The Fresh Loaf

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Baking steel and Dutch Oven... but as a lid?

BikeBookBread's picture
BikeBookBread

Baking steel and Dutch Oven... but as a lid?

I‘ve been failing to get decent oven spring doing hearth baking lean breads/sourdough on my Nerdchef 3/8” steel. While the use of a DO gives great spring, it limits the shape of a large loaf to a round. Has anyone tried Inverting a DO and using it as a lid during first few minutes of baking, just to get a better spring on a batard etc...? And then removing for the rest of the bake? Or would that even be of any advantage over just sticking with a boule and plopping it into the DO and calling it good?

ciabatta's picture
ciabatta

It's fairly common practice to use some type of domed container as a lid over baking steel or baking stone. Dutch Oven works great, oven safe pot, granite ware roasting pan, even a disposable aluminum tray (less effective). 

for a sourdough loaf (~750g), it usually around 20 mins covered at 450F-500F and then 20-30 minutes (or until desired color) at 450F.  just be careful that when you lift the cover, some steam might come out. dont get burned.

one advantage might be that when  you remove the lid, the whole loaf is exposed to the heat, whereas in a dutch oven, the air may not reach the lower half of the bread as much.

-James

ciabatta's picture
ciabatta

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUNMWVSTrxg

Here's a video from FoodGeek comparing a few types of covers over baking steel.

BikeBookBread's picture
BikeBookBread

That video was very helpful! Thank you for sharing. (Although I’m scared to put a Pyrex onto a baking steel!!) But great takeaway... because he’s right. Dropping the dough into the DO can deflate it, and I have burned myself a few times getting the bread out.