Part 2 of my geeky bread adventures!
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After the success of our earlier pot baking experiments, I thought it was worth trying out some of the suggestions offered in the comments to my last post. The results were very interesting!
Using my 90% hydration dough (made with a 50/50 blend of bakers flour and remilled semolina flour), I tried baking the dough in three different ways:
- in a cold enamel roaster, starting off in a cold oven
- in a cold enamel roaster, going into a preheated hot oven
- in a presoaked Römertopf clay pot – the risen dough went into the soaked pot and then into a cold oven
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Cold enamel roaster, cold oven
After the dough was risen and shaped, I slashed it and turned it into the small Falcon roaster, then placed the covered pot into a cold oven, and turned the heat up to 220C with fan. As the oven was cold, I baked it for 25 minutes covered, 20 minutes uncovered, then 10 minutes at 175C with fan.
This combination produced a magnificent looking loaf (top photo) with an elastic, holey crumb. Whereas our preheated pot/hot oven bake had produced a crispy, thin crust, this method produced a chewier, toothsome crust. It’s good to know this works – it’s the ideal way to bake a loaf without the expense of preheating the oven, or the angst of manhandling a blazing hot empty pot.
The huge holes are unusual, and I suspect that they’re a result of how my starter Priscilla was behaving on the day (and my dodgy shaping), rather than the baking method.
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Cold enamel roaster, hot oven
For the second attempt, I shaped the dough into two small round loaves and, once they had risen, I slashed them and placed them into the cold large roaster. The covered pot then went into a preheated hot oven, and was given 20 minutes covered, 20 minutes uncovered, followed by 10 minutes at 175C with fan.
The advantage of this method is that it avoids the need to maneouvre a hot pot in and out of the oven. Pete was of the opinion that this would work with the enamel cookware, as it was thin enough to heat up very quickly, but possibly less well with heavier pots. Having said that, my friend Emilie bakes the most magnificent loaves in a non-preheated cast iron dutch oven!
These loaves were delicious, but again with a heavier crust than the hot pot/hot oven combination produced. The crumb was holey and elastic…
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Presoaked Römertopf baker, cold oven
As you all know, I adore my Römertopf bakers, but I don’t have a good track record of baking bread in them (the loaf pans work well though).
For my first attempt a few years ago, I preheated the soaked baker in the oven, then took out the hot pot and plonked my dough into it. The minute I did, I heard the glaze on the clay baker crack – the thermal shock of the cold dough on the hot base was too great. Sadly, that Römertopf ended up as a garden pot.
Recently I tried again – I soaked the pot and put it into a cold oven, but I forgot to grease or line the base, and this is what I ended up with…
I finally figured it out on my third attempt. I soaked the base and lid of the baker in a sink of warm water, then turned the shaped and risen sourdough onto a large sheet of parchment. After slashing, it was lowered into the clay baker, covered, and placed into a cold oven, which was turned up to 220C with fan. The dough was given 25 minutes at 220C with fan, followed by 20 minutes with the lid off, and a further 10 minutes at 175C with fan.
The end result was this magnificent, well risen loaf…
This is the perfect way to bake a high hydration loaf if you’re seeking to make a soft crusted bread – the water from both the dough and the soaked pot ensure that the crust stays flexible and moist, and the crumb is reasonably close and even. It would make a great sandwich bread…
. . . . .
So there you have it – the culmination of our week of bread experiments.
I think our preferred loaves (using our bakers flour/remilled semolina formula) are the ones we get when we preheat the roaster. That seems to produce the thin, crisp crust that everyone enjoys the most, but I’m sure I’ll be using all three of the different methods above in the future. As Em pointed out, sometimes it’s just too hot in the middle of summer to have the oven running any longer than absolutely necessary.
Oh, and remember our failed Romy loaf? It was torn apart and baked in a very low oven (100C) for a few hours – it made the best croutons we’ve ever eaten!
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
Stop!!! You are doing my head in. Just when I’m in a comfort zone with my bread, (of which I have been happily making for years) I see all your fantastic ideas and get all antsy about trying them. I have to tell myself it’s brain therapy learning all this new ‘stuff’. :)
Hahaha…sorry Maree, I’ll stop now! :) I did have a wonderful time experimenting though!
Couldn’t help myself! Bought a Falcon tin to try in my ‘toy oven’ (and cause it’s nice). Very happy with the result, I’ve posted about it at http://aroundthemulberrytree.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/20140524_155321.jpg Thanks again for sharing!
That should actually be http://aroundthemulberrytree.wordpress.com/2014/05/25/the-ins-outs-of-the-weekend/
Hi Celia, loving your tips. Making my own bread is on the to do wish list. Don’t have the confidence yet so just doing as much research as I can.
Staci, it’s truly not that scary, as as you can see from above, you can always make croutons or breadcrumbs from the loaves if they don’t work! :) I have a really basic beginner’s recipe if you’re interested:
https://figjamandlimecordial.com/bread/bread-101-a-basic-bread-tutorial/
Hey Celia! Thanks for all the usefull tips here! A great way to make these tasty apart croutons!
A great tasty idea to use the bread that was left behind & not to waste it! Clever thinking! xxx
Sophie, I’d actually planned to make breadcrumbs from the baked bread, but it was SO delicious that Small Man and I just ate it all with dips! :D
A tasty & great idea! 😊
Fantastic experiments, I salute your perseverance! And that last Romertopf loaf is a complete beauty! Way to go!!! Who hoo! I wonder if the bigger holes are because the culture had a bit more time before it hit the killing temperature as that period when it warms up is always described in the books as a time of frantic activity, (a phrase that reminds me of that five minutes prior to a large group of people leaving the house on an outing). Now all I want to do is have a large slice of one of your fabulous loaves, cover it in something good and tuck in xxx
Morning darling! I have trouble wrapping my head around how it works. Do we need a burst of heat to give oven spring and create big holes (which is what I’d always thought), or does that come from, as you say, giving the leaven time to rise a bit more gently before it reaches kill temp? It puzzles me, because often when I bake in a cold oven, I end up with a closed, tender crumb, so the huge holes were unusual in the first loaf. Having said that, Emilie at Clever Carrot’s loaves are always full of holes, and she often bakes from cold. The only solution might be more experimenting.. :D xxx
Your bread making skills know no bounds Celia and you are so inventive with all the cooking you do. A great inspiration to all of us:)
Jody, sometimes I just bake the same bread for weeks or months on end – the routine can be very comforting – but other times it’s fun to play. I think I’d play less if I couldn’t share it with all of you, so it’s probably fair to say that all of you inspire me! :)
AWESOME POST Celia thank you for sharing
Cheers, Linda, you’re most welcome! :)
your welcome
Do you wear a white coat and hold a clipboard while conducting your experiments? You should know that is how I now imagine you :) Yesterday I found myself perusing the enamel roasting tins in a cookware shop, though I kept my hands in my pockets. Only a matter of time (or your posts) until I can’t resist buying one.
With my glasses perched at the end of my nose? :) Sorry to disappoint, but it’s often at the crack of dawn, so I’m in my pjs and my nanna dressing gown. And you know, don’t you, that you should just buy a Falcon roaster now. If my mother had baked in one every week, I wouldn’t be able to resist! :D
Love to hear about your experiments, we get to use your knowledge without the hard work! I got a Romertopf last Friday and its first use will be pork neck (that I pick from the butchers tomorrow) but its second use will be soft crust sour dough. Thanks : )
Hooray for Romertopfs! I’m going to make pulled pork neck this weekend as well! Have fun with the bread, don’t forget the parchment paper (I’m still groaning as I write that..) :)
Hi Celia, recently I was in a second hand store and came across a Schlemmertopf clay baker. Is that the same thing as a Rompertopf? Was a bit tempted to buy it but wasn’t sure if it was the same sort of thing. You make them sound so wonderful that I’m kind of wanting one now.
Hi Di,
they are both the same, but ‘Römertopf’ is a brand name – usually the latter are therefore a bit more expensive!
Both are great for all sorts of slow cooking, so it might be a good investment …
Di, I think Ginger is right, and the two are very similar. Just make sure the glaze on the inside of the base is intact and not cracked, and it should work well! Also, the other thing I’ve been told about second hand ones is to check for aroma, if it’s been used for cooking fish or the like, it might have picked up odours which can be difficult to get rid of.
Thanks Ginger and Celia. Didn’t notice about the glaze but then wasn’t actually looking for that either. It did look really clean, no stains, and the little booklet was also with it, that too was in really good clean condition so I don’t think it has been used much. The price on it was $30, does that sound like a good buy?
Di, it’s not a bad price if it hasn’t been used, and that sounds like a possibility. It will depend a bit on how large it is – the one I used here is about 4L, but I also have a 3L one. The cheapest ones we get here in Sydney are from Peters of Kensington – you can compare here:
http://www.petersofkensington.com.au/Public/catalog/searchresults.aspx?brands=Romertopf#
I love baking bread! I’ll have to try doing so in a roaster, or splurge and invest in a Romertopf loaf or roaster pan.
Nancy
http://www.workingmomadventures.com
Nancy, it should work brilliantly in a cast iron pot if you have one – I just don’t own one anymore (nor can I move them around much – too heavy for me).
By some fluke, I had some bread dough just ready to be baked when I read your post. Tried your option number one (cold pot/cold oven) and it worked perfectly!!! Thank you, Celia!
Woohoo, that’s fantastic, Debi! Thanks for letting me know! :)
I had an old bread recipe book that described Cuban bread- without the lard- but the basic difference was in the baking- cold oven- no pot. I don’t think it tasted or baked up with much difference except it had less oven raise and a chewier crust. Your experiments, however are very interesting. I don’t have a Romertopf but think some of your readers should try your experiments as well and see if they get the same results. I will try the cold enamel/lidded pan into a preheated oven and see what happens.
Heidi, I’d love to hear how you go! Thanks for sharing my excitement with me! xxx
You should write a book!
Sounds like hard work, Mo! But thank you for being so nice.. :D
oooooh! These look stellar! I don’t have a roaster or an enamel pot but I do have a Caphalon dutch oven and a tangine. What do you think would work better? Hugs, Maz.
Maz, I think the dutch oven should work well – Emilie suggests coating the bottom in a little cornmeal to stop it sticking. The tagine should work as well, but only if the dough didn’t stick to the sloping sides of the lid?
I’ll try a small loaf in each and let you know. :-)
Hi Celia, All your bread looks magnificent. Just one question. In your description of what you did in the Romertopf you say you put it in a cold oven and then turned the oven ‘down’ to 220C. I am a bit confused. Do you mean up?
Oops, thanks Glenda, I fixed it. Typo on my part! :)
I’m STILL looking for one of those bakers….I found one at the thrift shop but it was too small for baking a duck, but it sure would’ve been great for bread!
Bernie, they now sell the German made Romertopfs in the US and Canada – the German made ones are better than the US/Mexico made ones because the latter don’t have a glaze (which I think is crucial):
http://www.romertopfusa.com/
I love you!
I am going to try the cold oven, cold roaster next time FOR SURE! It is too awesome… simply too awesome!
I’ve done the cold roaster – hot oven in the past, but never a side to side experiment like you did – you rock! or, should I say YOU BAKE! :-)
I’m SO pleased you liked this post, because when I was conducting my “experiments”, I thought to myself, “I’m sure Sally wouldn’t approve of my scientific method”. I’m notoriously rubbish at only changing one variable at a time, and even when I tried using the same formula, the doughs are always subtly different each time (as you know). :)
Celia, your scientific method is superb! I intend to try a cold-cold loaf on Monday, since it’s a holiday here and I have to be in the lab just briefly… will keep you posted!
All I want is a tub of butter and a knife when I read your bread posts – YUM! Happy Day :)
Hahaha…have a great day too, Renee! :)
Finally I found a use for my clay pot! I don’t need to have it glazed to bake bread if I use parchment paper so now I am going to start experimenting to see if I can’t bake a gorgeous loaf like yours :) Cheers for the experiments Celia, I am REALLY glad that I can take advantage of your hard work and hopefully, I get something that looks a bit like yours ;)
Fran, it should work well – Glenda said she uses two sheets of parchment – one in each direction, so that the dough doesn’t have any surface to stick too. I think Steve will like these loaves too – the crumb and crust are lovely and tender. Just be careful not to put it into a hot oven, as it won’t like the shock!
I will move it around in Brunhilda…sort of a Mexican hat dance for sourdough ;)
Love what you’re doing and we can all learn from you. I want a clay pot now! And glad you made those gorgeous croutons – waste not, eant not…as my granny used to say :)
Chica, I know you probably meant to write “waste not, want not”, but I read your Gran’s quote as “waste not, earn not”, and I thought, that’s so true, for every item I don’t waste, I don’t have to work to make money to buy it again! :D
Oops a typo but quite apt! Was just checking out the pan cubano recipe again as we are due another batch for the freezer and our lunchtime sandwiches to keep (us) the workers going through the next refurbishment project :)
Hello Celia I am Helen and I bake bread in Liverpool UK. I really get so much out of your posts on bread what a fantastic set of experiments this time . They do inspire me to go on my own bread adventures thank you
!!
Helen, thank you for stopping by! I hope you enjoy your bread adventures as much as I’ve enjoyed mine! :D
Bravo Celia, I’d be in 7th heaven to pull any loaf as gorgeous as these from the oven. My spelt loaves are ugly ducklings in comparison, I think it might be time to invest in an enamel baker and a banetton.
Sandra, the closed pot really seems to control the oven spring and help loaves to retain an even shape!
Love it, Celia!
Thanks darling! xx
Another wonderful and educational geeky post, thanks for sharing your great and successful experiments.
Thanks Norma! It’s been great fun!
I loved that you made croutons because that would be a waste of delicious bread otherwise. I froze the Cuban bread that you gave me straight away – I can’t wait to eat it! Thank you! :D
Most welcome, let me know if you ever need more! They’re not too hard to make – I made another batch yesterday to go with the lobster! :)
Were you a scientist in a previous life? Love love love reading the results of your experiments, so much fun in a kitchen!
Jo, thank you for the inspiration to try it again cold, it was really interesting! :)
With all of the inspiration you give me, so glad I could give just a tiny bit back, even if it is just a comment. The sun is just peeking over the treetops now, happy sunrise to you, hope you have a lovely Sunday!
Brilliant experiment Celia! I picture your kitchen like a bakery, busy & bustling well into the night… Your Romy loaf looks killer by the way :)
Thanks for all the inspiration and advice Emilie! xx
I love that you shared the spectacular diversion from classically considered success to improvised success of croutons. And your equanimity, knowing tomorrow is another baking day. I haven’t found mind yet, I get all red and splotchy when things go awry.
ED, you’re very kind, but I did say some really bad words when I pulled the stuck loaf out of the oven.. :)
What a shame about the cracked pot Celia, I’m glad you’ve got it sorted now. You should teach master classes in bread making, you’d make a fortune sweetie! Xox
Live and learn, I guess, Becca! :) I’ve had to stop baking bread for a week – despite giving away as much as I could to the neighbours, I’ve still got a freezer full now! :)
What can I say you are the bread queen. What a loaf.
Thanks Norma! xx
I bow before you, oh bread teacher of mine. That ‘success’ loaf is gorgeous!
Thanks hon, the Romy loaf did work out really well in the end, and the boys love the occasional softer sandwich loaf!
What a great experiment. I have an oven that heats up really quickly which means I would have to go the hot oven route :)
Tandy, I think the best discovery was that ALL the different methods work! :)
Magnificent looking loaves indeed. I’d never heard of putting bread in a cold oven. I dislike bread machine bread as I think it’s a strange texture….caused by heating up slowiy from cold. However maybe this isn’t the cause after all. Fascinating stuff .
Sally, the crumb is usually softer and more closed when the dough bakes in clay – not sure why – but it makes very nice sandwich bread. It would be good in your heat to be able to bake from cold – I’m sure you don’t really want the oven on any longer than absolutely necessary! :)
I am wondering if you do whip that white coat off when you hear me ringing the doorbell. Your experiments with bread are awesome x
[…] crust with my kids usually leave. I recently read a post on Celia’s blog which included a Romertopf Sourdough which I was keen to […]
You are so adventurous and I can see that when you make your mind up to figure something out, you go all out until you get just what you want. I think we can all benefit from your trials & errors although I don’t really see any errors.
[…] a perfect method of baking that sourdough. Ever since Celia@Fig Jam & Lime Cordial posted her experiments on baking bread with her cast iron casserole and her Römertopf, I’ve been baking this way quite regularly – with a little steamy adjustment of my own […]
I was on an ‘op shop’ cruise with my daughter last Friday and found a second hand Romertopf for $4.00. So must give this a go. I am wondering if I should return to the oppy and buy the smaller clay baker, name starting with ‘s’ as well?