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Let the baking begin!

'Q Bruddah
'Q Bruddah Posts: 739
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Proofed on the counter, a little spritz.

109_0062.jpg

Looking right at home in the egg.

109_0063.jpg

Counting down the twenty five minutes.

Edit Note: Putting cold dough into the egg brought the temp down to 400°. I think that it wouldn't be bad to preheat the egg to 550° to get maximum oven spring.
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Comments

  • LDD
    LDD Posts: 1,225
    looking forward to the results...

    i'm not much of a baker, what does the spritz do?
    context is important :)
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  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    I've got an IR beam thermometer. It took the Egg over an hour of pre-heating to get a platesetter-pizza stone combo to register 550. The pizza I was making got pretty toasty. Not charred but light, the way good pizza is, but like an over baked biscuit. I'd be concerned that the bottom of a loaf would turn to rock at that temp. Then again, bread baked in a hearth must get even more heat, so I wonder how that is managed.
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  • Rascal
    Rascal Posts: 3,923
    Helps to keep the crust uniform and prevents cracks. For temperature stability, I always bake breads and all in my Viking..

    Viking.jpg
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  • NibbleMeThis
    NibbleMeThis Posts: 2,295
    Looking good so far!

    My wife does all the baking on her Egg and she always uses preheated stoneware as well as the plate setter. I think she finds that helps avoid the initial temp drop or at least minimizes it.
    Knoxville, TN
    Nibble Me This
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  • 'Q Bruddah
    'Q Bruddah Posts: 739
    Well, here's the results of this morning's controlled burn. I preheated all the stoneware, platesetter, baking stone for about 90 minutes to 500°.

    As noted earlier the temp dropped to 400° and pretty much stayed there even though I tweaked and fiddled cautiously.

    The top of the loaves are what I would call 'barely done' and nowhere near the browning I desire. The instant read thermometer barely registered done for a Whole Wheat loaf.
    109_0065.jpg

    As far as the bottom is concerned I will refrain from the 550° preheat I discussed. This is the upper limit of char that I find acceptable, remember I am an ex-pizza guy. We are baking bread here.
    109_0064.jpg

    "So, my thinking," said the bear of little brain, "would be to ease off on the temp, say 450° to start and try to hold, 400°" Meaning: I have to practice more and subject myself to quality control tasting, over and over again.

    It doesn't look too bad from the inside. The taste is, well, fresh.

    109_0067.jpg
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  • 'Q Bruddah
    'Q Bruddah Posts: 739
    Dear Rascal-- I am fortunate enough to have an egg. I would be a different baker with a Viking. I have used those tools in past lives and they are great no doubt. Now, I am just an amateur earthy hearth type guy.
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  • Rascal
    Rascal Posts: 3,923
    What I was trying to say, is that I have better temperature control in the kitchen oven vs. the BGE..
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  • Fidel
    Fidel Posts: 10,172
    I get better results, better over spring, and more uniform doneness if I start the loaf at a lower temp and then bring the temp up throughout the cook.

    Try starting the loaf at a 250* egg and then throw the vents wide open - catch it if it gets to 450 during your cook and hold it there. I bet you'll be happy with the results.

    I also put a small cast iron skillet either on the lump or off to one side so it gets 'some' direct heat. Let it preheat with everything, then instead of spritzing the loaf, toss a half cup or so of water into the cast iron skillet to generate instant steam. Makes for a terrific crusty loaf.
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  • 'Q Bruddah
    'Q Bruddah Posts: 739
    I understand and I apologize if my reply seemed curt. I wasn't intending that. You have a very nice piece of equipment there. I am sure you can bake to your heart's content. I am appreciating that the egg will take some taming and will never be a precision tool but will always be "hand done" so to speak. Not to worry, we be friends.
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,738
    i dont bake much, but i had good luck with this setup, pour a little hot water into the pan like fidel suggested, i think i wiped the stone with a lightly damp towel as well. never knew about the loaf splitting without the slice marks :laugh: maybe its the instant steam, but no cracking. get it higher near the hot dome gets the top cooking quicker for more browning

    3ecd831d.jpg

    286fa7ca.jpg
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • 'Q Bruddah
    'Q Bruddah Posts: 739
    Fidel, thank you for this reply. I am a long time baker but the egg is a whole new experience. This procedure makes sense to me since the egg will rise in temp fairly quickly. For now a spritz sounds easier and safer than water into a heated egg. I will need to get braver first. I popped the glass in my oven trying a similar step inside.
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  • JLOCKHART29
    JLOCKHART29 Posts: 5,897
    The inside looks great and for me the bottoms are fine. Baking for real will be my next endever on the Egg. Decided against the mixer that was on sale. Not as good a deal as I though and since I am getting a new trailer in a few months will wait till things settle down and get what I want. Thanks for your reply. ;)
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  • 'Q Bruddah
    'Q Bruddah Posts: 739
    JL, I think you made a wise decision. Are they fun? Yes. Are they impressive on the counter? Yes. Can I bake tastier bread without one? Yes. This is a qualified yes because I am not looking for a totally homogeneous loaf of bread. If you find a pocket of flour in a loaf I baked I am not at all bothered. Just says rustic and hand made with love. I am into wetter doughs and bulk fermentation, overnight on the counter or in the fridge depending.

    If you get serious about baking, here is where I learned to bake 'real' bread.

    http://www.thefreshloaf.com/

    It is like an online bread class with instructors to critique your baking and offer suggestions a lot like the BBQ brothers and sisters here.

    The bread I baked this morning is fine once it cooled.
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  • Desert Oasis Woman
    Desert Oasis Woman Posts: 5,604
    nice looking Viking, but my Viking oven has never been great -- love the broiler, though!!
    think I got a lemon :(
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  • Desert Oasis Woman
    Desert Oasis Woman Posts: 5,604
    Edit Note: Putting cold dough into the egg brought the temp down to 400°. I think that it wouldn't be bad to preheat the egg to 550° to get maximum oven spring.

    often wondered about that, too. looking forward to replies :)
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  • Desert Oasis Woman
    Desert Oasis Woman Posts: 5,604
    even preheating well have noticed large drops with breads, where you do want that initial rise with adequate heat....
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  • Desert Oasis Woman
    Desert Oasis Woman Posts: 5,604
    NICE loaf :woohoo:
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