I'm currently using no-kneed method with dutch ovens and I'm pretty happy with the results.
However my wife can't stand the fact that the oven needs to preheat for that long to get itself up to temp and the dutch oven, I have 30'' Bluestar gas oven and it takes a bit, usually let it heat up for 30min.
I read that clay pots, like romertopf (spelling) don't need to be pre-heated and they go straight in to cold oven, that would be pretty good in my case, wife would be happy :)
Could anyone with experience with cooking them in clay pots could give few pointers, is timing the same, temperature the same ? I usually bake at 475f.
but some people bake in a cold Dutch oven without preheating the oven if I remember right. I believe there is a thread here on TFL somewhere. Try doing a search for it.
The results were inconclusive as neither method was clearly superior to the other. I preheat my Dutch ovens.
preheating the oven. Just start timing the steam fro 15 minutes (instead of 20-30) when the oven hits temperature and then just bake as usual.
the romertopt clay pot needs to soak in water (top & bottom) for ~ 15 minutes before using in a cold oven. i have excellent results with mine.
i think mini oven might be the expert in this area.
claudia