Bryon Bills, known to the Dutch oven community as "PapaDutch", created the first extensive Dutch oven cooking site. This site introduced many, including me, to the art of Dutch oven cooking. PapaDutch's website longer exists, but a .pdf version can be found at Byron Bills Dutch Oven Information
Temperature Control
Recipes are usually very specific about the temperature at which a recipe should be baked, but temperature control with Dutch ovens is imprecise. Ambient temperature, wind and rain all affect the temperature of the DO and coals produce diminishing amounts of heat as they burn down.
For this reason, it is best to avoid finicky recipes that require precise heat control and rely instead on more forgiving dishes. Experience is the best teacher of heat control for DOs. That being said, we need a starting point
and this link takes you to a chart of coal count and placement for different temperatures.
How many coals for X degrees?
Many Dutch oven recipes call for a cooking temperature of 350° F (or assume this temperature - if you find a recipe that doesn't specify the cooking temperature, assume 350°). A rule of thumb for heating a Dutch oven to 350° is "The Rule of Three", which refers to the diameter of your Dutch oven - place three more coals than the diameter on the lid and three fewer beneath the DO.
For example, for a 12" DO, place 12+3 (15) coals on the lid and 12-3 (9) coals underneath the DO for an internal temperature of 350°.
Dutch Oven Sizes
Dutch Ovens come in a variety of sizes. The larger your DO, the more people you can feed from it. However, cooking for two people in a 16" diameter deep DO would be difficult because your food would be a thin layer on the bottom of the DO (plus larger DOs are very heavy).
The 12" regular depth Dutch oven is the "bog standard" DO - if a recipe doesn't specify which size DO it is for, assume 12" regular. Also note that "Deep" Dutch ovens may not work well for baking biscuits, etc. since the top layer of coals is further away from the food being baked.
Most people start with a 12" regular Dutch oven as their first DO. However, DOs can be addictive and you may end up with a collection.
This chart shows the volume and approximate number of people who can be fed from common sized Dutch ovens:
How large a Dutch oven do I need?
