Soups, stews, roasts, chicken and dumplings, cabbage rolls...
More I am sure but that's what comes to mind.
Linda C

Pot roast, soup, spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, pork ribs and sauerkraut, and yes...No Knead Bread!

Cookie, a Dutch Oven is just another Pot. You can use it to cook anything you want in it. But it is especially ideal to cook the types of things that Linda mentioned, especially pot roasts. Or a big pot of spaghetti and meatballs. Something that takes long slow cooking in the oven or on top of the stove.

Ann

Cookie,
I think the answer would be what can't you cook in them?

Is the inside of yours a light color? If so, don't be disturbed when it starts to discolor...it's the nature of the pot. I tried keeping mine sparkling at first, until I made shortribs in it...boy, oh boy did it pick up the dark wine colors! I bought a smaller one just recently...and a frying pan. Even though they are heavy, I enjoy them very much.
I've read up about cleaning them and there is a special cleaner which I've been steered away from. I know you aren't supposed to use an abrasive on it, but I have to use a green scratchy pad to get the dark baked on crud off the outside.
It was suggested that if you want to clean the inside, try letting bleach sit in it...not too often though. I've just done it once and it never looked like new, and the next time I used it, it got stained again, so I don't think I'll be doing it again.
I'm finding that with my No-Knead bread recipe I use half the ingredients for my smaller pot, as the full recipe will rise to the top of the lid and smash it. Plus the whole recipe was just too big for us to get thru before it kinda started to go stale. And it's just so easy to make, why not fresh more often? I add a tablespoon of rye and a small handfull of semolina to the recipe for a better crumb. I also let it rise on olive oil sprayed parchment in a small frying pan (to keep the shape), rise, slash (or snip with scissors) and then lift the parchment into your heated dutch oven. You'll get a darling little boule. Bakery beautiful.

If it's enamelled, you can use it for pretty much anything. If it's 'naked' cast iron, avoid cooking any foods that are acid (tomatoes/spaghetti sauce, etc).

I use mine all the time for all sorts of things--soups, sauces (I generally make white or cheese sauce by the half gallon, to freeze). It's great for the no-knead bread recipe--which reminds me, I need to mix up a batch of that tonight.

As to cleaning. I have a couple of enamelled cast iron pans. All look brand, spanking new because I clean them with baking soda after each use. Gets rid of any burned on grease spots, and removes any stains.

Azzalea, As long as the cast iron pan is well seasoned there is no reason not to cook tomato based sauces in it. In fact my favourite chili recipe actually calls for cooking it in a cast iron pan. I use my old griswold cast iron to cook chili as well as tomato based pasta sauces.

Ann

I may not be a fan of massacred pies and bread but I'm okay with appliances/pots/pans etc looking used. Thanks for the cleaning tips and even though I'm not a cleaner I will do my best to take good care of it as I do love the look of it and it sounds a lot more useful than I thought it would be. Initially I thought it would be for the roasts I make every 2-3 months and being a little ornamental when not in use!

I like that I can take mine from the oven/stove right to the table too.

I saw mention of no-knead bread in this thread. Unless I'm mistaken, don't you have to bake at 500 degrees for that? What brand of Dutch oven is recommended for that high a temperature? The max for Le Creuset it 400 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the manufacturer. I'd really like to try no-knead bread, especially with at least half whole wheat flour. Can someone guide me on how to do that?

OK.... Deborah gave some information, but more is needed. You bake the bread in the oven?, with or without the lid on?, and, at what temperature?
Please.

Haus Proud, Mario Batali's cast iron dutch ovens can go into a 500°F oven. Staub might also go up to 500°F.

Westelle, here is the recipe that has been referred to.

November 8, 2006
Recipe: No-Knead Bread

Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery
Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours rising

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.

There are lots of pictures of the standard big LeC being used for the no-knead bread, tho I've yet to bake it myself.

Ann-t, many thanks for the info and recipe. I'm reluctant to use our LeCreuset because we almost ruined one of our pieces in a oven hotter than its max. I'll follow up on your suggetions. About the recipe, I have a couple of questions: (1) If I prefer, can I bake a smaller loaf? I assume that I can use half the ingredients and use a smaller pot (4-quart?), but the dough rising and baking times would be the same. Is that right? (2) How about combining whole wheat flour with the white, say, 50-50? Does that work in this recipe?

Thanks again, Haus_proud.

haus proud I asked a question about chili yesterday, if you look for it, halfway down on responses someone posted a link to a video demonstration on this. I would link you but considering I can't even post a picture... you get the rest. It's very helpful, and check out the 12 minute version first (I wish I did) before you start making it. Mine is on the second rise as I type.

AnnT, do you use tap water or purified water for your bread. I will try this one also.

I use my Le Crueset for the larger loaves (full recipe)at 480* , but have gone up to 500*. I switch out the handle with a nickel cupboard handle I already had, with the higher temps.
I also own a smaller Olive and Thyme dutch oven and use it when I halve the recipe.
Which I have fussed with and love the results. The larger loaf is too big for us to get to before it starts getting stale. (although it's good for toast).
The original recipe had some challenges and there have been a couple of changes. Too much water for one, it is very hard to work with if you don't normally work with wet dough...too little salt for the other.
Half wheat flour is good too.

Here is my recipe for the smaller loaf that truly looks bakery beautiful:

1 1/2 cups white flour
1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon rye flour (better crumb)
small handfull semolina flour (better crumb)
scant 1/4 teaspoon regular active dry yeast
Mix all together in a medium bowl
Add 1 1/4 warm water
Mix everything all together, cover with plastic and set aside for at least 8 hours and up to 24 (I've heard). My usual is 18 hours.
With a rubber spatula, scrape your dough out of the bowl onto a well floured board. Press down with your fingertips into a rectangle shape. Fold into thirds, then in half, turn over, dust top with flour, put the plastic on it and let rest for 15 minutes.
In the meantime, spray olive oil onto a piece of parchment paper and fit it into a small shallow bowl (i use a small frying pan). Set the rested dough onto the parchment and cover with a tea towel. Let rise until double. This takes about an hour and a half at my house.
Preheat oven (with the dutch oven in there too) to 480* about half an hour prior to your bread being fully risen. The dutch oven should be nice and hot.
With a really sharp knife or lame slash the top of your loaves. Or if the dough seems loose, snip an x on the top with scissors.
Carefully remove pot and lid from the oven and set your bread still in the parchment paper into it. Cover and bake about 25-30 minutes. Uncover and bake until your loaf has a nice dark golden crust. There is a ton of flavor in the darker crust. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack.

Thanks so much, Deborah_ps. This kind of personally altered and tested recipe is worth its weight in gold. I look forward to using it soon. Haus_proud

Haus_proud, you're welcome. Cookie, I feed my sourdough "mother" with bottled spring water. But I make my bread using regular tap water.

Although I posted the no knead bread recipe I must admit that I don't make this bread. I did make it once when the recipe was first introduced here on the forum. And although it makes a decent loaf of bread, I don't think that the flavour is as good as bread that is kneaded. And I get a better crust baking on a stone.

Ann

I made the no-knead bread (with the LAGER beer) that was in the latest Cook's Illustrated magazine and it was the first bread I've ever made that we actually ate! It looked and tasted like it came from a french bakery! I used my Le Creuset dutch oven but I removed the knob (just in case)but I put the screw back into the hole because I wasn't sure if that little open hole where the screw was would make a difference. When I took it out of the hot oven, I just slid a knife under the lid to remove it - with hot pads on both hands!