Who is Baking Bread in a Ceramic Cooker?

[TedW]

I've seen a couple of articles / videos describing baking bread in a ceramic cooker like the BGE. I assume there's a classic bread thread here somewhere, but a search didn't reveal one.

Does anyone remember a recent bread thread?

Thanks :thumb:

 

[lunchman]

Over on the Big Steel Keg forum, we recently concluded a Bread Throwdown which had a ton of entrants, obviously all baked on either the Bubba Keg or Big Steel Keg. I prefer to bake my bread using the Jim Lahey ("My Bread Book") no-knead cast iron Dutch Oven method, and it turns out fantastic. Here's a link to the video on the web -

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real...-No-Knead-Dutch-Oven-Crusty-Bread.aspx?page=2

I've bought the book and highly recommend it, though I also adapt many other bread recipes I find to the CI Dutch oven method. Here are some pics of breads I've made, all out on the Keg or the Cypress -

Pain de Provence -

Sun Dried Tomato Asiago Cheese -

Irish Brown Bread -

Basic no-knead bread -

I've probably baked 2 to 3 dozen loaves of bread out on the grills in the CI Dutch oven and they've all turned out wonderful. You can also bake on a pizza stone as others did in the throwdown, but I don't have any experience doing so.

Give it a try, it's a lot of fun!

-lunchman

 

[h20loo]

I have baked bread, buns and garlic bread but I only have a picture of a pie. I don't do bread on my BGE anymore as I prefer a clean grease free environment so I will only use a new drum if I have one ready to go.Brethren "Ross in Ventura" has some posts that you would enjoy.

 

[TedW]

Thanks all!. Lunchman that is some good looking bread. Wow! Not sure I'd need the cast iron, as the Egg has all that ceramic mass.

h20loo I searched Ross' posts. On page three with no baking stuff yet, but I'm still looking.

Thanks!

 

[lunchman]

Thanks! The CI Dutch oven adds moisture as it bakes for the first 30 minutes when the lid is on according to Jim Lahey. His Dutch oven method and recipes are originally intended for a conventional kitchen oven. Since I've got both a Keg and a ceramic, I simply decided to try his method out on the grill. I use the BGE platesetter legs up and try to get my temps around 400-475. There isn't much I haven't tried out on the grills, the kitchen oven gets very little use these days. :becky:

Others on the keg forum bake bread on a pizza stone and it turns out equally well. The throwdown over there had some fantastic looking entries.

 

[TedW]

A lid for steaming... Makes sense. YouTube - ARTISAN BREAD ON THE BIG GREEN EGG PT 2 about 5:55 into this video this guy is steaming the bread a bit with an ad-hoc contraption. I've seen ohers use a ceramic pan & lid for the same effect.

 

[swibirun]

My wife uses her Large to bake, which is why she won't let me near it with butts or ribs, that mean lady! (She's seen how dirty my large egg is!)

Here's the basic bread she does, turns out good on the egg:
http://www.nibblemethis.com/2010/09/country-white-bread.html

Slider buns
http://www.nibblemethis.com/2010/10/asian-pork-tenderloin-sliders.html

She kind of took a break over winter but now that warmer weather is here, I look forward to her baking on the Egg again.

 

[TedW]

mmmmmmm.....

 

[Mitch]

Hint. Adding a water pan greatly improves the crust.

 

[TedW]

Hi Mitch. Yes that's what the fellow in the video was doing. A pan of water (some use ice I guess) and be tad a foil turkey pan over it all to steam. The one weakness a ceramic grill appears to have is the fact that your steam all leaves quickly through the top vent. So some means is needed to hold the steam. Do you find that's the case?