The Fresh Loaf

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How to bake oval loaves

Wheat Rules's picture
Wheat Rules

How to bake oval loaves

i have been baking Tartine style breads in round cast iron pans for quite a while now, and I would like to bake oval or rectangular loaves that will yield even slices.  I do not want to steam my oven as I have already fried the electronics on my previous oven. I would love someone to share their experience with roasting pans, clay stones or bakers, or any method that will produce excellent oval loaves.

thank you 

STUinlouisa's picture
STUinlouisa

I've had good luck shaping the loaf into a blunt batard shape proofing in an oval brottform and baking in an oval DO. You don't have to adjust your recipe or process.It could be possible to shape  a batard  and bake in a round DO depending on how slack the dough is.

Have  fun

Stu

Edo Bread's picture
Edo Bread

I have been using an Emile Hentry cloche for quite awhile. For boules it produces the best results of all the things I have tried. While I have not used it, they have recently come out with their "Bread Loaf Baker". I would imagine this would fit exactly what you are looking for. I plan on getting one myself to allow for that kind of shape too.

http://www.surlatable.com/product/PRO-1953827/Emile+Henry+Bread+Loaf+Baker

alfanso's picture
alfanso

Edited on evening of May 3rd: Sorry, I did not see where you want to avoid using steam.  These do.

If you are willing to try using a couche, watch this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmxDKuGLWuE .  Start at minute 6:30.  Although the loaf he rolls is torpedo shaped, after it proofs it will fill out on the ends, like so:  These are 4 different breads, and the tapering at the ends is minimal.  Worth a try?

Wannabe's picture
Wannabe

In Jacob Burton's training video for baguettes (view around 10:06), he  uses a hotel pan, ice cubes, and an aluminum foil cover to trap the steam. A little pricey since the hotel pans are $30-40, but I am saving now for the purchase

lumos's picture
lumos

I almost always bake oval loaves as I need, like you, even sized slices for my husband's sandwich. I use oval bannettons for 500g dough (my dough weight is usually around 650g tho) to proof and bake it in a very well heated oval Pyrex casserole with lid、the procedures same as you'd do with cast iron casserole/Dutch oven. No need to create lot of steam, so been baking like this for many years and I like it. 

These are how my loaves look like using that method. There was a pic of the pyrex casserole  I posted  somewhere on my blog too but can't remember where it was......

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/blog/lumos

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

It works perfect a a cloche for an oval loaf.

Edo Bread's picture
Edo Bread

I know people love to say they get roasters and hotel pans for cheap - I have done that too. And yes they work. But, I do have to say after getting a ceramic cloche, they all got put out in the garage. I think the amount of consistent heat from the ceramic is superior to hot metal. I get that impression from dutch ovens too - hearing about burnt bottoms and sides, that just never happens to me in ceramic. Of course everyone's mileage will vary and everyone's budget is different but for me the results are superior.I bought one of the last Steam Bread Makers before he went out of business..  A baking stone, a metal cover and a steam gun. Works nice, but again my cloche out performs it every time.