December 25, 2015 - 8:05am
FWSY: Why not dump it directly in the Dutch oven?
Got this book and new toys from Santa. I get that Ken Forkish likes to bake seam side up, but is there any reason why he turns it upside down on the counter and then picks it back up to put it in the pot?. My brain wants to just put it seam side up in the Dutch oven from the get go. Experience however, may prove me wrong? From his video it doesn't look like there's a resting step or anything. Hmmm....
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I don't have the book but after reading about seam side up baking here at Freshloaf I often use the technique on Tartine loaves. My loaves are proofed seam side up in a colander so I do need to flip it out into one hand then from there it goes directly into the pot. I guess that Forkish just uses the counter to manage the flip.
It's seam side down in the banneton, then he flips it out on the counter seam side up, then lifts it into the hot pot seam side up. Seems to me if it is seam side down in the basket and you flip it upside down into the hot pot, it winds up in the same position. Maybe it has something to do with how easily it comes out of the basket. I guess I'll find out. Thanks for answering.
I've baked each bread in the book Sometimes the loaves stick to your basket on the flip. It's easier to work out the loaf gently on a board, than over a hot dutch oven. It makes live easier. The reason you want the loaf seam side up once in your pot, is to help promote the development of seams on the top of your bread as the oven rise develops. It makes for an attractive looking loaf. Just remember to use your eye as to when to move along the next step in his recipes. All of his fermentation/development times are too long for the typical home baking environment. Enjoy. Bake happy..
Thanks bread1965. I've been free-forming with a pizza stone for a few years now and just picked up the book and thought I too, would work my way through it. It's cold in Vancouver today so I actually have the ferment under a blanket to see if I can speed things up. The things we do, eh?
There are two reasons he does this that I can think of.
1. It is easier to control where the dough lands in the hot dutch oven if you are placing it by hand rather than dumping it out of the banneton.
2. It allows you to place the dough rather than drop it from a height into the dutch oven which runs the risk of deflating it.
Personally I use a combo cooker so I don't worry about either of those two. Plus I put a parchment round on top of the banneton so when i turn it over I can reposition. I usually use a cold shallow part of the combo cooker for the bottom and just heat the deeper part to put on top. So I have plenty of time to make adjustments. Of course if I make a second loaf then both parts are going to be hot.
You might just be onto something with that parchment round. At least until the new banneton gets seasoned. Thanks!\
For this beginner, that is my favorite way to bake bread as of now. I always proof my dough in bannetons and they don’t always come out easily. I invert them very slowly to get it out cleanly. I then pick the loaf up with my Oven gloves on and place it in the hot dutch oven. It works great and you can even move it around a little in the dutch oven to get it perfect.
I was lucky that they came out quite easily. I used the parchment just in case, with the help of a BBQ spatula to slide them into the hot pots. Thanks everyone for the advice. The paper actually made removing them from the pots a snap.
parchment on a peel and slide it onto a stone and cover with any hot pot that is oven proof and large enough to cover the dough. It is easier than a DO but not as easy as an Combo Cooker. If your bread get too dark in the cast iron and you have to remove it like I do 5 minutes after the cover comes off, the pot cloche is way better than trying to manipulate the dough and the heavy bottom to get it out and onto the stone without really mangling it.
Dabrownman that would also work. My stone has a great patina and nothing sticks anymore. Cheers.