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Crusty bread baked in the Egg via a Dutch Oven (with pics)

Stormbringer
Stormbringer Posts: 2,007
edited August 2017 in Baking
After a bit of trial and error, the sage postings of @caliking @SciAggie (and others of course) and Ken Forkish's book, I've managed to get some consistent crusty bread going in the Egg. Cooked in a Dutch oven, or for me a Le Creuset casserole dish, after some minimal kneading and a long fermentation time. It's based on Ken's method, full details here:

https://www.thecooksdigest.co.uk/2017/08/18/crusty-artisan-bread/

If you've not done this and have a DO/casserole that can handle 465F (or even 475F) it's really worth doing. It's replaced my bake on a pizza stone approach.

Also SWMBO bought a new camera lens. :D









Thanks for looking.
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| Cooking and blogging with a Large and Minimax in deepest, darkest England-shire
| My food blog ... BGE and other stuff ... http://www.thecooksdigest.co.uk
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Comments

  • andersa
    andersa Posts: 42
    Very nice looking, you sure nailed it!
  • Woodchunk
    Woodchunk Posts: 911
    Love crusty bread and this looks great
  • SciAggie
    SciAggie Posts: 6,481
    Great looking bread. I'm still chasing the golden snitch. 
    Coleman, Texas
    Large BGE & Mini Max for the wok. A few old camp Dutch ovens and a wood fired oven. LSG 24” cabinet offset smoker. There are a few paella pans and a Patagonia cross in the barn. A curing chamber for bacterial transformation of meats...
    "Bourbon slushies. Sure you can cook on the BGE without them, but why would you?"
                                                                                                                          YukonRon
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    That looks terrific! Mine don't ever get that color. Will have to adjust timing and lid off time I guess. Thanks for posting. 

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • That looks amazing. Great pics!

    "Brought to you by bourbon, bacon, and a series of questionable life decisions."

    South of Nashville, TN

  • Mattman3969
    Mattman3969 Posts: 10,457
    Thanks for the link.  Bread looks awesome.  Looks as good as what is on the website

    -----------------------------------------

    analyze adapt overcome

    2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.
  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
    Nice bread and pictures 
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
  • SamIAm2
    SamIAm2 Posts: 1,894
    That loaf and a pot of Brunswick stew and I wouldn't need a spoon! Really nice work.
    Ubi panis, ibi patria.
    Large - Roswell rig, MiniMax-PS Woo; Cocoa, Fl.
  • mEGG_My_Day
    mEGG_My_Day Posts: 1,653
    Amazing - good job !!
    Memphis, TN 

    LBGE, 2 SBGE, Hasty-Bake Gourmet
  • Nice bread and photos!
  • bgebrent
    bgebrent Posts: 19,636
    Strong man.
    Sandy Springs & Dawsonville Ga
  • Shiff
    Shiff Posts: 1,835
    Looks great.

    Large BGE
    Barry, Lancaster, PA
  • Stormbringer
    Stormbringer Posts: 2,007
    edited August 2017
    Thanks folks. SWMBO bought a new 50mm lens to take the photos for the food blog/website, and tinkered around with the lighting, she is very happy with the results above, as am I.

    @Carolina Q it's been a lot of trial and whilst not error, getting it a bit better and more consistent each time (although I really don't care if the loaves don't all look the same). For example, I use more yeast than in Ken's recipes (maybe a brand difference?) and have the lid off for longer, the latter being a contributing factor to the colour.

    @SamIAm2 I had to look up Brunswick stew ... and yes, agreed. We do a similar stew in winter and have crusty bread with it.

    @SciAggie me too, this is just where I've got to at the moment :). I'd like to have a little more rise and seam split (as your loaves do, from memory), I might need to encourage that with a sharp knife.
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    | Cooking and blogging with a Large and Minimax in deepest, darkest England-shire
    | My food blog ... BGE and other stuff ... http://www.thecooksdigest.co.uk
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------


  • CPARKTX
    CPARKTX Posts: 2,095
    Beautiful. Nice job
    LBGE & SBGE.  Central Texas.  
  • LDR
    LDR Posts: 414
    edited August 2017

    That's looks great. 

    I really need to try baking some, but I always cringe when I see the time involved.  I just need to have less of a "last minute" approach on it.  I got a couple of cast iron DO at Christmas last year, and still haven't broken them in on the egg.

  • Always top notch. 
    Snellville, GA


  • blasting
    blasting Posts: 6,262

    Very nice loaf.  Plus 1 on the DO method.  

    Phoenix 
  • Stormbringer
    Stormbringer Posts: 2,007
    edited August 2017
    LDR said:

    That's looks great. 

    I really need to try baking some, but I always cringe when I see the time involved.  I just need to have less of a "last minute" approach on it.  I got a couple of cast iron DO at Christmas last year, and still haven't broken them in on the egg.

    @LDR it takes a decent amount of elapsed time, however very little actual effort. I probably spend about 12-13 mins in total throughout the duration. Given that this approach has a large chunk of time in the middle when you just leave the dough alone, it gives time to go do something else. That's what I like about it. And once you do it a couple of times you get into the rhythm of it and it becomes second nature.

    Of course if your "last minute" approach is "I want bread in the next half hour" that is a bit more challenging. :D
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    | Cooking and blogging with a Large and Minimax in deepest, darkest England-shire
    | My food blog ... BGE and other stuff ... http://www.thecooksdigest.co.uk
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  • smbishop
    smbishop Posts: 3,053
    Thank you for sharing!  Ordered the Banneton and will give this a try next weekend!
    Southlake, TX and Cowhouse Creek - King, TX.  2 Large, 1 Small and a lot of Eggcessories.
  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,727
    Very nice loaf!!

    I've been dabbling in bread and sourdough this year, and I live how it's such an organic, and dynamic process. Never thought I would have so much fun with it. 

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
  • Stormbringer
    Stormbringer Posts: 2,007
    edited August 2017
    caliking said:
    Very nice loaf!!

    I've been dabbling in bread and sourdough this year, and I live how it's such an organic, and dynamic process. Never thought I would have so much fun with it. 
    Thanks! And ... ^^ this.

    I think it's because with bread, no two loaves are the same and they are always tasty. OK sometimes they don't look great but does that matter? It's like waiting to find out what's behind the curtain sometimes when I open the lid on the casserole dish. :)
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    | Cooking and blogging with a Large and Minimax in deepest, darkest England-shire
    | My food blog ... BGE and other stuff ... http://www.thecooksdigest.co.uk
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------


  • tml1230
    tml1230 Posts: 237
    wOw! Just WOW.... I am so very impressed ....I keep trying ....but my end product looks like  a massive dog dropping sitting in the Florida humidity! I will continue the good fight till I get one like yours!
    Sarasota Fl. and  Lake Toxaway N.C. (and Novembers on the island of Kauai) (and April in France.... Don't hate on me for that)
    BGE  medium and minimax
    HOW  BOUT THEM GATORS !
  • Stormbringer
    Stormbringer Posts: 2,007
    edited August 2017
    tml1230 said:
    wOw! Just WOW.... I am so very impressed ....I keep trying ....but my end product looks like  a massive dog dropping sitting in the Florida humidity! I will continue the good fight till I get one like yours!
    @tml1230 I remember talking to someone in Saigon a couple of years ago about bread making there, they have the same problem, high heat and humidity. To get the rise needed for banh mi some of the bakers add in some vitamin C to their dough mix.

    Might also be worth checking this out:

    http://danangcuisine.com/banh-mi/recipe-86-banh-mi-vietnamese-baguette/

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    | Cooking and blogging with a Large and Minimax in deepest, darkest England-shire
    | My food blog ... BGE and other stuff ... http://www.thecooksdigest.co.uk
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------