SC - bread

[Decker, Terry D.]

Why should I wince at things which work?  French bakers commonly raise the
bread with the top of the loaf down in canvas-line baskets.  These are then
rolled over onto the peel so the loaf is positioned properly, then the top
of the loaf is slashed and dressed.

I've baked both pies and cakes in a Dutch oven and it is my experience that
raising the pan slightly off the bottom reduces burning.  I used a small
grill for that purpose, but I expect a few small stones might prove equally
effective.

Baking times over a good bed of coals are very close to those in a regular
oven.

BTW, putting the coals on top of the Dutch oven is to help even the heat in
the baking chamber so you don't get cold spots on top of your bake goods.
The primary heat is from underneath.

Bear

> Hello!
> 
> I had reasonable success earlier this year baking bread in a Dutch oven.
> I 
> used my standard recipe that I always use at home (I won't tell you what
> it 
> is;  it's so haphazard I can hear Bear wincing from here, but it works 
> nevertheless), left it to rise in a greased wooden bowl (lack of other 
> space) and warmed up the potjie.  Greased it a little on the inside, put
> the 
> risen dough in very carefully so I didn't squish it, having taken it out
> of 
> its bowl and turned it upside down.  I deliberately turned it uspide down 
> for 2 reasons:  I had more control over getting it into the potjie,
> without 
> it collapsing in my fingers, and I also thought that it would continue 
> rising in the pot if I put the side uppermost that hadn't formed a skin.  
> This is precisely what happened.  I found that the coals which I piled on 
> top of the lid were effective, but not as effective as the ones underneath
> 
> (I changed them for hot ones whenever they seemed to need it), so after
> the 
> bread had stopped rising and formed a crust on both sides I turned it over
> 
> and let it cook the other way up.  It didn't take much longer than baking 
> with an ordinary oven does, though I was at an event so didn't have a
> watch 
> with me to cite actual timings.
> 
> Hope this helps.
> 
> Actually, I have a related question.  Has anyone ever cooked a pie in a 
> 3-legged pot?  How did it work?
> 
> Cairistiona
> 
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