The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Size of Tartine recommended cast iron combo cooker??

Theairportrun's picture
Theairportrun

Size of Tartine recommended cast iron combo cooker??

in the Tartine bread book (as well as The Sourdough School book), they both reccomend cast iron combo cookers which Im guessing is the 3.2 Lodge Cast Iron combo cooker HOWEVER im a bit scared this isnt the one?!

You can clearly see in the sourdough school book a 1kg dough (same as tartine) loaf being cooked in a cast iron combo cooker... 

My loaves are always 1kg dough before baking and I want a cast iron combo cooker... just a little scared about the size!! 

Please help!

Fournaeu Bread Oven seems too short (just over 4” high interally isn’t tall enough?!?)

Le Crueset has the enamel coating which I’ve read that plain cast iron is better for baking...

DanAyo's picture
DanAyo

I went with the Lodge 5 quart dutch oven. It  will definitely do a kilo. The only difference, other than size between the combo cooker and the dutch oven linked above is the handle configuration. I haven’t used the smaller one. I have tried the enameled cast iron, but much prefer the plain cast iron.

As I answered this post I had an idea. I think I’ll bake a 1300-1500g dough in my lodge. I want the sides of the vessel to constrict the dough and produce a taller bread.

Has anyone tried this?

Dan

pmccool's picture
pmccool

Here's a post from 2011 that shows bread baked in a Dutch oven, much as you describe.  The relevant photo is near the bottom of the post.

Paul

DanAyo's picture
DanAyo

What a great article, Paul. It is amazing how much can be done with so little.

Her bread is beautiful. I hope I can do the same.

Danny

Heikjo's picture
Heikjo

The Lodge Combo only comes in one size as far as I know. The 5 quart is not a Combo since it's got an ordinary lid. I got the 3.2 combo and can fit a 1 kg dough inside it no problem. Initially I made round loaves, but these days I'm doing oblong ones in a 25cm long banneton. The inside bottom of the Lodge 3.2 is 24cm/9.5" and a bit wider some cm farther up. It's 11cm/4.3" tall on the inside. If you loaves can fit within that space, it will work fine for you.

gerryp123's picture
gerryp123

When I've baked a 1,000+g of dough in a DO I used a 6qt enameled cast iron pot (from Costco).  I've also used a Lodge 5 qt pot but the results seemed better (thicker crust, more spring) in the larger pot.  Perhaps a bit more space for steam to encompass the loaf ??