Why do you warm a Dutch oven up before baking bread?

Why do you warm a Dutch oven up before baking bread? - Baked Food Close-up Photography

I want to attempt to make bread in my Dutch oven. Most of the recipes that I have found say to warm your Dutch oven up before putting the dough in. I have found a few recipes that say you don't have to warm it up first. Why should you warm it up first, and will it make a big difference in the bread? And what breads are best for baking in a Dutch oven?



Best Answer

The point is you are actually using the dutch oven as the oven itself here--so you warm the dutch oven for the same reason that you would pre-heat your conventional oven: you want the bread to immediately go into the hot oven, instead of slowly raising the temperature.

With a hot dutch oven, you get the "oven spring" that you would get from putting the loaf into a hot oven, and the dutch oven traps the steam that the bread gives off, so it helps keep the crust soft while the bread expands. This is a great way to bake bread at home in ovens that don't have steam injection.




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Why do you warm a Dutch oven up before baking bread? - Black Tray with Croissants Inside the Oven



Do you need to preheat Dutch oven before baking bread?

You should preheat the Dutch oven before cooking your bread. Placing the dough in a scorching hot pan with the lid on top will provide the best environment for your bread to achieve a beautiful rise and that glorious crackly crust.

Should I Preheat cast iron Dutch oven for bread?

You need to preheat the cast-iron Dutch oven for around 30 minutes to ensure you get a decent accumulation of steam when you put the dough inside the pot. This is why it's a good idea to start preheating the pot around 30 minutes before the rising dough is ready for baking.

Is it OK to preheat an empty Dutch oven?

In almost all cases, manufacturers of Dutch ovens will tell you that you should not heat an empty vessel. The reason for this is that the porcelain enamel can crack on the inside. This is a real risk. Examples of when this does happen, a cold Dutch oven has been placed into a preheated oven.

Do you have to preheat Dutch oven for sourdough bread?

You want the Dutch oven to preheat for 30 minutes before baking your bread. The reason a Dutch oven works so well for baking sourdough is that it mimics commercial steam ovens. It traps the steam while the dough bakes, creating a beautiful crust.



Hot or Cold Dutch Oven? (Which is best when baking bread?)




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Images: Jonathan Borba, Felicity Tai, Felicity Tai, ready made