Why so many different techniques to cook in clay pottery?
Hi! I’m new here but have been browsing the forums for about a week now. I’m currently in the process of baking a batard for the first time in a clay pot. It’s a Schlemmertopf, glazed bottom. I came here looking for answers on how the heck to use this thing. No one, and I mean no one has agreed on or used there’s the same. It’s rather frustrating as my batard is on its final rise. There just doesn’t seem to be a concrete answer.
I soak, I don’t , skip the soak, put it in a cold oven, preheat the oven, don’t drop cold dough in it, be careful of water on hot pot, soak lid but don’t soak bottom, soak bottom but don’t soak lid, soak both, turn upside down to cook in it, soak 10 minutes, soak thirty, let preheat in oven on low adjust to baking temperature after 15 minutes. Good grief!
I feel more confused than ever. I don’t even want to cook in it at this point. Why isn’t there just “a way” that works, that doesn’t crack the pot, that everyone agrees on?
I understand different techniques produce different results but this is just too much for my brain at the moment. At this point I plan to do the soak, preheat the oven with both soaked lid and top inside the oven so it gradually reaches temperature and doesn’t get shocked. I prefer (hand burns and all) to drop my (by way of parchment paper) room temperature dough into a preheated pot then put the lid on and cook the bread for about 30 minutes and check it, maybe cook more with lid off. I feel like I’ve gone mad reading all the different techniques to the point of not knowing what to do.
Without trying to be unhelpful here, I would ask why you're trying to cook bread in a clay vessel in the first place.
Ordinarily, I wouldn't ask that as you have asked specifically about how to bake bread in it and not why so I'm clearly not answering your question . . . but, seeing as you are having so much frustration, I am wondering what benefits you are getting or expect to get and whether they are actually worth the hassle.
The way I see it, there are several reasons to bake a loaf in a vessel - of any sort:
1. To FORCE a bread into a given shape. The clearest example of this is a standard 'sandwich' loaf.
2. To HOLD/SUPPORT a bread in a given shape. Slightly different from the above and this is where the dough - or 'batter' - is going to spread and you want to support it. Quick breads are an example of this as they are more liquid, as are many gluten-free breads and it would be nearly impossible without a tin. Some people also use this feature of a perfectly-sized dutch oven when baking a boule, so it spirngs up rather than spreads out.
3. For easier TRANSFER and/or to 'fry' dough - like a focaccia or pizza.
4. To PROTECT the crust from direct heat and thus prevent pre-mature browning, allowing the loaf to cook through.
5. To retain STEAM
For people baking batards and boules, the first reason is not relevant. For those people, the most common reason to use a vessel is to retain steam. To be sure, the other things that a vessel can help with may be beneficial as well, but these will be 'bonuses'.
If you are using the clay baker for steam then I would question whether you are using the correct tool for the job in the first place. I say this simply because, when researching these bakers, several sources mentioned that the lid was deliberately looser fitting specifically to allow steam to escape. If that is indeed the case then it's not really properly suitable for the purpose of retaining steam in bread baking!
I presume you want to use the tools you have but if this baker is going to actually hold steam then will it improve the bake at all?
Sorry that I didn't answer the question but, given your frustration with this, perhaps just not using it is the simplest answer. (I have never baked a batard in a vessel as I simply don't have one the correct shape.
It looks bloody fantastic - if you'll pardon my Australian vernacular.
Honestly, I wouldn't pre-heat. One thing that several people, over time, hae found is that it's perfectly possible to put a cold (shaped) dough in a cold dutch oven, put the cold dutch oven in a cold oven and then turn it on. No pre-heat of the oven, no pre-heat of the vessel and no bringing the dough back to room temp first (so long as it's actually shaped and proofed!!).
The key concern is thermal shock. Ceramics and earthenware are particularly prone to this and how you mitigate the risk depends on the type of pot (both the base material and how/if it is glazed) and what you are cooking in it.
The first rule is to never subject the pot to a drastically different temperature - that means don't put a cold pot in a hot oven - as it will heat rapidly and crack - and don't subject a hot pot to rapid cooling (e.g. cold water or placing in a fridge/freezer) - again: cracking.
The second 'rule' is perhaps a bit more flexible: soak unglazed clay; don't soak glazed clay. This is likely the reason for some of the confusion. In general, clay vessels will be either entirely unglazed or only glazed on the main/base section, with the lid being un-glazed.
So, here are the GENERAL steps you should follow:
Someone like Mini Oven is sure to have much better experience here and can probably advise on specific temps and times but your results speak for themselves!
Soaking (even if only the lid) should add plenty of steam, too - regardless of the fitting of the lid so I suppose that's not so relevant a concern!
d.
Your loaf looks great! For instructions how to use the pot, I suggest that you follow the manufacturer's instructions, which may be found here:
Schlemmertopf Manual (usermanual.wiki)
HTH.
Part of the fun is to experiment. i have collected a number of different baking vessels from charity shops, Schlemmertoph, Romantoph and a Sassafras and use them all i also bake in cake tins on sheets in clay flower pots and fluted trays. I'm sure there could be a dozen different ways to use most of these and there really isn't a right or wrong way. the advantage of forums like this is to see posts where the different methods have been deployed and see what suits you, and whether you can replicate for the result you desire. looking at your result you would have to be happy with whatever you did to achieve it, and from your detailed post others will decide to perhaps try what you did. At the end of the day we are all striving to produce the best result we possibly can, how we get it done has many variations. Love your loaf and im sure you enjoyed its good looks and the eating too. regards Derek
Greetings! Couldn't resist joining in the convo. I've been baking bread in clay bakers for years, with excellent results. I agree with the previous comment, that you should follow the instructions that came with the baker as far as soaking or not, rather than following advice from others that may or may not be accurate for your product. I believe Roemertopf instructions indicate initial soaking but Breadtopia ones do not. I never soak the clay bakers I use (Breadtopia) prior to baking but I do pre-heat them. But, this works best for me because my 'everyday' loaves are fairly wet doughs and have enough moisture in them to generate their own steam during baking. I also usually utilize a long(ish), cold retard prior to baking. So, the combination of cold, damp dough into a screaming hot baker results in fantastic oven-spring and crust for my bakes. I prefer the clay bakers because they are not as heavy as cast iron and work every bit as well, if not better (in my experience, in my kitchen, with my dough). It's true that you don't get a super tight seal with the lids, but it doesn't seem to be an issue for me (or for you based on your photo)! So, I would say just to continue to bake and experiment, and you will find what works best for you and your bakes, which might not align with how others are baking. I'm including a link to one of my bakes, which was baked in the Breadtopia batard clay baker. Cheers, and happy baking!
https://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/65032/hybrid-dough-experiments
--- note: Since originally posting above^^, I've increased the cold retard on my bakes to anywhere from 6 hours to overnight, with optimal results.