Lodge Dutch Oven baking

Jim,  I would start with lid on for 1/3 time, off for 2/3, then experiment from there.  Temperature and type of oven, and the recipe will all impact it. 

but I started adding just a touch of yogurt in my recipes to get a softer crust. I use 30 g yogurt for ~1100 g of flour.

I also bake my loaves 25 minutes lid on, 22 minutes lid off. Oven is heated to 475F, dropped to 450F lid on, then dropped to 425F lid off. 

The French get that thin crackly crust in part because they’re using French flour which tends to have lower protein than N American flours.  I think if you use an 11% protein flour you’ll be able to attain that type of crust in your bread.  The hydrations you are aiming for also will work for that type of flour I’d say more in the 60-70 range rather than 50-60% range though.  Also using mostly white flour vs mostly whole grain will also help with the thinner crusts.

I’ve found that open steam baking without a dutch oven has allowed me to get thinner crusts on my loaves compared to dutch oven baking though.  

Benny

Hi Jim;

I usually bake my boules in the 6qt DO.  I use about a 67% hydration dough because it works fine and is easy to measure. e.g. 200g of 100% hydration starter, 400g AP or Bread flour, and 235g of water. 10g salt after autolyse.  Sometimes I add 5g of yeast if I'm in a hurry. That gives me a final 850g of dough.

I start with a hot DO from a 450dF oven and use a parchment sling to move the scored dough to the DO.  20 minutes at 450, then about 20 minutes more with the lid off until i get the color of crust I'm looking for.  I shoot for 205-210dF  internal temp and I've been very happy with the results.  I frequently sub in 5% WW and 5% rye for a Pain d' Campagne style loaf which I enjoy. 

I think the benefit of steam all happens in the first 10-20 minutes so taking the lid off stops the steaming and lets the crust develop as the loaf finishes baking.  You might try leaving the loaf out of the pan after you check the internal temperature through the bottom of the loaf and putting it back in the turned off oven with the door cracked to see if that helps develop the crust that you're looking for.  Enjoy the trip and let us know how its coming outl

Oh yeah, I've found that my great neighbors are always happy to accept donations of my trial runs.  Right now I've got 4 baguettes ready to go in the oven and a batch of dough for 4 with a different recipe that will be ready to go in the oven tomorrow.  Given our dietary needs that means that six will be gifted. Even so its a cheap hobby that generates a lot of happiness for others as well as myself.

Hey Jim! I think Benny’s suggestion of French Flour is an excellent one. The flavor and texture are noticeably special. Although, not cheap bakers, including myself think it’s worth the price. The following flour is made in France from French wheat. It makes a difference.

Also, it is more delicate than American flours, so you will do well to hold back a bit of water before evaluating the hydration. 

https://www.lepicerie.com/pastry-ingredients/ingredients/french-flours-traditional-and-organic/le-moulin-dauguste-organic-wheat-flour-t65/

If you decide to try it, let us know your findings.