A question about a recipe: Sensory overload, AKA: homage to Eataly Bread

I have a question about step 5 on the recipe "Sensory overload, AKA: homage to Eataly Bread" from TiggyBee. It says:

"In a dutch oven, (I used my le creuset), place the dough in it and bake for 30 minutes, covered. (don't worry about the shape, it'll look rustic) After 30 minutes, uncover and bake for an additional 20 minutes or so. After uncovered, optional egg wash will heighten the browning on top. If not, it'll still brown and be just as delicious!" Hi, I have a couple of questions regarding this step. 1.Does the creuset need to be greased? 2. Does creuset need to be heated in the oven beforehand? Thanks

Franca
  • Posted by: Franca
  • March 21, 2011
  • 2738 views
  • 4 Comments
Sensory overload, AKA: homage to Eataly Bread
Recipe question for: Sensory overload, AKA: homage to Eataly Bread

4 Comments

Aimless
Aimless March 22, 2011
Cook's Illustrated suggests (in similar No-Knead bread recipe) that in step four, you let the dough rise on top of a sheet of parchment paper that you've sprayed lightly with non-stick spray. Then when you're ready to put it in the hot dutch oven, just lift it by the parchment paper and drop it in. Bake it with the paper and all, no worries. This technique would catch the eggy drips too, methinks.
 
Franca
Franca March 21, 2011
Thanks very much!
 
TiggyBee
TiggyBee March 21, 2011
Thanks littleknitter! I'm going to correct the recipe right now, because I left that out. I actually heated my Le Creueset stove top before placing the bread in it and didn't grease the pan at all. No sticking problem at all!
 
littleknitter
littleknitter March 21, 2011
I've made a similar bread in my Le Creuset and I never grease it - turns out just fine! If you want to, you can sprinkle a little cornmeal in the bottom to guarantee that it won't stick, but I've never had a problem.

You definitely DO need to preheat the dutch oven or else the bread won't turn out correctly - the preheated dutch oven needs to be as hot as the oven surrounding it so that it closely mimics an old-fashioned bread oven. If you don't heat it up beforehand, it will not only take way longer to cook (because you are effectively putting it in a cold oven) but the air pockets won't inflate properly and the bread will be flat and dense.
 
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