops or in the oven up to 500℉. You can sear, simmer, bake, and serve in one pot! The non-toxic enameled cast iron option from Caraway Home is an excellent value for the versatility! It is one of those pieces that makes you excited to cook! While I use my 6.5 qt size the most, the 3.5 qt braiser is a fantastic option too! I'm going to show you how I use it with recipes I have been making for years: a crusty rustic boule and beef chili. Our Pasta e Fagioli we've shared before, is another great option! Each of these recipes is easy to execute, full of flavor, and will impress a crowd!
Designed for a Healthier Home
As with all of my Caraway pieces, this one can go right from the stove to the table for serving. I leave mine on the stove because it's beautiful, and I use it every day! The durable enamel requires no seasoning, is easy to clean, and heats evenly. Most importantly, Caraway pieces equal chemical-free cooking. Their products are third-party tested and forever chemical-free. They also share the lab reports on each product page for transparency. You can cook confidently knowing that your cookware is free of harmful chemicals found in other non-stick products.
Crusty Bread: No-Knead Rustic Boule
There was a time when I was very intimidated by yeast breads. I started with my Honey Oatmeal Bread, and then wanted to perfect a crusty loaf. I ordered Bonnie O'Hara's Bread Baking for Beginners, and quickly realized I needed a Dutch oven for this simple bread. After following her recipes to a T, I gained confidence and started to adapt them to my taste, and with ingredients that I was already using in my honey oatmeal loaf. I also discovered I enjoyed working with a higher hydration dough and simplifying the steps. It's perfect every time, and one I often gift with my homemade raspberry jam and a dozen of our farm-fresh eggs!
This recipe makes 1 loaf.
Helpful photos are below the recipe.
Tools You'll Need
Dough Whisk, I prefer this tool, but you can use your hands.
Thermometer, I realized quickly that I did not need this tool each time. Our water falls in the range of 100-110℉ to activate the yeast. I still use it for cooking proteins, so it was worth the purchase!
Clean Dish Towel
Ingredients
10 grams instant yeast
395 grams warm water (100-110℉)
500 grams bread flour, plus more for dusting our workspace.
10 grams French grey salt
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Prep & Inactive Time: 3 hours
Bake Time: 33 to 35 minutes
Recipe
Weigh all of your ingredients separately before beginning. To get an accurate reading, use smaller bowls and dishes. I am usually multitasking, so I always use my phone calculator to make sure I'm accurate!
Add the warm water to the large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the yeast on top. Mix with your dough whisk, or fingers. Allow to sit for 3-5 minutes, or until it begins to foam.
Next, sprinkle the bread flour on top. Finally, sprinkle the French grey salt on top. This ensures the salt does not stop your yeast from rising.
Use your dough whisk or hands, and mix the ingredients. I like to fold over the ingredients as I combine them to make sure they are distributed properly. The dough will be wet. Cover the bowl with a clean dish towel, and wait for 20 minutes.
Ingredients for Crusty Boule 
Mixing Dough 
Mixed Bread Dough 
Covering Dough For 20 Min Rest 
Rested Dough Now we will develop the gluten! Uncover your bowl. Over the bowl, add a bit of Extra Virgin Olive Oil to your dominant hand. Tuck your hand under one side of the dough. Pull up, and stretch it over itself. Turn the bowl, and grab another corner of the dough, pull up, and stretch it over itself. Continue to do this as you work your way around the dough. I typically do this 4 times. Bonnie describes this in her book as visualizing a clock. Start at 12 o'clock, pull down to 6. It's a helpful tip! You will have a tightly formed ball.
Folding Boule Dough 
Folding & Stretching Dough 
Formed Dough Ball Add a bit of flour to one side of your clean dish towel. Drape it back over your bowl with the flour side down. Set a timer for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Keep the bowl in a warm area, away from any drafts.
After 1 hour and 30 minutes, uncover your bowl. Your dough should have risen, and look lighter with noticeable air bubbles. If your dough does not look like the photos I've included below, allow it to rise another 20-30 minutes.
Risen Boule Dough Next, we will shape the dough for proofing - the final rise. Please use the photos below for reference. Sprinkle your clean work surface with a bit of flour. Gently turn the dough out onto the floured area. Pour about 1 tablespoon of the olive oil into the bowl. Use your fingers to coat the bowl. Gently stretch your dough into a rectangular shape. I prefer to have the shorter end at the top, and slowly shake the dough down towards me into the rectangular shape. Now, we will do a letter fold. Fold the side farthest away from you to the center of the dough. Fold the bottom side up to meet the top outer edge. Next, fold the right edge into the center. Finally, fold the left side over to the right to the outer edge. You will have a rounded square shape. Place your dough seam-side down in the mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel, and set a timer for 1 hour. Place your empty Dutch oven, with the lid on, into your oven. Preheat the oven to 475℉. It is important to allow the Dutch oven to preheat while the dough is on its final rise.
Stretched Dough 
Letter Folding of Dough 
Letter Folding Dough 
Letter Folding Dough 
Final Letter Fold - Seam is on top near the right. 
Boule Dough Ready for Final Rise - Seam Down. Check to make sure your dough looks light, airy, and puffed up. If your bread does not look similar to the photo below, allow the dough to rise an extra 30 minutes.
Dough after proofing for 1 hour. Sprinkle a bit of flour onto your work surface, and turn your dough out, so the seam side is now facing up. Now we will do the trickiest part of the recipe, getting the dough into the Dutch oven. Use oven mitts to remove your VERY hot Dutch oven from the oven, and place it on the stove top. Remove the lid, and set it to the side. Next, remove your oven mitts, and gently scoop up your dough with your hands. Don't worry when the shape changes a bit! Carefully place the boule into the Dutch oven. Put on your oven mitts to place the lid back on. Place the Dutch oven into the oven, and set the timer for 25 minutes.
Dough turned out on counter, ready to bake. After 25 minutes, use your oven mitt to remove the lid. Your loaf should be risen, and slightly golden. Continue to cook for 8-10 minutes uncovered. If you prefer a darker loaf, cook for a few more minutes, but watch it closely! Tap the top of your loaf and listen for a hollow sound. Your loaf is ready to cool! Turn it out onto a cooling rack, and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes so the crumb may set. Our kids love to listen to the crackling as the bread cools! Your Caraway Dutch Oven will be easy to clean once it cools!
Finished Boule
Beef Chili - Dutch Oven
Beef chili is a classic comfort food that is a one-pot wonder! I use my Caraway Dutch oven to both cook and serve this crowd-pleaser! This recipe can be whipped up quickly on a weeknight and is easily adaptable for gatherings. It is a no-fuss option that uses pantry staples. I can't tell you the number of times I have made this recipe when we've had a big snowstorm here in Maine and can't get to town for a day...or more!
Tools I Use
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4-6
Ingredients
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 large onion, diced
1 poblano pepper, diced
1 large green pepper, diced (I added extra pepper for this recipe since I needed to use up a red one!)
3-4 cloves garlic, smashed and diced
1½ tablespoons chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 lb ground beef (we use 90-93% lean)
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 (10 oz cans) of diced tomatoes with green chilies (I use Ro-Tel Original)
1 can (15.5 oz) beans, rinsed and drained, either red kidney, black beans, or tri-color.
*Garnish with Colby Jack, sour cream, and sliced jalapeños.
*Serve with tortilla chips
Recipe
Heat 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add in the diced onion, poblano pepper, green pepper, 1/2 tsp salt, and the pepper. Sauté for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, and cook for 1 minute. Scoop out the vegetables into a bowl and set aside.
Add the ground beef to the Dutch oven. Use the meat masher or a wooden spatula to break up the ground beef as it browns, about 7 minutes. Drain off excess fat.
Add back in the vegetables, the remaining 1/2 tsp of salt, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder. Stir to combine.
Lower the heat to medium-low and add the tomato paste, stirring to coat the beef and vegetables. Allow to cook for 2 minutes.
Add the full cans of diced tomatoes with chilies, as well as the rinsed and drained beans. Stir to combine. Increase the heat to medium, bringing the chili to a gentle boil. Cover and reduce to medium-low. Simmer for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Taste and add more spices as needed to suit your preferences.
Serve in bowls, garnish with a dollop of sour cream, cheese, sliced jalapeños, and tortilla chips.
Beef Chili in Caraway's Cast Iron Dutch Oven
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