February 22, 2014 - 2:52pm
Dutch Oven: Alternative to parchment paper?
I am using a dutch oven to bake my no knead bread, actually technically it is a crockpot insert, but I am going through a lot of parchment paper. Is there an alternative I could use? Would grease and cornmeal work? It seems like the parchment paper is a bit of a waste when you are baking so much bread.
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Cornmeal works great. ive heard brown rice flour too but I haven't tried.
a few times, anyway, but yes cornmeal also works.
My parchment paper comes out pretty brown afterwards. But I do have brown rice flour, so I'll try that. Should I oil the oven too?
Some use parchment to help load the dough into the preheated DO . I don't preheat the DO, several posts here tested and found no difference. If you are asking how to keep it from sticking, I just use a nonstick spray and it works fine.
I use the re-useable parchment sheets which I purchase over 30 years ago at William Sonoma, but recently have found them on Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/Kitchen-Supply-Inch-Parchment-Paper/dp/B00004RKFR/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393126690&sr=8-1&keywords=B00004RKFR
I did not want to buy more kitchen equipment for baking bread, so I shape my dough onto the parchment sheet which I cut in half, with the seam-side down to retard in a bowl or colander that is the right size for my dutch oven. I just lower the dough into the hot dutch oven without fear of deflating it or burning myself. I started tossing in some rice into the dutch oven so the bottom of the loaf did not burn--then you can make a nice cup of toasted rice tea.
I have used the same sheets in a 500 degree oven now for the past 4 years--once or twice a week--and they are still good--a little darker in color but they still are working well.
Sue
I don't really make NK bread anymore, but when I did I've never used any parchment paper, not in enameled dutch oven, not in uncoated one. Nothing ever stuck. Don't use grease, at high temperatures it will smoke something terrible.
a lot of parchment paper, but what the heck! Look what you are getting in return. The results outweigh the means $$$. Still, i try to conserve money and if the parchment paper looks good, I will reuse it 2 or three times. I think parchment paper works better than other solutions so why not use the best method for what you need? I buy mine a discount grocery store, Aldi or Woodman's and it lasts me a long time before needing to buy more.