The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Baking in a cold DO???

Skibum's picture
Skibum

Baking in a cold DO???

I have read threads here in the past of people getting great results baking bread in cold DO's in hot ovens.  Getting a proofed loaf into a blazing hot DO is a chore, so I have been looking at alternatives.  One of them is the La Cloche line of clay bakers.  I found this description of the use most enlightening and wanted to share,

"When the dough has doubled in volume, place the baker in the lower part of a preheated oven. As the baker absorbs heat, the dough will continue to rise and moisture will be released. Hot steam will form inside the domed lid, helping the bread rise and creating a singularly crisp, thin and crackly crust. The loaf will look and taste as though it had been baked in an old-fashioned brick-lined oven."  quote courtesy of:

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/tip/using-a-la-cloche-baker.html

I will try this on tomorrow's bake using my enameled cast iron DO as the principles of continued rise should be the same.  I also think that I will need to under proof my dough.  Anyhow an interesting reason for using a cold DO.

Happy baking!  Brian

Janetcook's picture
Janetcook

You can save a lot of money by making your own la cloche yourself  A simple, unglazed flower pot will do.  Check out the search box and a photo of one should come up.  I think the original photo I saw way from quhtan.  After seeing what she had done I made my own too and they work just fine.  Costs less that $5.00 to make.

Take Care,

Janet

Just found the link:

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/10477/homemade-cloche

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

bake Hot DO to hot oven, Cold DO to hot oven and cold DO to cold oven.  All work well.  You just have to add extra time under the lid to compensate for the cold oven or cold DO and or cold oven .  You can also bake on a hot stone and just turn the hot DO bottom over the bread as a cloche or cover with the cold DO bottom too.  All see to work fine.  Good luck with your test.

I think the 2 hot to hot works the best though for spring and color. 

Skibum's picture
Skibum

. . . the thread.  Great idea and qahtan's round pot idea would work GREAT with my round pizza stone.  Thanks, this makes WAY more sense than spending $100 on a La Cloche!  Canadian Tire, here I come!

Best regards!  Brian

Les Nightingill's picture
Les Nightingill

not sure what kind of DO you're using, Brian. But I'm wondering why loading is such a chore? Loading my DO is very quick and efficient. I'm using the Lodge combo, with the shallow pan (lid?) down and deep pan on top. Using parchment (cut to a couple of inches oversize) the dough slides right into the DO and nestles in place neatly.

What is your experience?