Question for Sourdough Bakers

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

I've been working on my starter for a little more than a week now and I'm ready to bake something. Just about everything I've read says I need to use a Dutch oven for baking. I don't have one that I'm willing to put in the oven though, even though they have phenolic handles. And I'm loathe to spend $50 or more dollars on one right now. What I DO have is most of a set of Guardian Service, circa World War II. Most have no lids. But I have two that have the same diameter and I think would be about the size to use for a round loaf. They're thick and heavy. Can anyone tell me if I could use these, please?

Featured Answer

plllog

5 years ago

I never put sourdough in a dutch oven. You need that for ultra high hydration dough because it’s goop that won't hold its shape.

Your starter is ready to use if it will double in size, after feeding, reliably within eight hours and hold its top height for several hours. You might get a decent loaf before then, but you might have trouble.

i posted my easiest, most reliable recipe, along with other things, in this thread: https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5924521/fun-with-sourdough. Do a protein wash (egg or milk) for prettier crust, and don't forget to slash the surface to control the let out of steam, preventing cracking.

Any recipe where you feed up a potion of your starter, and let it get all bubbly, then add flour, water and salt, should give you good bread. A smaller proportion of water to flour will keep it out of the pot. BTW, if you're not trying to make high hydration “artisan” bread, but your dough is too wet to stand, you can bake it off in any vessel, such as a saucepan, springform or bowl. Clay works if you don't want to use metal.

Good luck!

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Comments (11)

maifleur03
5 years ago
The most common type of bread for centuries were types of sourdough. They were baked in all types of shapes and pans. Any pan will work even a cookie sheet. Timing can be something that is needed to be learned but the old knock on the bottom and if it sounds hollow it is ready could be used. One of the bakers in this area simply puts it in a greased and floured bowl that is turned out onto a sheet pan.
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aziline
5 years ago
I do not use a dutch oven either. Main reason is that i usually bake 2 at a time and I like to make torpedo type shapes, not boules. They are easier to get in the toaster and cut up in general.

Using a DO does add something but not crazy better like it would be using an actual steam oven.

There are lots of tricks for adding steam to your oven if you are so inclined.

Those look to be decently tall. If they are and you want to use them I'd actually put the bread on the stone and then one on top as a lid. That way you won't get a round bottomed loaf.
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Jasdip
5 years ago
I made no-knead bread in my small oval roasting pan. You know the old-fashioned speckled blue ones with the lid? It worked great.
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User
5 years ago
As long at the aluminum is in good shape, your vintage pans look like they would work great! I don't own a dutch oven but want to, because I've read so many recommendations for baking bread in them. Does your recipe call for parchment paper on the bottom? Removing the top for the last 10 or 15 minutes of baking? Good luck, and make notes so that next time you know what to tweak.
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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
5 years ago
I have never encountered a sourdough bread recipe that required baking in a Dutch oven....or any other 'pan'. IME, it's a pretty firm dough that holds its shape well, even boules.
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Elmer J Fudd
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
We don't make sourdough bread but we do make boule shaped no-knead bread. They do call for using a dutch over with a cover. The reason for it, as correctly mentioned above, is that covered highly hydrated dough simulates the effect of steam ovens as are used in France, for example. That produces a crusty bread. With that baking technique, the lid is removed at the halfway point in time anyway but the dutch oven and the lid are preheated in the oven before the bread is put in.

To my knowledge, other techniques (like a pan of water under bread) don't produce the same effect. I had one dutch oven with a plastic knob that I replaced. I'd be tempted to remove the knob if you can (mine was fasted with one screw from underneath) and just replace it after the baking. Pry open the lid with a screwdriver and grab it with a pot holder when it's hot.
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Judy Good
5 years ago
I agree that a Dutch oven is not needed.
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Cloud Swift
5 years ago
I usually bake mine as free-form loaves on a baking stone. I put the big flat roasting pan that came with the oven on an oven rack below the baking stone and preheat the pan and the stone with the oven. Then I pour about two cups of near boiling water into the pan when I put the loaves into the oven to create steam.

I did try the dutch oven thing a couple of times, but I found it a pain to transfer the loaf into the pre-heated dutch oven without deflating it or getting burned and I didn't find the bread came out any better. Also, I sometimes like to do two loaves at the same time.

I do find having a couple of bannetons (proofing baskets) handy especially because it makes it easy to put the formed loaf in the fridge for an overnight proof.
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l pinkmountain
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
In my experience, and just speaking for myself, I've had the best luck with a covered pan for baking bread. And I've tried all the methods listed. My best results were still in the dutch oven. It could be due to me having an electric oven, famous for not having steady heat. The dutch oven somewhat compensates for that. I tried the baking stone method with water in a shallow pan below too, that was second best. I took the bread out for the last ten minutes to get an evenly browned crust.

Edited to add "out of the dutch oven" not out of the oven for the last ten minutes. Not necessary but often my pan baked breads are browner on top than on the part that is in the pan, which if the pan is big, is at least half the loaf.
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lindac92
5 years ago
To say that any dough, sour dough, conventional yeast of part this and part that is wetter or dryer than another is false....just add more flour and it will become firmer.....do a bit of a stretch as you shape it and it will become firmer.
I do just fine thank you baking in a regular oven on a cookie sheet.
In the first months of the quarantine I baked 650 loaves of bread....give or take 5 or 6 loaves.
When you shape your bread....stretch it, then roll it into shape, allow to rise, slash and bake in an oven with some ice cubes....or spritz some water into the oven with a sprayer.
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Question for Sourdough Bakers

plllog

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maifleur03

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