February 19, 2015 - 11:38am
The Big Green Egg
I think somewhere along the line someone posted about baking bread in the Egg. If anyone has any tips please let me know. I'm getting one on Monday and would like some info on the settings they use. I don't use Sourdough, just Yeasted Breads, but don't think that makes a difference on use the Egg, unless I'm wrong.
Hoping for any input someone can give me. Thanks in advance!
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there are a lot of big green egg bakers. If you type green in the search box you will find quite a few of them
So don't let it's shape,size or colour put you off.
I have a KamadoJoe and it bakes bread in a more or less similar way to any other oven - the only issue I've had is the base or the loaves gets a bit scorched unless I crank the heat down after loading the dough into it.
-Gordon
I have green egg and to keep the bread from burning under neath you have to put an air space between the pizza stone and the heat deflector, some people use a big bolt I use the little ceramic feet to create the air space.
Gerhard
delete duplicate post
For your input. Will be getting it delivered and setup on Monday. Hubby & I can't handle doing it ourselves so getting someone to do it for us.
Regarding the BGE, but really all kamado-style grills, the main thing is practicing your temperature control, which takes some experience. As Gerhard said, use a heat deflector. For the BGE, it is called a platesetter, or now the convEGGtor, which basically makes it an indirect cooker. I recommend putting your grate on top and a baking stone on top of that. This should keep the bottom of the bread from burning. Once you load your bread, keep the dome closed. That will keep a moist environment inside.
Your input on my question has been great. Am saving the tips that were given here.
We do pizza all the time in my BGE, nothing like pizza grilled at 900F for about 4-5 minutes.
The one time I baked off some sourdough because we lost power due to an accident on the main street a block away, just as my oven was heating up, loaves were already in final proof.
About 2 pounds of charcoal, one on the bottom / one in the chimney starter... When the chimney starter was good and ripping (15 minutes) I dumped it into the bottom installed the plate-setter in the "legs down" position and then set the grate, to create a buffer and not burn the bottoms. Close the lid and opened both top and bottom dampers wide open to drive the heat up +++.
With the help of my wife, we opened the lid, placed 6 loaf pans in and got the lid closed again as quickly as possible. I stuck a BBQ probe in one loaf just so I could monitor doneness without opening the lid.
Closed the dampers down to my "300 setting" (top daisy wheel 50%, bottom damper 3/8"ish)
Took me about 35 minutes to reach an internal temp of 205.
Just as the bread was coming off the power came back on.
Delicious bread.
Love the input I have gotten. Am saving all the tips I have gotten so far. Weather here hasn't been that great so haven't used the Egg yet, but can't wait until weather gets better so I can try my first loaf of bread in the Egg. From what I was told, I shouldn't let the egg get wet, so haven't used it. Don't know how true that is, but am trying to do what I'm told. I do have the Egg on our deck and it is covered, but I want to use it now, lol!
Not sure about the differences from my KamadoJoe to the Green Egg, but my KJ has gotten wet. Very wet. inside and out, and its still fine. I now have a cover for it but it spent its first winter uncovered. I've even used it in the rain - well not intentionally, but it started to rain half way through cooking some meat...
-Gordon
I use mine in rain, snow, -20 C and +35 C without any problem. I think it is one of the nicest and useful things that we have bought.
Gerhard
Thanks for the input on the weather. I was afraid to use it if it was cold, damp, wet, etc. Now I'll go ahead and finally use it.
Don't be all freaked out by the growth of mold inside your BGE.
It burns out pretty easily.
Glad you told me about Mold; I definitely would have freaked out if I saw it. Now I know!
If you get mould, you're not using it enough :-)
-Gordon
Regarding the mold this is good to know. How much do you have to use it before this happens? This is a 2 person household so am not sure how often we would use the BGE. Thanks for letting me know about the mold. Kind of freaky.
I don't think I've ever seen mould in my Kamado, and it's wet & damp where I am in the winter. I don't think it would be worse than any other type of outdoor cooker.
-Gordon
I haven't seen mold in our egg either, there are only two of us but I usually cook at least three meals a week on it all year long. Stock up on charcoal in November so I can make it to March when it gets stocked by local stores again. When you are buying charcoal for the buy the natural lump not the briquets as they are made with compressed charcoal dust and a binder which is usually sand or clay which doesn't burn and affects airflow. If you ever do have mold a few minutes of heat and it will all be gone. Oh don't use lighter fluid to get fire going. Now go and cook something.
Gerhard
Thanks for all the tips. I was planning on starting it today, but doubt hubby will want to due to the weather. I told him that if he doesn't want to show me what to do by tomorrow, will just wing it myself. I'm sick of waiting to use the BGE. I have everything I need just NEED to use it. Saving all the tips that were given. I know I'll be using it more once I'm used to it, and I BET hubby will switch over to the BGE instead of using the gas grill. Once again, thanks to all who have responded.
Finally got it started The person who sold it said to heat to 350F once or twice before going higher. I just heated it once so far then shut it down. It's cooling now. Will heat it one more time to 350F before doing bread. They said it' to set the gasket. Now a dumb question. If you want to use the platesetter, do you put it in right after you start to light the charcoal? I don't think you wait until it's up to temp before putting it in as the unit would be too hot. Am I correct? A manual did not come with mine but I know I can go to the BGE Forum and ask questions, but I'm more familiar with TFL since I've been a member for so long.
Best way to light? I used the starters and only used one. I was shown how much charcoal to put in and went by what the salesperson said to do, but hubby said you are supposed to add it up to the fire ring. I know I'm asking lots of questions, but am anxious to do this the right way.
I use the starters that are sawdust impregnated in wax - little cubes - 2 or 3 is more than enough to get it going. Never use the spirit/kerosine based cubes, nor standard BBQ lighter fluid as it stinks.
Actually, last few times I've used waxed paper milk cartons (washed and dried out)
Make sure you get good sustainably sourced lumpwood charcoal if you can. (which I think someone else mentioned) don't get the cheap "briquettes", etc.
You'll eventually learn how much to load it up with - and I suspect the BGE is the same as the Kamado Joe in which you can essentially put it out when finished using it which saves burning all the charcoal away every time.
-Gordon
I use the same starters that Gordon uses but if I have run out I use a paper towel with a little vegetable oil poured on it, both seem to work equally well.
Gerhard
LOL I fried my gasket the first time I did pizza at 1000 degrees and never looked back. Still gasketless all these years later and it works fine.
My gasket has been missing in action for the last 3 years.
Gerhard
Another important thing to remember with charcoal is that when it first starts to burn it has a chemical smell to the smoke so let it burn long enough to get rid of this, not really a concern for baking bread since by the time the egg reaches 500 F the Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) are burned off but when doing low and slow smoking it will have a big affect on your meat. When lighting the egg I usually break the starter in half and start the fire in two spots just off centre of the charcoal.
Gerhard
You have been really helpful. Tomorrow will TRY my first bread baking and see how it goes. It if doesn't go well, then will have to tweak the timing.
Keeping all these tips. Thanks for everyone responding.