[Sca-cooks] Dutch Oven Baking

[Pandora Fitzpatrick / Crinoc Donn]

Greetings from Crinoc in Aquaterra,
At 4YC, my household had fresh bread every day in our Dutch ovens -- a soda bread, not a yeast bread -- but only because we didn't want to spend the time babysitting a rising loaf of bread. Said bread went over VERY well to our feast guests on Friday night -- one guest had 9 pieces! We baked the bread right in the pan (no separate bread/cake pan or trivet) -- just a decent quantity of oil in the bottom before the bread goes in, and brush a little more on top. Our coals were fussy about starting -- it took us several loaves to get it just right -- so I'd say be prepared to test a bunch of loaves at home -- use your BBQ or brazier as a base to set the Dutch oven in.

Next event I think we'll make biscuits -- my thought is to brush the biscuits with oil before placing them in the Dutch oven, to make it easier to separate them when they're done.

We also made rhubarb crumble that came out great. We should have taken it out of the Dutch oven sooner (we left it in overnight), as it picked up a grayish cast from the iron. Still tasted fine though. (This is a standard issue with food left in Dutch ovens -- I've had soup or stew that changed color overnight, but if the taste doesn't usually change. If you need extra iron in your diet, this isn't a problem!)

A lid lifter is a must - and will be our next purchase from the local blacksmith. We were using a fireplace poker that did the job but the first couple times we used it a fair bit of ash landed on our bread.

For modern world advice about cooking in Dutch ovens, check out some of the Boy Scout sites (just Google it) -- that's where I found a bunch of information about curing mine that I got used and rusty.

Deagh dhurachd (good wishes),
Lady Crinoc Donn
Lady-in-waiting to Baroness Rosamund of Aquaterra
Minister of Arts and Sciences for the Barony of Aquaterra
Founding member of Cearcall Charaid





Pandora Fitzpatrick....... Lady Crinoc Dhonn
Director and Treasurer.... Minister of Arts and Sciences
Slighe nan Gaidheal....... Barony of Aquaterra
www.slighe.com ........... www.baronyofaquaterra.org

Thig crioch air an t-saoghal ach mairidh gaol 'us ceol.
The world will end but love and music will survive.