February 20, 2016 - 10:21am
Trying Forkish bread in loaf pans
This morning I baked Ken Forkish's 40% Whole Wheat Overnight bread in loaf pans, just to try it out. I did this for a couple of reasons - it's a great bread for market because you can bake it right out of the fridge in the morning without warming it, and the oven heats up to 475 much more quickly without the stones or iron pots in it. So I can bake for an early market without getting up at a stupid time of day!
I haven't sliced it yet (it's for the shop), but here is a shot of the crumb of the same bread baked in iron pots.
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I hadn't thought of baking Ken's breads in a loaf pan so thank you for suggesting it. Hubby might be happier with that shape for his sandwiches although he isn't complaining about the boules. Do you use steam as well and how long do you bake at 475?
I used steam by pouring hot water into a pan in the bottom of the oven and spritzing the loaves and oven with water. So the steam wasn't as good as you get baking in a covered pot but still a nice crust. I did around 45 minutes at 475, rearranging the pans halfway through. This is a really nice, simple bread and people like being able to slice it and make sandwiches that are 'normally' shaped (i.e. what they are used to in a sandwich loaf).
of sandwich bread. I know I would with the 40% WW. . Well done and Happy baking
Those look good :-) I'd be more than happy to clap my lunchtime cheese and chutney or ham and mustard between two slices of that.
Freeform loaves do look attractive, true, but a tin loaf with it's consistent slices is far more practical :-)
I've just started baking the Overnight Country Brown recipe and had to bake my overproofed dough in a couple of small Le Creuset dutch overns. I was pleased to find that the oven spring and crumb were both decent, as was the crust. Friends raved about the flavor so who am I to complain? But... I intend to work on proofing as I'm emotionally attached to the classic round artisan shape.
but decided to try it in loaf pans instead. That way, I could proof it overnight right in the pans and pop them straight in the oven in the morning. It worked quite well, but I still like the way it springs and bursts in the iron pots with the lids on.
With a large stock pot, though with my small-ish oven, I can only bake one tin at the time like this. Not sure how feasible that'd be for you, but it works well enough for me.
I've been mulling over different ways to cover bread in loaf tins without compromising the number of loaves I can bake at one time. Some kind of a deep steel buffet pan or the like. It will still affect room in the oven but I might be able to cover 4 at once if I take out one of the racks.
That I move all the racks to the bottom of the oven so I can get the pot in. Depending on what I'm baking, I put the pot either on a baking sheet or on a flan tin, and put that on my pizza stone.
You're right, maybe one or two of those large stainless steel catering jobs - the ones that fit into the heated cabinets - might do the trick. They'll go easier in the oven than round pots ;-)
If there's a place near you that does secondhand catering stuff, it might be worth having a rummage through their stock.
My hubby likes it in loaf pans too. Do you put the same quantity (make 2 loafs from one Forkish recipe) like in the round Dutch oven loafs using the usual size loaf pans? I worry that is too much dough so maybe need 3 loaf pans for one recipe? Thanks for the help!