You probably know that I have got keen on baking bread - particularly the sourdough type. My skills have been gradually improving, but until recently I seldom seemed to be able to get a crisp crackly crust on a loaf, and that is despite using the time-honoured method of placing a roasting-tray full of ice-cubes in the oven as a way of generating steam. Now, a "gadget" has transformed my loaves.
As a Christmas present, Jane bought me a "La Cloche baking dome", available in the UK via Bakery Bits. In the words of the supplier "A La Cloche will give your bread the wood-fired oven treatment, trapping steam with the rising dough to give you a loaf with a beautifully golden, crackly crust and soft, evenly baked crumb." It does, too.
As you can see from the photo above, the La Cloche comes in two parts: a base and a dome. You put the whole thing in the cold oven and allow it to heat up as the oven heats. Then when the oven has come up to temperature you remove the La Cloche, tip your dough into the base unit, quickly cover it with the dome and return it to the oven. The dome is removed for the last 10 minutes of cooking time in order to let the loaf develop a nice golden-brown colour.
I am very pleased indeed with this item. I have used it several times already, and the result has been perfect bread each time. This is one gadget that I have no hesitation in recommending. It's not cheap, (£47.99), but if you are serious about bread-making it will soon earn its keep. The only disadvantage I can see is that it is quite bulky and takes a lot of storage-space.
Incidentally, some of my bread-making friends have told me that they use an inverted cast-iron Dutch Oven for the same purpose, but cast-iron is very heavy and a blazing hot Dutch Oven can be very dangerous to use!
there is a lot to be said for baking your own bread apart from the taste being superior there is the cost to consider we buy a lot of sourdough bread from supermarkets and it isnt cheap. That looks an excellent gizmo
ReplyDeleteIt looks an effective gadget but as you say storage space is always an issue especially in a kitchen as small as ours is.
ReplyDeleteBread looks beautiful! The idea of the baking dome is new to me but as the saying goes, you learn something new everyday.:)
ReplyDeleteWhat a tasty looking loaf of bread !
ReplyDeleteHow did you get those circle imprints, Mark ?
The imprints are made by the "banneton" (proving-basket), which is made of spiral-formed cane.
DeleteYour bread looks fantastic! We have used ours for 3-4 months and love the results we get. Happy baking!
ReplyDeleteKJ
Lovely bread. I use a cast iron dutch oven as you mentioned. Works great. Is the dome bread specific?
ReplyDeleteLovely bread. I use a cast iron dutch oven as you mentioned. Works great. Is the dome bread specific?
ReplyDeleteNo, I think you could cook other things with it too. I think I'll try using just the base part for cooking a pizza.
DeleteI showed the article to my neighbour few minutes ago. She corrected me because she has a similar one in her kitchen.
ReplyDeleteThe bread and the dome look lovely. I don't think storage would be a problem really with this as it would look gorgeous just sat out on the worktop, and it would inspire you to use it all the more if it is out on display ... well it would me :-)
ReplyDeleteSue, you don't know how small our kitchen is! Every inch of worktop space is valuable, so the gadgets have to live elsewhere.
DeleteBeautiful bread Mark! I recently got an oval clay baker that works like your La Cloche, and it has made some beautiful breads for me too. I can see some lovely breads in your future using the cloche!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous looking loaf, Mark - the 'gadget' obviously works! I now bake my dough in a tin for toasting bread and give the oven a generous spray of water when the dough goes in and this always gives a good crust. The cloche looks quite large so I'd have the same problem as you - storage!
ReplyDelete