leave in temp probe to bake, sacrilegious ?
now I suspect that this may be sacrilegious in some circles but I love toys and gadgets so I had to try it.
I have a new Emile Henry cloche off Costco web site for a mere $99. So I start playing around. I made a 5 grain dough that gives me 3 nice boules in the cloche. So I don't want to lose the heat or burn myself or worse drop and break this very nice cloche. I decide to stick one of those leave it temp probes, close'er up , set for 199 f and run a count up timer simultaneously and watch it.
Fascinating to watch. The loaves were about 820 gr each. #1 was at room temp, 2 & 3 both spent some time in the fridge retarding for about 45 mins and 90 mins respectively.
SO : dough temp at 0 minutes internal temp @ 20min @ 27 min @ 32 min
#1 81 f 145 f 187f 200f
#2 72 f 117 f 178 f 200 f
#3 lightly misted 70 f 120f 171 f 200 f
kind of interesting how the cooler dough at start caught up and finished at the same time.
Like I said, this is a pretty solid dough so oven spring is already limited and I can see no noticeable difference between the loaves. Thing beeps when it is ready, double checked with digital instant read at finish and it seems to have worked pretty good. Bread tastes good, texture and crust is nice and family like it. What more could I ask for.
I liked the results so much I have ordered and up graded to
https://www.thermoworks.com/Smoke?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4a-unYvY3gIVElmGCh35nwwxEAAYASAAEgIFg_D_BwE
This thing even has a remote unit so I can now bake on Sundays as well ! !
AND it isn't even Christmas yet !
Has anyone else experimented with this approach ( and willing to admit it ) .
I might add that I have been an old school hotel chef since the 70's ( retired now) and frowned on any "new fangled notions" to enter the kitchen.
I use probes all the time for smoking meats and BBQ. I think I’ll try a probe in my bread. Your idea sounds like a great one.
I think the probe may do best if stuck near the bottom of the loaf. What are your thoughts on the placement?
You chose a great brand when you went with Thermo Works! I have their Therma Pen, and love it...
Dan
Probably not, but probably not necessary. After baking numerous loaves I've found that if the loaves are brown, the internal temp is always ~201-203F when checked with digital probe thermometer. You'll have to experiment with your temperature and time to get what you want. And with covered baking pots and pans, always remove the lid for the last 10-15 minutes. Even if you record a temp of 200F, if the lid is left on the bread won't be brown.
part of using the probe is, like I said, I love gadgets. My grand kids have the coolest things thanks to good'ol grandpa, of course both my daughters are usually at various stages of mad at me.
I have found that with Emile Henry cloche the loaves seem to get nice color without removing the lid most of the time, that is why I put the probe in to start with. To know when it is 200. Also there doesn't seem to be a need to pre heat the cloche. Then again, this cloche is purpose built for bread as opposed to an upside down turkey roasting pan, a dutch oven or a lodge or similar cast iron behemoth ! It is glazed on the outside, but the inside of the dome is unglazed. That may promote browning a little better.
You may find that your loaves are always at 200 when they are brown ( a subjective decision ) mainly because you have a system and routine that you are well versed at and can do in your sleep.
I am on my third oven in 14 months. Did a kitchen reno, got a nice new gas range which was nothing but grief. It would arbitrarily go out in the middle of a bake. That can mess up things a bit ! Anyway, complained enough, techies could not fix it and I got a brand new, better model which I like a lot more. Only had it a month and not trusting anything any more, went to technology and temp gauges. Three different kinds to nail it. Did I mention my love of gadgets ?
So whilst sticking a temp probe in the loaf that can tell me 300 feet away that the loaf is ready, may not be an absolute necessity, it is the kind of crazy I like instead of the latest cell phone or $300 Nike. To each his own, I was just curious if I was out on the fringes here. An area of life very familiar to me I might add !
Of course after I am summoned from the game on Sunday with the chirping remote telling me the bread is ready, I go and get it out of the oven and promptly turn it over and thump it a few times.
There are some forms of satisfaction that technology can not replace.
As you say, there are some forms of satisfaction that technology can not replace. Baking artisan bread is probably one of them. Some folks mix and knead by hand and spray water in the oven during baking. The other end of the spectrum is to dump the ingredients in a bread machine, press a button, and walk away. I'm probably somewhere in the middle since I use a stand mixer for mixing and kneading. Do whatever floats your boat. Nobody is watching you.