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Basic Bread Making in a Terracotta Dish

Recipe Level: Moderate

Here's a simple white bread recipe using a terracotta dish (with tips included). Baking in a terracotta dish will transform your bread into a loaf just like the bakery. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at just how beautiful and crusty your bread will turn out.

Baked by Alie Romano

Professional Baker and Recipe Developer

* Make sure to read the entire article. Every step matters, and I’ll provide helpful tips along the way!

*This blog post contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.

Basic Bread Making in a Terracotta Dish

Have you ever tried baking bread? How about in a terracotta dish? You’ll be pleasantly surprised at just how beautiful your baked bread will turn out.  Baking bread in a terracotta dish (Römertopf clay) is a great way to achieve a crusty, golden-brown exterior and a soft, chewy interior. You’ll be surprised at how easy it is too!

You can bake any type of bread you like but here I choose to make a simple white bread. It’s a great place to start when learning to bake with terracotta. As you get better and understand your vessel you can try as many bread flavours as you like.

Ingredients

  • Active dry yeast
  • Warm water
  • Granulated sugar
  • White bread flour or all-purpose flour
  • Salt
  • Egg

WHY BAKE BREAD IN TERRACOTTA?

Terracotta means “baked earth,”  in Italian and as one of the oldest materials used for cooking food is actually very ideal for baking bread!  It distributes heat evenly, helping baked goods turn out perfect every time. The clay has pores or better called porous material which draws moisture from the dough producing a perfect crust. You soak the unglazed lid in water first for at least 10-15 minutes and when ready place the lid on top of the dish to be baked. This seals that moisture in the pores and slowly burns off as the heat rises in the oven, creating steam for perfect bread.

Basic Bread Making in a Terracotta Dish

TIPS FOR BAKING WITH TERRACOTTA

  1. When you first get your terracotta dish (Römertopf clay) clean it with warm water only.
  2. Do not use soaps as they can block pores and affect the taste of the food that is cooked in the dish.
  3. Soak unglazed lids in water for at least 10-15 minutes before baking in the oven.
  4. Always place terracotta cookware in a cold oven (filled with your prepared dough), then set your desired temperature. This is to avoid cracks and breakage in your dish.
  5. You can cook any recipe in your terracotta dish but terracotta requires a high oven temperature. You can usually convert the recipe by raising the cooking temperature by 100˚F and adding a half hour to regular cooking time (this is because the dish is placed into a cold oven and the clay does not get hot as fast as other cookware does).
  6. Baking bread in terracotta only requires one rise, the second rise happens in the cold oven! See below for more.

The Rise

The interesting part about baking in terracotta is not having a second rise. This makes things go a little faster and cuts out a step or two from the regular bread making process. When the terracotta dish goes into a cold oven is when the second rise will happen. You place your prepared dough in the dish and then into the cold oven, turn on the heat and that’s when all the magic starts to happen! The steam gets sealed in from the wet lid and gets baked evenly through the terracotta, then for the last 10 minutes of baking you remove the lid to brown up the bread – voila!

Basic Bread Making in a Terracotta Dish

How To Make Basic Bread in a Terracotta Dish

Step One: Bloom yeast in warm water and sugar. Make your dough by adding flour and salt to your yeast mixture. Mix the dough until ragged and bring together with your hands. Knead the dough for approx. 8 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Poke the dough with your finger and if it springs back it’s ready to rest. Cover the dough and let rest for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Step Two: Soak the lid of your unglazed terracotta lid in water for 10 minutes. Once dough has doubled in size, punch it down and flatten it into a rectangle. Now, fold the dough like a letter, and pinch closed. Fold in half, use the side of your hand to press it crossed tightly and pinch the seams together. Slash the top with a sharp knife or blade.

Step Three: Brush the top of the bread with egg wash. Place the loaf into the terracotta dish, seam side down and put the wet lid on top. Place the bread in the middle of the cold oven, it’s very important that the oven isn’t preheated! Turn on the oven to 400°F while the dough is in the oven and bake as directed.

Basic Bread Making in a Terracotta Dish
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Basic Bread Making in a Terracotta Dish

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4.8 from 13 reviews

Here’s a simple white bread recipe using a terracotta dish. Baking in a terracotta dish will transform your bread into a loaf just like the bakery. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at just how beautiful and crusty your bread will turn out.

  • Author: Alie Romano
  • Prep Time: 2 hours
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
  • Yield: 1 Loaf 1x
  • Category: Bread
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: French

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 300 ml warm water
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 1/23 cups white bread flour or all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg for glazing

Instructions

  1. Combine warm water, yeast and sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Let rest for approx. 5-10 minutes until mixture is frothy and has formed bubbles.
  2. In a large bowl mix flour and salt together. Make a well in the middle of the flour and add liquid. Mix together until ragged. Turn out onto a prepared work surface and knead for approx. 8 minutes until smooth and elastic (you can also use a stand mixer with the dough hook).
  3. Grease a large clean bowl, place the dough in the middle, and turn the dough to cover in oil. Cover with plastic wrap and leave the dough to double in size in a warm, draft free place, approx. 1 – 1½ hours.
  4. Using a terracotta dish, soak the unglazed lid in water for 10 minutes, and leave the bottom of the dish.
  5. Once dough has doubled in size turn out dough onto a slightly floured work surface. Punch the dough down and flatten it into a rectangle. Fold the dough like a letter and pinch closed.  Fold in half, use the side of your hand to press it crossed tightly and pinch the seams together. Slash the top a few times with a sharp knife or a razor blade, this is so it rises evenly in the oven. Brush the top of the bread with egg wash. Place the loaf into the terracotta dish, seam side down and put the wet lid on top.
  6. Now, place the bread in the middle of the cold oven.
  7. Turn the oven on to 400°F while the dough is in the oven. This step is very important so you don’t crack the dish and your bread gets its second rise in the oven.
  8. Bake for 35 minutes. Take the lid off and continue to bake for another 10-15 minutes until the bread is browned and when tapped, sounds hollow.

Notes

Baking time varies due to size of bread, oven temperature and baking dish. Be careful not to open the oven door or lid too often as it will affect the rise and the crust.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 slice
  • Calories: 103
  • Sugar: 0.4g
  • Sodium: 104mg
  • Fat: 0.7g
  • Saturated Fat: 0.2g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 0
  • Trans Fat: 0
  • Carbohydrates: 20.5g
  • Cholesterol: 14mg

Did you make this recipe?

Write a review and let me know!

Share a photo and tag me on Instagram @bakingforfriends_

I can’t wait to see what you’ve made! xo alie

FAQ’s

Can you bake bread in a terracotta dish?

Yes, baking bread in terracotta dishes leads to a crusty, even baked bread. Terracotta distributes heat evenly, helping your baked goods turn out perfect every time. The clay has pores or better known as porous material which draws moisture from the dough producing a perfect crust. Make sure to soak the unglazed lid in water first for at least 10-15 minutes and when ready place the lid on top of the dish to be baked.

Do you soak glazed terracotta before baking or cooking?

No, there is no need to soak glazed terracotta. You want to soak unglazed terracotta before baking or cooking for at least 10-15 minutes in cold water.

Can you substitute bread flour for all-purpose flour?

Yes, if you are making bread you can substitute bread flour for all-purpose flour. The ratio is as simple as 1:1. The bread will have a higher gluten content, will be chewier and the texture will be slightly better.

Why soak terracotta for baking?

You soak an unglazed terracotta lid in water for at least 10-15 minutes and when ready place the lid on top of the dish to be baked. This seals the moisture in the pores and slowly burns off as the heat rises in the oven, creating steam in the vessel for perfectly baked bread.

Do you have to soak a Römertopf clay before baking?

Römertopf bakers come in glazed and unglazed pots. Make sure to soak unglazed terracotta for at least 10-15 minutes before baking with them. Glazed pots do not need to be soaked as the water will not seep into the pores (creating that steam inside the vessel).

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Tisha Castillo
Tisha Castillo
3 years ago
Rating :
     

The best bread we have ever had! We are making it again. THANK YOU! Xo 😚






Celene
Celene
3 years ago

Hi,
If I’m working with an unglazed terra-cotta dish, should I soak both the lid and bottom?

PaloBrea
PaloBrea
3 years ago

Hi Allie, I’m using a quick rise packet – which measures 2-1/4 tsp. Will that be fine or does it have to be exactly 2 tsp?

Palo Brea
Palo Brea
3 years ago
Rating :
     

It turned out great!!!! Thank you for your clear recipe! Shared it with my neighbour. This was my first bread and found the process therapeutic esp with how easy your directions were to follow.

Now I’d like to experiment with flavour and density.

Many thanks.






Palo Brea
Palo Brea
3 years ago
Rating :
     

Thank you. It stored so well. It’s still soft yet dense. I wonder if the density is attributed to the size of my dish.Would you know the size of your clay dish? I think I need to adjust the measurements some for my clay ware size. I’m using a 2quart dish. Or would you have a suggestion for adjusting the ratios, say for 1.5 cups of flour would I cut back the yeast relative to that?

I included a link to dropbox with photos of the bread 🙂

Also would you know how to increase bubbles in this bread recipe?

Thank you again.






Sue Norris
Sue Norris
3 years ago
Rating :
     

Turned out beautiful. I wasnt sure of the method. Also use ts of salt and herbs. Hope it tastes as good as it looks. thank you.






Kirsten
Kirsten
3 years ago

I am never sure of the gram to cup conversion in American recipes. Can you please tell me how many grams of flour you are using? Thank you

Inge Kohl
Inge Kohl
3 years ago
Rating :
     

Found your site during my quest for Römertopf bread baking questions. It’s interesting to see the 2 different opinions on putting clay baker with dough in cold oven versus preheating the empty, non soaked pot. When I did it the first time I just washed out the pot because I hadn’t used it for a while. Put it in the oven while it was preheating to 450. When I opened the oven door an enormous amount of steam and smoke came out of the oven. Quite scary. The next time I didn’t wet (or soak) the pot at all. I made a sourdough rye bread and it came out great. I will have to try your recipe. I was wondering if you tried using high protein or bread flour in your recipe. I am asking, because I managed to get a huge bag of it and don’t want to use my All purpose flour, since I’m having a hard time finding any.
Thank you






JJ Andrews
JJ Andrews
3 years ago

Greetings. Looking to bake a gluten free loaf in a terra cotta pan. Unfortunately, it has no lid. What do you recommend in lieu of that?

We have a go-to gluten free recipe but are also open to others.

Thank you!

Stay well.

JJ Andrews
JJ Andrews
3 years ago

Thanks so much for the quick response.
In the interim, I discovered that we have another terra cotta bread pan (in theory) but also without a lid of the same size. May be a naive question but would it work if I inverted it and used it as a lid? If it needs to seal tighter than that would offer, what if I wrapped the whole thing in aluminum foil? Just brainstorming, here.

JJ Andrews
JJ Andrews
3 years ago

Hi again,

I’ve had a fair amount of success making a gluten free bread in a terra cotta pot and according to the instructions above. Have used aluminum foil to help seal the cover, as mentioned in the other comments. Turns out it is a cordon bleu pot, fwiw.

Would like feedback on how to reduce the occurrence of air pockets, air tunnels, air caves, etc. Seems to happen about 1/2 the time.

Thank you!

JJ Andrews
JJ Andrews
3 years ago

Sorry.
I was asking about the air pockets.
As I’m making gluten free bread, the recipe calls for xanthan gum. Have read that it adds “airiness” so I cut it back a bit and that did help but did not solve the problem. If I cut back too much, the loaf will lose some of its structural integrity. Any other steps I should try?

William McKewan
William McKewan
3 years ago
Rating :
     

i just got a Romertopf and was searching around. i found your recipe. it appears you are putting your dough in the bottom of the vessel and not using parchment paper or cornmeal (to keep it from sticking) or any oil. so my question is do you prep the bottom in any way before you load the dough in to the vessel? thank you for the lovely pictures as well.






Lisa
Lisa
3 years ago

I have a beautiful, but unusual terra cotta pot. Only the inside is glazed. Also, the lid, unfortunately is glazed inside and out.
Would it work to soak the pot itself and have the steam only on the outside of the pot? Strange dilemma

Sally Wellman
Sally Wellman
3 years ago

Hi, just about to try using my terracotta oven to cook bread for the first time. You say to add 30mins to cooking time and 100f. So if the bread normally takes 35 min do I put it into a cold oven and cook for 1 hr 05min?

Jilly Fairfax
Jilly Fairfax
3 years ago
Rating :
     

Hi Alie. Your recipe for baking bread in my terracotta pot / Romertopf has now become a firm favourite in our home. I make the dough – white, 50/50 wholemeal, or granary – in my bread maker so it does all the hard work! Then take it out, punch it down and fold as in your recipe. Lining the bottom with greaseproof paper there is no washing of the Romertopf. I always soak the lid in water. Cutting deep slices in the formed bread dough and topping with e.g. poppy or carraway seeds – experimenting with these. Then cover and in oven (Gas Mark 6 for me in UK) for 40 minutes from cold. Then 15 mins without the lid and the results so far have been very well received!!!! Thank you for your recipe – such a help and good to find a community who love cooking in terracotta. Jilly – New Milton, Hampshire, UK






Lois Iannucci
Lois Iannucci
2 years ago
Rating :
     

Well I tried a sweet bread and put two loaves side by side.. they are rolled jelly roll as if for cinnamon buns. Oh my, Its amazing! So glad I searched for cooking in clay. I’ve only done a chicken, artichokes so my experience is low but this is a whole new world to explore…thank you for sharing your knowledge!
Lois

I have another pot that is cracked, is it no good now?






T Rosa
T Rosa
2 years ago

I have an older spara bratentopf 156 clay Baker which I inherited from my mother… I made a great ciabatta loaf in it years ago but lost the recipe…the lower inner bowl is glazed but not the lid…do I presoak just the lid ?..or the whole thing ?… can’t remember…. preheat the baker then add the dough?…or dough in cold baker on glazed bottom…do you have a ciabatta recipe for this..?… thanks…Ted…

Ralph Paisley
Ralph Paisley
2 years ago
Rating :
     

My terracotta dish does not have a lid. After 35 minutes it sounded done but was a little underdone. I live at 5,000 feet. How might I adjust for altitude? Any help out there?
BTW I used bread flour.






Karin Dionne
Karin Dionne
2 years ago
Rating :
     

Hi! Just baked a sourdough loaf in my spara baker and it looks great except the bottom became too dark. Should I put the baker one rack up so it’s not on the bottom rung of the oven? All else is great, good too crust.






alice werbel
alice werbel
1 year ago

I want to begin bread baking in my claypot. Would like a more healthy alternative to plain white bread.
Suggestions?

Beckie Stephens
Beckie Stephens
1 year ago

Howdy from Texas, Jilly. I’m so glad I found your page. I have a Romertopf and am excited to use it again. I’m very excited about making bread!! I’m looking for a good, ciabatta recipe; suggestions? Also, can I add seed, nuts, herbs to your bread recipe? Have you made focaccia in your cooker? Thank you for sharing!!

Diane Loughery
Diane Loughery
1 year ago
Rating :
     

Until I found this recipe my terra cotta cooker sat in the cabinet collecting dust! This makes a beautiful loaf of bread! Now my terra cotta cooker is used weekly! Thanks!






Valarie Hartling
Valarie Hartling
7 months ago
Rating :
     

This is the recipe that I always use. I am new to baking bread and had tried many other recipes before I found this one. The bread always turns out perfectly and is so delicious. I usually use whole wheat flour to which I add 2 tablespoons of gluten flour. Recently, I was asked to make dinner rolls for an event. I had never made rolls or buns of any kind before. Again I tried many recipes unsuccessfully. So I thought why not use this recipe. The rolls had to be baked in muffin tins, so I had to do a second rise, before putting them in the oven at 350F for 18 minutes. I put a large pan of water on the bottom rack of the oven to make up for lack of moisture from the terracotta dish. The rolls were perfect and delicious. Thank you for such an excellent recipe.






Amy
Amy
1 month ago
Rating :
     

Thank you much for the recipe and the information on baking in clay pots. I’ve been making bread for years and this is a keeper! I did make one change just to try. I used warm milk in lieu of water and added a little soft butter to the mixture. It was the best I’ve ever made. Thank you again.






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Alie

I'm a professional baker, recipe developer & photographer behind Baking For Friends. I specialize in classic & comforting baking. I hope you enjoy the recipes & find inspiration of your own to bring your family & friends together over home-cooked food!

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