Dutch Oven & Banneton Size: How Much Dough Do You Need?
Too little dough in a big pot spreads flat; too much in a small basket spills over. Here are typical dough weights by Dutch oven and banneton size, and how to scale your recipe to match.
Always size by total dough weight
Basket and pot sizes go by the weight of the whole dough (flour + water + starter + salt + any add-ins), not the flour alone. A recipe with 500 g flour at 75% water, 20% starter and 2% salt is 500 + 375 + 100 + 10 = 985 g of dough. In general:
total dough = flour × (1 + water % + starter % + salt %), with percentages as decimals.
Dutch oven size chart
These are typical ranges that many bakers use for a round loaf. Pot shapes differ, so treat them as starting points.
| Dutch oven | Approx. litres | Typical dough weight |
|---|---|---|
| 3.5–4 qt | 3.3–3.8 L | about 500–750 g |
| 4.5–5.5 qt | 4.3–5.2 L | about 750–1,000 g |
| 6–7 qt | 5.7–6.6 L | about 1,000–1,300 g |
1 US quart = 0.946 litres. UK and Australian cookware is usually sold by litres or by diameter in cm.
Leave a few centimetres of clearance around the dough so you can lower it in on parchment and it has room to spring. An oval loaf (bâtard) needs an oval pot or a long enough round one.
Banneton size chart
| Banneton (inside, across the top) | Typical dough weight |
|---|---|
| Round 7 in / 18 cm | about 350–500 g |
| Round 8 in / 20 cm | about 500–700 g |
| Round 9 in / 23 cm | about 700–950 g |
| Round 10 in / 25 cm | about 900–1,200 g |
| Oval 10 in / 25 cm | about 700–1,000 g |
| Oval 12 in / 30 cm | about 1,000–1,250 g |
Published charts vary by 100–200 g for the same basket, partly because basket depth and dough hydration differ. Wetter doughs spread to fill whatever space they have, so some bakers go a size down for high-hydration doughs and a size up for stiff or heavily seeded ones. Before buying a basket, check that it fits inside your Dutch oven. If the basket fits, the shaped loaf will too.
Scaling a recipe to your pot
Pick a dough weight from the charts and enter it as "Total dough weight" in the calculator. For a small 750 g loaf at 72% water, 20% starter and 2% salt you get:
| Ingredient | Grams | Ounces |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 387 g | 13.64 oz |
| Water | 278 g | 9.82 oz |
| Starter (100%) | 77 g | 2.73 oz |
| Salt | 8 g | 0.27 oz |
| Total | 750 g | 26.46 oz |
Grams are rounded as the calculator shows them; ounces are converted from the unrounded figures.
To bake two smaller loaves, enter the combined weight and set "Number of loaves" to 2. The calculator shows per-loaf weights so you can divide the dough accurately after bulk fermentation.
Signs the size is wrong
- Basket too small: dough domes over the rim, sticks to the cover and tears when you turn it out.
- Basket too big: the loaf proofs wide and flat and has less height after baking.
- Pot too small: the dough touches the sides and can't spring evenly. The sides may bake pale or stick.
- Pot too big: usually fine, but very small loaves in big pots tend to spread.
Baking in a tin instead? See dough weight by loaf pan size. For the arithmetic of rescaling a recipe, see converting to baker's percentages.
Enter the dough weight that suits your pot or basket and the calculator scales every ingredient to match.
Open the free calculatorFAQ
How much dough fits in a 5 quart Dutch oven?
Many bakers use around 750–1,000 g of total dough for a round loaf in a 4.5–5.5 quart (about 4.3–5.2 litre) pot. A typical 500 g flour sourdough recipe makes roughly 900–1,000 g of dough.
What size banneton do I need for 900 g of dough?
A 9 in (23 cm) or 10 in (25 cm) round, or a 10 in (25 cm) oval, is a common choice for about 900 g. Wetter doughs suit the smaller end.
Is banneton size based on flour or total dough weight?
Total dough weight: flour, water, starter, salt and any add-ins together.
How do I make a smaller loaf for a small Dutch oven?
Enter a smaller total dough weight in the calculator, for example 500–750 g, and keep your percentages the same. Every ingredient scales in proportion.