The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Using baking dome

GillMegson's picture
GillMegson

Using baking dome

I am not having success with my sassifrass la cloche, much to my disappointment.

I've been baking bread for years, sourdough particularly.  Last year I experimented with baking my dough in a lidded casserole dish....oh my! What a result! Amazing spring, soft bread, the best I've ever produced! So I bought a cloche but I am back to flat, dense, hard crusted loaves of my pre-casserole days.

I prove the bread in a basket and tip into a preheated cloche. I don't add any water mist, I don't remove the top.

Can anyone provide and help. I don't want this to be a wasted purchase!!

Thanks 

DanAyo's picture
DanAyo

I have the Sassafras elongated cloche, and love it. You have an excellent baker!

It is common practice to remove the cover (about 20 min in) to allow the steam to vent off. I wonder if the continual steam is having a negative affect.

Tell us everything you can about your process. Pictures may help.

Danny

OldLoaf's picture
OldLoaf

I use one of their oblong covered bakers and get good results.  But I take the cover off half way through the bake.  If the recipe calls for a 40 minute bake at 450F, I would take the cover off at 20 minutes.  Aside from that I bake similarly to you, preheated baker (about 1 hour), no extra water spray, no extra steam in the oven.

The couple of times I had flat loaves was my fault due to overproofing, and clumsiness of transferring it from my proofing basket to the baker. 

EDIT: I see Dan beat me to it... :)

Jeff...

The Roadside Pie King's picture
The Roadside Pi...

Hello, friends.

I was wondering if one uses a brotoform with the dough seam side up as suggested, then you tip into a preheated cloche, when do you slash your loaves? Thanks.

 

DanAyo's picture
DanAyo

Slashing is done inside the preheated cooker.

lesbru's picture
lesbru

I experienced the same problems at first with my round dome. I think the loaf I mostly make (with 600g flour) is not quite snug enough a fit for its size and it did spread more than in my Dutch oven. I have worked on tightening up my shaping and deepened my slashing too and that's helped a lot but I still don't get quite the same spring as before. I'm going to experiment with a larger loaf. 

hreik's picture
hreik

Instead of increasing the loaf size I got some mini (and I mean mini) loaf pans that i press to the edge of the bottom of the cloche.  I dump the loaf, spritz, slash and then cover with the dome.  Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Wilton-Recipe-Right-Non-Stick-3-Piece/dp/B002HJ35YA/ref=pd_cp_79_3?pd_rd_w=s7cmK&pf_rd_p=ef4dc990-a9ca-4945-ae0b-f8d549198ed6&p...

GillMegson's picture
GillMegson

I don't understand this....are you using them as a support for the loaf? So they run round the edge of the cloche with the loaf in the middle? I have two mini pans already!

hreik's picture
hreik

I use only one to make the bottom of the cloche smaller.  IT works for me

hester

MontBaybaker's picture
MontBaybaker

Until 2 years ago I'd never baked in a cloche, only loaf tins.  I knew to remove the lid after a few minutes, but what I thought were perfectly proofed loaves would lose much height in the baking and often get wrinkled tops.  The wise people here said proof to about 3/4 done, not 100%, to prevent that.  Works great!

No mist needed.  I'd read that the handle can break, so I lift by the sides.  I  use old thick bath towels on sturdy racks to cool the clay.  Even with that, one base cracked on the shelf between bakes.  The dome works fine on a stone.  Good luck!   

GillMegson's picture
GillMegson

 Thanks so much for the replies...

I follow 'my sourdough' in the river cottage bread book. Do a 400g loaf, half wholemeal half white - good quality flour, filtered water. Knock back and prove about 4 times then shape and prove in a basket for a few hours. It collapses when I slash the top but it has always sprung back and gives a lovely holey texture like proper french bread! I haven't made any this week so no photos sorry.

I haven't thought of a bigger loaf - will try. Will try a spray also as I feel there is not enough steam.

The spring would come in the first 20 mins so I don't see that removing the lid half way through would help.