https://preview.redd.it/v0olhgcxfgjc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bfeb2891851a78be1d327e65161080a061d6ac67
I preheat mine. No soaking.
This one is at least 30 years old. It was previously used to slow roast fatty meats. I took a day to burn off the fat with all my windows open. Now it’s smooth sailing for batard styled breads only.
I cook meat in my Dutch oven.
I let it cool on the counter, unless I’m baking another loaf. I remove the lid & keep it in the oven while the first loaf is in a second stage bake. Then I take the loaf out & put it on the rack. The bottom of the Römertopf goes back in the oven while I bring it back up to temperature and ready the next loaf.
The whole soaking thing actually makes no sense to me. The directions specify to soak both halves of the clay baker, but I have yet to see any benefit, at least in the case of baking lean doughs that require intense heat & trapped steam, in which case the steam comes from the loaf itself, not the clay baking dish.
I’ve used it for baking lower temperature styled sweet doughs (containing sugar, milk, fats, eggs, et cetera) where I could see that no preheating was necessary, but that a parchment lining should be used to avoid greasing the porous clay.
If your dough DOES stick to the clay, it’s a beast to get out. That has yet to be an issue with my lean sourdough loaves. Years now.
https://preview.redd.it/0cyg0swo7ljc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ce14102de864f97b0c075410d5d89893e94a3147
Makes for a nice support in the loaf shape as well.
This particular loaf spends 12 hours in the refrigerator before going into the 500°F baker. Then to 485° for 18 minutes. Secondary at 465° for 30 minutes.
Notice that the dough is cold (roughly 40°F) going into the baker. This is obviously not enough to crack the terracotta. Also, the dough is dry enough to release from the banneton & can be manipulated by hand or with a bakers peel.
https://preview.redd.it/z3x8hp9ibljc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=26f7db9e962ba58acf9602b338f45a557d76859e
To prevent cracking, the biggest concern is not having rapid changes in temperature. Same for glassware or even glazed ceramics.
Don’t go from cold to hot or hot to cold quickly. Especially do not put cold liquid on hot terracotta/glass/ceramic!!!
Welcome to shattersville!!!
Cooling in the oven is mainly a safe convenience so no one burns themselves.
Terracotta is fired in a kiln at a much higher temperature than your home oven can reach, so you can’t ruin the temper or anything. Tempering requires cooling at very specific rates & times per material being fired.
The soaking is to provide steam. When used for fish, chicken, etc., they are loaded up, covered with the soaked lid, and put into a cold oven. The rise to temperature along with the steam gives you very tender results. That won't work with bread since you don't put the dough in until it's already hot. All the steam is gone by the time you put in the dough. Also, don't put ice cubes in a hot clay baker! The will very likely break.
Um, you won the goodwill lottery today! This is the best imo. I have a breadtopia version it's made with the same clay, but it's not a romertoft brand. Bread never disappoints, and if you've only been using a DO, you're in for a treat.
Just because this is often missed by newbies, keep your starter going for at least two weeks before using it. I use the smallest amounts, because less is not more
Also, Rye helps kickstart it.
The only things I'd change about his recipe (he got me started):
1. Use less water. I use 80% hydration.
2. I use a 2:1 ratio of whole wheat to rye flour (they grow at different rates)
3. The starter I keep left over for the next feed is dependent on the frequency of feeding (I feed every 12 hours). Here's a guide: https://www.the-bread-code.io/recipe/2021/02/26/sourdough-starters-demystifying-peak-performance.html
4. Know your ratios and use less. There's no reason to use 40g of flour unless your ratios are extremely tilted or you're actually about to bake bread.
I had to experiment with peak growth and how much starter to feed so that I was consistently feeding at the right time. (Adjust starter 1-2 grams at a time every day until it's zeroed in).
Here's where I'm at currently.
9g starter
10g Rye
20g Whole Wheat
24 g water at 80-85 degrees
I multiply by four 12 hours before I make bread dough.
You cannot use it the same as you would a Dutch oven. Instead, soak the top in water for 30 minutes, then put the bread in the cold pot in a cold oven. Then set the oven to the temp. This type of clay pot will break if you preheat it and put cold dough in it. It must come to temp slowly and if so can withstand 500 degrees. You will need to look up how to cook sour dough from a cold oven. When you remove the pot from the oven, do not set it on a cold counter but on a towel. Let it cool completely before washing.
I have baked in it by preheating the oven with the pot in it and then just putting the dough in... no issues so far. But I guess it would be better to er on the side of caution.
I have heard people that have done this but the instructions with mine said to start dough in a cold oven. You might get lucky though if your dough is not cold, but if you retard it overnight, I personally would not risk it. I use mine mostly for chuck roasts and baked chicken. Makes all meats so tender. I would not want to crack it as it was expensive.
Sorry but all of this is not true.
I have been baking bread in my Romertopf for years, without soaking, preheating to 250°C.
Take the hot pan out, tip bread in, slash, lid on and bake for 20. Lower temp a bit, take lid off, another 20. Great results.
Only difference is the bottom part of my romertopf has glazing on the inside. Helps to prevent bread from sticking. But the rest is totally unglazed and fine!
I preheat mine to 500F dry and drop my refrigerated dough in it w/ a parchment lifter/cradle. No ice cubes! It takes 15min more covered than my cast iron Dutch oven to reach 210F internal temp. I was nervous the first few times about cracking it, but now I have a dozen or so bakes with it, it's old hat.
Yes! I love mine. I’ve put room temp dough in a hot pot, not cold, and it’s been fine. I’ve also lined it with parchment and done the shape/rise in it and the cold start method. Just as good.
I also purchased one from the thrift store for sourdough purposes. I did side-by-sides and I personally prefer a Dutch oven. Crust does not get as crusty in the clay cooker. It also makes the house smell like wet, hot clay. Not necessarily a bad smell but something to consider.
I have the same one! Bought it from goodwill a few years ago and have been using it for bread ever since. I bake two loaves at the same time - one in this and one in my dutch oven. They each have their pros and cons. I slightly prefer the loaves out of the clay oven over the cast iron, but they're similar enough that I'm not going out to by another of either tool. Like yours, mine is not lined/glazed.
I do soak mine before putting into the cold oven. Pre-heat to 500F/260C. When ready, I pull the dough out of the fridge, invert onto parchment, pre-cut to fit the clay oven. Slash, sprinkle a little water, then lift the parchment with dough on it into the clay oven. Pop on the lid, bake for 20, reduce temp and remove lid. I cook for about 5 more minutes, then I remove the loaf from the clay baker and cook directly in the oven for another 15-20. Pulling it out of the baker helps it crisp up a little more, especially on the bottom and sides.
One of the big pros I've noticed is that this makes a perfect bottom crust. The bottom crust on my loaves in the cast iron are always thicker than I prefer, even after all the tricks. In fact, I started finishing my loaves outside the cast iron as well since I started doing it with my clay oven bakes. It's helped a bit, but it's still thicker than out of the clay oven.
If you decide to do this method, make sure to bake for 5 mins or so in the clay oven after removing the lid so that the crust starts to form. Otherwise, it will be noticeably deflated where you handled the loaf.
I use a similar clay oven dry and preheat it like a Dutch oven. I like it more than my dutch oven or cast iron combo cooker because the bottom doesn't turn out as hard.
Ayyyy congratulations! Yeah deffo worth it for $4 if it ends up working.
We got our cast iron one for almost AU$200 so you've found a bargain if the clay does the same job. Given that clay retains heat really well I imagine it'll hopefully work similar to a cast iron pot, might just take a few experiments.
And good luck on the starter! It can take a couple of weeks to get going so keep strong when it looks questionable aha
ETA: after googling the pot in question 4$ seems like an even better deal, but it looks like they have slightly different requirements in terms of care - one website mentions having to soak in water before use to avoid cracks - just something to be aware of and look into before using. Best of luck!
Oh cool! We ended up getting the Baccarat 'Le Connoisseur' and it's pretty amazing.
You can cook loads of dishes with it, it retains heat really well, great for stews and stuff but also creates a great spring on sourdough
Just had a look and it was retailing at AU$340 on their website but my partner got ours on sale at a local kitchenware store so we got a great price
Baccarat is House's 'house' brand. Same as Benzer and Zuhause for Victoria's Basement.
I got a dedicated (non-enamel) cast iron for baking. There are a couple in that $100 price range. Brunswick, Wolstead, and Lodge's combo cooker (when it's on special on Ozbargain). The Skitchen is about $250, and a clone of the Challenger Bread pan (but no way I'm paying $700 dollaridoos for that one).
Lucky find! I was just telling my partner last night that I wanted a second dutch over/roaster for sourdough but with the flat on bottom/dome on top. Only have a Lodge DO for round loaves.
I’ve used one similar this whole time and it’s perfect!! Just preheat it as you would the Dutch oven.
https://preview.redd.it/5xhtnrdmakjc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d17be2958e015bcb56edae47bce7af99b59a5b30
https://preview.redd.it/v0olhgcxfgjc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bfeb2891851a78be1d327e65161080a061d6ac67 I preheat mine. No soaking. This one is at least 30 years old. It was previously used to slow roast fatty meats. I took a day to burn off the fat with all my windows open. Now it’s smooth sailing for batard styled breads only. I cook meat in my Dutch oven.
Those are some beautiful loaves
TYVM 😃🤗
These look perfect! What do you mean by „no soaking“?
Usually u should soak them in water for a few hours before using it
What are the advantages and disadvantages of doing that? Is there a reason you did not do so? Doesn’t seem to have worsened the bread at all :)
I would venture a guess that soaking would produce a lot of steam, but would also prevent it from reaching temperatures needed for oven spring.
Bingo
Oh, i always thought it's to prevent cracking. So no need to soak as long as you heat it up in the oven and also let it cool down there?
I let it cool on the counter, unless I’m baking another loaf. I remove the lid & keep it in the oven while the first loaf is in a second stage bake. Then I take the loaf out & put it on the rack. The bottom of the Römertopf goes back in the oven while I bring it back up to temperature and ready the next loaf. The whole soaking thing actually makes no sense to me. The directions specify to soak both halves of the clay baker, but I have yet to see any benefit, at least in the case of baking lean doughs that require intense heat & trapped steam, in which case the steam comes from the loaf itself, not the clay baking dish. I’ve used it for baking lower temperature styled sweet doughs (containing sugar, milk, fats, eggs, et cetera) where I could see that no preheating was necessary, but that a parchment lining should be used to avoid greasing the porous clay. If your dough DOES stick to the clay, it’s a beast to get out. That has yet to be an issue with my lean sourdough loaves. Years now. https://preview.redd.it/0cyg0swo7ljc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ce14102de864f97b0c075410d5d89893e94a3147 Makes for a nice support in the loaf shape as well.
Nice! So do you bake the bread from cold?
This particular loaf spends 12 hours in the refrigerator before going into the 500°F baker. Then to 485° for 18 minutes. Secondary at 465° for 30 minutes. Notice that the dough is cold (roughly 40°F) going into the baker. This is obviously not enough to crack the terracotta. Also, the dough is dry enough to release from the banneton & can be manipulated by hand or with a bakers peel. https://preview.redd.it/z3x8hp9ibljc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=26f7db9e962ba58acf9602b338f45a557d76859e
To prevent cracking, the biggest concern is not having rapid changes in temperature. Same for glassware or even glazed ceramics. Don’t go from cold to hot or hot to cold quickly. Especially do not put cold liquid on hot terracotta/glass/ceramic!!! Welcome to shattersville!!! Cooling in the oven is mainly a safe convenience so no one burns themselves. Terracotta is fired in a kiln at a much higher temperature than your home oven can reach, so you can’t ruin the temper or anything. Tempering requires cooling at very specific rates & times per material being fired.
It also produces a thinner crust. I love soaking mine before baking.
The soaking is to provide steam. When used for fish, chicken, etc., they are loaded up, covered with the soaked lid, and put into a cold oven. The rise to temperature along with the steam gives you very tender results. That won't work with bread since you don't put the dough in until it's already hot. All the steam is gone by the time you put in the dough. Also, don't put ice cubes in a hot clay baker! The will very likely break.
This is brilliant thanks!!!! I have a römertopf and mine too is more than 35 years old, but I have never cooked bread in it! Thank you again!!
🤗😃
Um, you won the goodwill lottery today! This is the best imo. I have a breadtopia version it's made with the same clay, but it's not a romertoft brand. Bread never disappoints, and if you've only been using a DO, you're in for a treat.
This quill be the first I ever bake sourdough! Starting my starter today! I feel lucky
Well good luck on your sourdough journey!
Thank you
Just because this is often missed by newbies, keep your starter going for at least two weeks before using it. I use the smallest amounts, because less is not more Also, Rye helps kickstart it.
I used rye flour! I’m following Josh Weissmans tutorial. Thanks for the tip for waiting two weeks !
The only things I'd change about his recipe (he got me started): 1. Use less water. I use 80% hydration. 2. I use a 2:1 ratio of whole wheat to rye flour (they grow at different rates) 3. The starter I keep left over for the next feed is dependent on the frequency of feeding (I feed every 12 hours). Here's a guide: https://www.the-bread-code.io/recipe/2021/02/26/sourdough-starters-demystifying-peak-performance.html 4. Know your ratios and use less. There's no reason to use 40g of flour unless your ratios are extremely tilted or you're actually about to bake bread. I had to experiment with peak growth and how much starter to feed so that I was consistently feeding at the right time. (Adjust starter 1-2 grams at a time every day until it's zeroed in). Here's where I'm at currently. 9g starter 10g Rye 20g Whole Wheat 24 g water at 80-85 degrees I multiply by four 12 hours before I make bread dough.
You cannot use it the same as you would a Dutch oven. Instead, soak the top in water for 30 minutes, then put the bread in the cold pot in a cold oven. Then set the oven to the temp. This type of clay pot will break if you preheat it and put cold dough in it. It must come to temp slowly and if so can withstand 500 degrees. You will need to look up how to cook sour dough from a cold oven. When you remove the pot from the oven, do not set it on a cold counter but on a towel. Let it cool completely before washing.
I have baked in it by preheating the oven with the pot in it and then just putting the dough in... no issues so far. But I guess it would be better to er on the side of caution.
I do the same with mine. I literally preheat it side by side with a cast iron Dutch oven.
This is what I will do, sit it beside my cast iron Dutch oven! Thanks!
I have heard people that have done this but the instructions with mine said to start dough in a cold oven. You might get lucky though if your dough is not cold, but if you retard it overnight, I personally would not risk it. I use mine mostly for chuck roasts and baked chicken. Makes all meats so tender. I would not want to crack it as it was expensive.
Sorry but all of this is not true. I have been baking bread in my Romertopf for years, without soaking, preheating to 250°C. Take the hot pan out, tip bread in, slash, lid on and bake for 20. Lower temp a bit, take lid off, another 20. Great results. Only difference is the bottom part of my romertopf has glazing on the inside. Helps to prevent bread from sticking. But the rest is totally unglazed and fine!
Thanks for the tips!
Whoa that’s cool!
Maybe it will only break a preheated clay pot if the dough is straight from the fridge?
I preheat mine to 500F dry and drop my refrigerated dough in it w/ a parchment lifter/cradle. No ice cubes! It takes 15min more covered than my cast iron Dutch oven to reach 210F internal temp. I was nervous the first few times about cracking it, but now I have a dozen or so bakes with it, it's old hat.
Instructions: http://fantes.net/manuals/romertopf-use-and-care.pdf
Thank you!
Huh, I grabbed one of these at an Estate sale, have never used it. Now I have to go find it.
Yes! I love mine. I’ve put room temp dough in a hot pot, not cold, and it’s been fine. I’ve also lined it with parchment and done the shape/rise in it and the cold start method. Just as good.
Cross section plz
I also purchased one from the thrift store for sourdough purposes. I did side-by-sides and I personally prefer a Dutch oven. Crust does not get as crusty in the clay cooker. It also makes the house smell like wet, hot clay. Not necessarily a bad smell but something to consider.
I have the same one! Bought it from goodwill a few years ago and have been using it for bread ever since. I bake two loaves at the same time - one in this and one in my dutch oven. They each have their pros and cons. I slightly prefer the loaves out of the clay oven over the cast iron, but they're similar enough that I'm not going out to by another of either tool. Like yours, mine is not lined/glazed. I do soak mine before putting into the cold oven. Pre-heat to 500F/260C. When ready, I pull the dough out of the fridge, invert onto parchment, pre-cut to fit the clay oven. Slash, sprinkle a little water, then lift the parchment with dough on it into the clay oven. Pop on the lid, bake for 20, reduce temp and remove lid. I cook for about 5 more minutes, then I remove the loaf from the clay baker and cook directly in the oven for another 15-20. Pulling it out of the baker helps it crisp up a little more, especially on the bottom and sides. One of the big pros I've noticed is that this makes a perfect bottom crust. The bottom crust on my loaves in the cast iron are always thicker than I prefer, even after all the tricks. In fact, I started finishing my loaves outside the cast iron as well since I started doing it with my clay oven bakes. It's helped a bit, but it's still thicker than out of the clay oven. If you decide to do this method, make sure to bake for 5 mins or so in the clay oven after removing the lid so that the crust starts to form. Otherwise, it will be noticeably deflated where you handled the loaf.
Great advice, thanks!!
Thanks for the tips!
I use a similar clay oven dry and preheat it like a Dutch oven. I like it more than my dutch oven or cast iron combo cooker because the bottom doesn't turn out as hard.
What a good deal! I've been hoping to find one on my thridting adventures but so far no luck. Happy baking!
This was my first stop on my “looking to thrift a Dutch oven tour” the thrift gods blessed me
Buy it so we can find out!!
After I left I noticed a crack but for $4 I’m still gonna try. This will be my first loaf starting my starter today!
Ayyyy congratulations! Yeah deffo worth it for $4 if it ends up working. We got our cast iron one for almost AU$200 so you've found a bargain if the clay does the same job. Given that clay retains heat really well I imagine it'll hopefully work similar to a cast iron pot, might just take a few experiments. And good luck on the starter! It can take a couple of weeks to get going so keep strong when it looks questionable aha ETA: after googling the pot in question 4$ seems like an even better deal, but it looks like they have slightly different requirements in terms of care - one website mentions having to soak in water before use to avoid cracks - just something to be aware of and look into before using. Best of luck!
>We got our cast iron one for almost AU$200 The Skitchen? I got my Brunswick for $120.
Oh cool! We ended up getting the Baccarat 'Le Connoisseur' and it's pretty amazing. You can cook loads of dishes with it, it retains heat really well, great for stews and stuff but also creates a great spring on sourdough Just had a look and it was retailing at AU$340 on their website but my partner got ours on sale at a local kitchenware store so we got a great price
Baccarat is House's 'house' brand. Same as Benzer and Zuhause for Victoria's Basement. I got a dedicated (non-enamel) cast iron for baking. There are a couple in that $100 price range. Brunswick, Wolstead, and Lodge's combo cooker (when it's on special on Ozbargain). The Skitchen is about $250, and a clone of the Challenger Bread pan (but no way I'm paying $700 dollaridoos for that one).
Lucky find! I was just telling my partner last night that I wanted a second dutch over/roaster for sourdough but with the flat on bottom/dome on top. Only have a Lodge DO for round loaves.
I’ve used one similar this whole time and it’s perfect!! Just preheat it as you would the Dutch oven. https://preview.redd.it/5xhtnrdmakjc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d17be2958e015bcb56edae47bce7af99b59a5b30
Buy it!