The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

cold oven

bnom's picture

Side to side comparison of loaves baked in cold start v. preheated oven - Photos

March 1, 2010 - 1:34pm -- bnom
Forums: 
Artisan Baking

I wanted to see what difference it would make to bake loaves from the same dough, one in a preheated oven and one starting off in a cold oven. In a previous post I mentioned that I had tried the cold oven technique using a cast iron pot. The resulting bread had a very light, shattery-type crust. It was an unusual loaf for me, but then again, the circumstances were not usual. We were at our cabin and I had no scale, no mixer, no sourdough.

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December 6, 2009 - 6:26am
JeremyCherfas's picture
JeremyCherfas

Cold-start cloche baking rediscovered

I was re-reading Elizabeth David's English Bread and Yeast Cookery and discovered the passage in whiich she describes the author Virginia Woollf's technique for making a cottage loaf. That sounded like fun, so I decided to give it a try, and was very pleased with the outcome. I blogged about it here.

Here's the loaf just after removing the cloche.

And here it is after final browning.

I'm very pleased with both cold-start and cloche techniques, and will continue to use them. Of course, I quickly discovered that they are old news here!

Jeremy

KipperCat's picture

no-knead, high hydration, cold oven - Help!

July 29, 2007 - 1:50pm -- KipperCat
Forums: 
Artisan Baking

The first time I baked a no-knead loaf in a cold oven, it came out perfect. It was made with bread flour. I don't remember if I greased the pan, or what the oven temp was.

The next 3 loaves have stuck big time. They were -

whole meal spelt, greased with butter, baked in corningware

bread flour, greased with butter, baked in pyrex

multigrain, greased with safflower oil, baked in stainless dutch oven

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Rosalie's picture

Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book comments on cold oven baking

June 17, 2007 - 9:02am -- Rosalie
Forums: 
General

I decided to give serious study to my good bread books, and Laurel's floated to the top.

My favored place for proofing is in my gas oven, which I turn on until it just barely registers a temperature rise; then I turn on the oven light, and it maintains a temperature of 80-90 degrees.  Of course, I don't do this when I want a slow rise, but my kitchen is typically 60-65 degrees, so this is great for the final rise or when I'm in a hurry.

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