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Help with bread

cjtinkle
cjtinkle Posts: 5
edited February 2012 in Root
Hey everyone, hubby and I picked up our first green egg yesterday, made some killer burgers on it last night!  I primarily wanted it as an outdoor oven though.  I do a lot of sourdough artisan breads that I bake in the oven at 475 - 500 degrees, in a cast iron dutch oven.  They turn out fabulously, but being in AR it's hot more than half the year.

I decided to try and duplicate what already works well in the oven, so I put the platesetter in legs ups, even though I read breads and pizza's are generally done legs down, then I used the cast iron cooking ring (instead of the metal one it comes with) and set my dutch oven on top of that.  I preheated it all to 500, opened the egg and the dutch oven and plopped my dough in, baked it for 35 minutes with the lid on, and removed it for 10 minutes more.

The top two thirds were perfect.  However, the bottom was burned to a brick about an inch up.  I thought the platesetter would diffuse the heat enough, but apparently not.  What do I need to do so this doesn't happen?

Thanks for any help!
CJ

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Comments

  • I do sourdough all the time on the egg, but I bake shaped loaves directly on a stone on top of my adjustable rig with another stone on the next level down for indirect. Egg's at 475-500 and they always are fine on the bottoms after 40-50 minutes. Maybe next time try putting a pizza stone between the grid and the DO for more heat diffusion.

    http://i1254.photobucket.com/albums/hh616/_IPA_/514c44db.jpg

    http://i1254.photobucket.com/albums/hh616/_IPA_/53dab7f9.jpg




  • Chubbs
    Chubbs Posts: 6,929
    MQ, looks great. Do you mind sharing your bread recipe? I would love to give that a shot.

    Cjtinkle, sounds to me like you just had a ton of things that attract heat all together and underneath the bread (platesetter, cast iron grid, and cast iron Dutch oven). Then again, what do I know!!
    Columbia, SC --- LBGE 2011 -- MINI BGE 2013
  • Here's a pic of loaves on my set-up...

    http://i1254.photobucket.com/albums/hh616/_IPA_/9deeca4d.jpg

    Thanks Chubbs. Here is my recipe for a real rustic, country sourdough...

    260 grams starter
    400 grams bread flour (I use King Arthur's brand)
    60 grams whole wheat flour
    30 grams rye flour
    14 grams salt
    292 grams water (room temp or cooler)
    1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast

    Dissolve yeast in water and let sit 5-10 minutes to proof--- mix all ingredients excecept salt in kitchen aid with paddle attachment.. Let sit 25 minutes in bowl---add salt and knead with dough hook for 9 minutes (this can be done by hand, but I would knead 15 minutes). Put dough in large oiled bowl and immediately put in fridge..leave overnight or up 3 days...longer the better flavor/texture, but I usually just go overnight. Baking day, take out of fridge at least 3 hours before dividing and shaping loaves and stretch and fold the dough over itself from 12 to 6 and then 9 to 3..then rest for 3 hours to come to room temp. Shape into desired loaf shape (search YouTube for great video demos of shaping loaves and boules). Once loaves are shaped leave to rest covered with a towel to proof for about 90 minutes...bake with steam until nicely browned and internal temp is 195- 200.

  • gerhardk
    gerhardk Posts: 942
    Your top crust looks perfect, wish I could get that type of crust.  I am sure that the addition of a pizza stone will block enough heat to keep your bottom from burning.

    Gerhard
  • MCR
    MCR Posts: 270
    I do mine directly on the pizza stone without the Dutch Oven as well.
    Marc
  • Thanks everyone, I wasn't able to comment on my thread until this morning when I was approved :).

    That crust won't happen without the dutch oven.  I've ordered a pizza stone, and I think I will try it next with the platesetter legs down, pizza stone on top with the ceramic legs in between for an air buffer... and maybe I'll use my clay dutch oven instead of the cast iron one.  If it works, I'll post a picture :)
  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
     However, the bottom was burned to a brick about an inch up.  I thought the platesetter would diffuse the heat enough, but apparently not.  What do I need to do so this doesn't happen?
    The platesetter absorbs a lot of heat. I measured the surface of a platesetter, legs up, at over 600F when the dome was 250F. When you put the DO on the 'setter in a pre-heated 500F Egg, I'd guess that you placed it on an 800F+ surface.

    Adding the little ceramic feet and a stone above the 'setter makes a big difference.