Yup. I can say it makes very, very good bread...even if mine is slightly overproved. The bread is so soft and moist, the crust is thin and snaps. Perfect.
[img]http://www.sourdough.com.au/gallery/d/5817-2/firstpotbread.jpg[/img]
However............
I don't think I'll do it again. Not until I get a bigger oven. Or until I get gloves which are longer and designed to handle a lot of heat. I was practically a nervous wreck manoeveuring the pot plus cover in such a tight oven. Cold sweat and all. I bungled at slashing the bread, forgot to wet the blade, so it pulled.
Oh...and like the rest, this is fully sourdough...didn't follow the original recipe. My formula:
300g organic bread flour 11.8% protein level (don't think my oven can fit a bigger pot for a bigger loaf)
200g starter (100% hydration)
240g water
1T barley malt (proudly homemade)
.75 tsp salt
Same technique of short kneads and longer fold and turns. Cover taken off after half an hour.
Now that I know how a good well-steamed bread should be, I'm coveting a baker's oven.
Replies
Pot-baking still makes me sweat...cold sweat. But, I got a new japanese far infrared claypot said to be able to retain a lot of heat, so.....
My 2nd pot bread using the same formula as the first except it's now 2/3 wholemeal, and added 15g honey, 25g grapeseed oil. When I took it out last night, the crust was very crispy. All gone soft with this morning's humidity...has been raining everyday. The bread is very soft. No shots from the top as due to my deep fear of getting burned, I made nervous semblances of scoring the bread in the hot hot pot.
[img]http://www.tpcalcake.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/wholemealpot.jpg[/img]
Beautiful photo, and beautiful bread as always TP.
I never risk trying to slash the dough once it is in the pot. I unearth the dough onto a flexible peel, slash, then slide the lot into the pot.
Have a look at Graham's video to see what this idiosyncratic manoeuvre looks like. (I don't know the unique url, but it is on [url=http://sourdough.com.au/]the front page[/url] at the moment)
Sometimes the dough ends up a bit scrunched with the slash over on one edge rather than on top, but the pot usually manages to overcome these flaws, and still end up with a decent looking loaf.
cheers
Dom
We've also got more videos of Dom and others on our YouTube channel. [url=http://youtube.com/artisanbaker]Take a look[/url]
Awesome, Dom. I remember you sharing about that flexible board (I've got a couple) but forgot all about it. That'll take a lot of stress off Part 1 of Pot Baking. As it was, I hurriedly dumped the dough into the pot, resulting in major deflation. I love the part the video includes you listening to the bread sing. That's the best part of pot-baking for me.
Thanks, Maedi, for the heads-up. Marvellous videos.
p/s Tks, the pix could have been better if I took it on a tripod, though. There's some shake in this one.
you got there madly good looking bread
TP,
beautiful!
cheers
Dom
PS - something else for your wish list... [url]http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/silicone_oven_mitt.htm[/url] (these are what I use, and never even break a sweat!)
Ooooh.
TP, this bread looks delicious and professional!
I keep asking why so many of us are not so keen to use the method more often, including me? I respect your reasons.
Pab
TP,
as you know I am a hold out on this fad, also I trembled at your description regarding pot manouvering, being a salty dog in the kitchen and learning from oil burns, knife cuts and the whole nuts and bolts of kitchen accidents I felt your pain! So I crossed my fingers and bit my tongue imagining the worst from this experiment in terror, whew and good riddance, get an Alan Scott or a hearth oven for petes sake! Nice looker that loaf, must be that awesome camera that looks better in those unburnt hands!I'm glad you've gotten over the whole myth and decided to go back to the real bread making method!
Perhaps when you do another malt sprouting you should do some demo sequenced photo's?(probably safer too!)
Ta and glad to hear your safe!
Jeremy
[quote="Pab"]
TP, this bread looks delicious and professional!
I keep asking why so many of us are not so keen to use the method more often, including me? I respect your reasons.
Pab
[/quote]
Thanks, guys.
One more reason. I'm a very visual person; somehow I don't dig that tell-tale pot shape of the bottom half.
p/s My bread slid out very easily. Forgot to thank coelecanth (sp?) for that note on not baking a raisin bread in the pot. I just might have done that.
[quote="Jeremy"]
TP,
[...] I'm glad you've gotten over the whole myth and decided to go back to the real bread making method!
Perhaps when you do another malt sprouting you should do some demo sequenced photo's?(probably safer too!)
Jeremy
[/quote]
Not a myth...but a neat trick. I haven't entirely ruled out future pot baking.
I did take pix of the sprouting process. Will do a post on it later.
Let your garden grow! Shucks I thought you forgot the pot, oh well....no hope for us old timers!
Jeremy
Great looking loaf TP. I agree with the "don't want to do the pot thing all the time because of the shape issue", but Jeremy, the pot is basically just a smaller oven inside an oven. No need to tremble. It is nice to finally understand how nice a bakery loaf crust can be coming out of your own oven. Try it once, just to see and flex a little, it helps to keep your outlook young,
Teresa