Hello, all –
My daughter is into ceramics and made me a cloche for Christmas. We’d talked a couple of cloche as soon as, so she took a stab at one. I find it irresistible. She’s planning one other iteration; the deal with, whereas lovely, isn’t ultimate for lifting the dome. Did a bit of considering and planning – made a loaf at present, with little or no to go on.
So, this cloche is ceramic (I am undecided the kind of clay, however can ask her). She wasn’t certain on how they’re often made, so she sort of eyeballed dimensions, and glazed in and out, together with the within of the dome/bell. Apparently threw the 2 items a couple of month aside; they match collectively completely. As I stated, the deal with is gorgeous, however not very sensible. Whereas I am wonderful along with her optimizing the design, I am in fact utilizing this one. I ended up getting some excessive warmth grill gloves (thanks, amazon) with good silicone nubbie protection. They grip the glaze nicely. Simply in case, although, I wished a backup. I planed down the sting of a 3/16″ piece of ash to sort of slip beneath the sting of the dome and elevate it. This labored, however it will solely elevate about 1/2″, then cease. I wanted one thing thinner to get beneath the lip. Tried each silicone spatula we’ve got. All too floppy. Tried a putty knife. Good, however too inflexible to truly get beneath. Lastly discovered an previous plastic pancake flipper sort spatula. Simply the precise mixture of skinny and versatile.
I made my commonplace dough, although with sort of a mish-mash of flours. However identical dimension as standard (yeasted, however with 100 g chilly 50:50 levain, so 550 g flour, 73% hydration). Chilly proofed in a single day. I/she wasn’t sue on most temp on this clay, so I attempted 450F. Cloche into chilly oven, heated to 450, let stabilize possibly half-hour, checked temp of the cloche with an IR gun. I turned the loaf out onto parchment; simpler for me to switch to the oven, and the parchment is skinny sufficient that I did not suspect it will impede the dome for sealing in moisture.
Did my standard routine for Dutch oven baking – half-hour lined, ~18-20 minutes uncovered, test, add time till darkened sufficient. After half-hour, took off the dome.
The dough had sprung a lot that it lifted the dome about 1/2″ off the bottom. Extra spring that I often get on this. As such, the scores did not open in any respect. Transferring ahead, will cut back my loaf dimension by about 100 g and see the place we’re.
Continued baking. Ended up about 26 minutes uncovered, which is about proper for 450F. Did not darken as a lot as I might have appreciated; I sort of suppose that is the impression of the dough being pressed in opposition to the dome. Smells great, crust is, nicely, crusty. Letting cool, then will likely be breaking into it.
So, the glaze is ok. I would not wish to bake in uncooked ceramic. The dough did not stick AT ALL to the dome, which I believe is a perform of sizzling, and a perform of glazed end. The ceramics survived the primary bake (oh, yeah – I eliminated the dome throughout the bake and left within the oven to keep away from any thermal shock from setting on something chilly in our 66F kitchen. After the bake, all the things is coming right down to room temp within the cooling oven.). The loaf has extra spring than I’ve ever gotten in forged iron. And, most significantly, my daughter made it for me. Superior.
I will not be dumping my forged iron (or pressed metal roaster) on market, however I am a convert!
Scott
