Making the perfect loaf - tips for using our Baking Cloche
Whether you make your own daily bread, are an occasional baker, or you aspire to make the best possible loaf, our cloche is the perfect fit for range cooker bakers!
Its qualities both help protect your loaf, giving novice bakers reassurance and confidence in their bake. The cloche's heat retention, steam encouraging dome, and resilience to external heat make it the perfect choice for culinarian scientists, who take a more methodical approach towards their crust!
We asked Sarah Whitaker (The Cast Iron Lady)to give our cloche a whirl, and this is her feedback and advice -
"The cloche really makes a difference, especially with sourdough! Even a basic packet of white bread mix ( Sarah trialled this one ) comes out beautifully in it. I put it onto the floor of the oven to bake, so that I guarantee a really crisp crust underneath....Washes up easily too - so important!"
Here are her tips!
- Oil your dome and dust with semolina to make it even more non-stick and to add a delightful crunch to the bottom of your chosen loaf.
- If you are just starting out, get to know your oven and dome by "starting with a packet of mix so that it works perfectly first time, then they can graduate onto 'proper' bread with confidence"
- Do your second prove on the base of the dome.
- Place your dome on the base of the roasting oven.
- Relax, and enjoy!
Why we think that it is top notch - the tech bit!
- The cloche is made in the UK using traditional methods
- The bell dome retains the steam and improves the crust on all loaves, particularly sourdough, making it golden and crackly. The 'crumb' is also lighter.
- The spun cast iron is particularly resilient against high temperatures, lending itself to the variances of range cooking. It will shield your loaf. Safe up to 300 ℃ - Scorchio!
- The tray can be used to serve your loaf, although do not cut against it! It is a beautiful item in its own right.
- It is easy to look after, with a gentle hand wash, a swift dry and re-seasoning.
- The tray can be used to bake pizza separately too! Great for an even fast cook to your pizza base if you pre-warm it!
- It is a beauty - although big to store - it is so well designed that it is not an eyesore in the kitchen if you have to display it.
We will be working on the perfect bread recipe for your cloche, watch this space!