Dutch oven?

Recipes, Cooking tips and maybe some 'Home Made' secrets !
Post Reply
User avatar
albertajune
Legendary Laner
Posts: 5073
Joined: 02 Oct 2010, 15:39
Gender: Female
Location: Aldermaston, Berks.

Dutch oven?

Post by albertajune »

I have a recipe for artisan bread that I want to try but it has to be partially cooked in a Dutch oven. I have one of those enamel oval chicken roasters that has a domed lid and wonder if this would do.
I have never used a Dutch oven before and don't really know what it is but imagine that it is something similar. Thoughts please )t'
I am now a widow and live with my memories.
User avatar
By Halves
Lively Laner
Posts: 202
Joined: 17 Mar 2014, 12:03
Gender: Female
Location: South Wales

Re: Dutch oven?

Post by By Halves »

I should think that would work OK. I've made that type of bread recipe in a cast iron casserole before and it came out pretty well except that it stuck rather firmly to the bottom. I should try it again now I know the secret of "flouring" the pan with porridge oats which seems to work much better than using flour.
~ Annie

Two little kids, one big one and two grandchildren
Spongebob the cat on steroids and Gus who doesn't like him; silly Kittles and sensible Rags
lovely bantam girl Phoebe
and retired working girls: Florence, Miss McCluck and Mrs Brown

RIP little Rainbow and beautiful Angel xxx
User avatar
albertajune
Legendary Laner
Posts: 5073
Joined: 02 Oct 2010, 15:39
Gender: Female
Location: Aldermaston, Berks.

Re: Dutch oven?

Post by albertajune »

By Halves wrote:I should think that would work OK. I've made that type of bread recipe in a cast iron casserole before and it came out pretty well except that it stuck rather firmly to the bottom. I should try it again now I know the secret of "flouring" the pan with porridge oats which seems to work much better than using flour.


Thanks for the tip of the way to flour. The recipe that I have says that no need to if an enamelled dutch oven is used, but flour or line the bottom with paper if other. I'm going to give it a go this weekend. )t'
I am now a widow and live with my memories.
fabindia
Legendary Laner
Posts: 2058
Joined: 03 Oct 2010, 20:23
Gender: Male
Location: North East

Re: Dutch oven?

Post by fabindia »

I think your enamel pan should work. Personally though, I wouldn't line it with baking paper. Putting a sheet of baking paper on a baking tray when baking a bloomer seems to work well enough, but when I tried it with the dutch oven, the paper stuck to the bottom of the loaf. I just dust the bottom with flour.

I think part of the trick is to get the oven really hot at the start of the bake.

Here's some pictures from tonight's baking.

Image
The Oven

Image
The dough This is a wholemeal sourdough loaf.

Image
After 18 mins Lid on the dutch oven and into a very hot oven. Nicely risen but a bit pale, so lid off and back into the oven. Turn the heat down at this point.

Image
After further 20 mins Nicely browned and ready for tomorrow's lunch :-D
Michael
User avatar
albertajune
Legendary Laner
Posts: 5073
Joined: 02 Oct 2010, 15:39
Gender: Female
Location: Aldermaston, Berks.

Re: Dutch oven?

Post by albertajune »

Thanks Michael. Your loaf looks so yummy and I do envy you making the sourdough. I have read how to, but it looks complicated.
I am now a widow and live with my memories.
User avatar
By Halves
Lively Laner
Posts: 202
Joined: 17 Mar 2014, 12:03
Gender: Female
Location: South Wales

Re: Dutch oven?

Post by By Halves »

I did this sort of accidentally and the purists will probably have a fit at the idea but if you want to shortcut to a sourdough and start baking with it within a few days you can start with an Amish Friendship Bread starter and slowly change it to a proper sourdough by gradually feeding it less and less sugar and then gradually subbing the milk with water until you're just feeding it flour and water. The genuine sourdough flavour will start to appear as you decrease the sugar and the local yeasts move in.

Mine was started with 1 cup plain flour, 1 cup soya milk (I'm dairy-free so other milk is fine), 1 cup sugar and a sachet of bread machine yeast. It was in a bowl in a reasonably warm kitchen and ready to take out a cupful to bake with on the third day (and then you feed it more flour, milk and sugar). I started cutting back on the sugar pretty fast because it made the bread too sweet and as it "eats" just flour and water much faster than sugar, milk and flour I started keeping it in the fridge when it started needing feeding more often than I wanted to bake with it.

Once I'd got the Amish starter going I figured there would be nothing lost bar a few ingredients to experiment with turning it into a proper sourdough and I've been very happy with how mine turned out.
~ Annie

Two little kids, one big one and two grandchildren
Spongebob the cat on steroids and Gus who doesn't like him; silly Kittles and sensible Rags
lovely bantam girl Phoebe
and retired working girls: Florence, Miss McCluck and Mrs Brown

RIP little Rainbow and beautiful Angel xxx
Post Reply