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Forged iron Dutch ovens are as indispensable to house bread bakers as they’re to house cooks making braises and stews. The thick enamel pots are nice at retaining warmth to advertise good “oven spring” within the bread, and the tight-fitting lids entice moisture and contribute to a splendidly crackly crust.
However conventional Dutch ovens have some flaws when making bread. Particularly, the excessive sides, which get in the way in which of the bake. The favored Lodge Double Dutch solves this difficulty with a knob-less lid that pulls double-duty for bread baking. The rectangular Challenger Bread Pan provides an analogous format however provides strategically positioned handles on the lid and the power to accommodate loaves of bread in a wide range of sizes and styles.
What’s the Le Creuset Bread Oven?
Then. Then! Final March, Le Creuset launched its new Bread Oven. It’s made from the identical sturdy forged iron because the model’s iconic Dutch ovens and has a flat base and huge domed lid (identical to the upside-down Double Dutch and the Challenger Pan). The bread oven is dishwasher-safe, appropriate with all cooktops, and oven-safe as much as 500°F. As to be anticipated with all issues Le Creuset, it’s out there in additional than 15 (!!) fairly colours, together with its signature Flame.
What Makes Le Creuset’s Bread Oven So Nice
After utilizing the Bread Oven for months, I can inform you that the beautiful enamel doesn’t have an effect on the precise baking efficiency one bit. Nevertheless, I’m a agency believer within the energy of the pleasure that comes from utilizing handsome cookware. Generally simply taking a look at my favourite kitchen gear is sufficient to jump-start a craving and encourage me to spend a day cooking or baking. But when Le Creuset’s pot was all type and no operate, there’d be no level in utilizing it. Fortunately, that’s not the case right here.
I baked my common sourdough boule with the lid on for the primary a part of the bake as common, and the massive knob on high made it tremendous straightforward to carry the lid off with one hand — I like that! I made a couple of extra sourdough loaves they usually have been all distinctive — moist and chewy inside and tremendous crispy-crackly exterior, with a tad extra loft than common.
I additionally baked no-knead bread utilizing packaged yeast and was impressed, as soon as once more, by the ultra-crackly crust and moist crumb. After I used the bread oven to make a seedy whole-wheat loaf (which I normally bake on a baking sheet), it took on even higher shade and top, and turned out extra moist, too.
I appreciated that the low-profile base didn’t get in the way in which when transferring the formed dough to the preheated pot. Giving the inside of the pot a coat of black matte enamel was a stroke of genius. It does an amazing job of selling even browning, is nonstick, and doesn’t get stained like white enamel. This base will also be used as a grill pan for burgers, tofu, veggies, and extra, so the pan isn’t as single-use as its title would lead you to imagine.
The within of the bottom additionally encompasses a raised concentric circle design and “Le Creuset” spelled out backwards, in order that your loaf will get a enjoyable little branding because it’s baking.
Is the Le Creuset Bread Oven Value Shopping for?
Sure! There are solely two drawbacks that I may discover with the bread oven: It’s superb for spherical loaves and it’s an funding when not on sale. It’s positively a splurge — you’ll positively should spend slightly dough (sorry, needed to!). Nevertheless, it’s a stunning and versatile piece that helps ship high-quality bread and can seemingly encourage you to hold your sourdough starter alive for years to return.
What do you employ to bake bread? Inform us within the feedback beneath.