Before you start worrying about terra cotta bakers, or replacing stoves, it is important that you read (and, if possible, own):

"The Bread Baker's Apprentice," by Peter Reinhart.
"Local Breads," by Dan Leader.

While there are numerous others dealing with artisan bread baking, these two will serve as instructors for you into the whole world of delayed and retarded fermentation; steam injection (and it's home equivilent), hearth-style baking, etc.

If nothing else, until you're familiar with the techniques and methods they discuss, you can't really do whole-grain breads successfully.

You'll also discover the reasons for things like steam-injection, and can then decide whether spritizing is something you want to do, facing the negligible risk of stove-damage.

The point is, knowing how bread happens allows you to make informed decisions about the steps you will and will not take.

A lot of this, of course, goes way beyond throwing some flour, salt, yeast and water in a bowl, then popping it in the oven after shaping and a short rise (yes, 1-2 hours is considered short). For instance, cooling on the rack now, calling me to break-off a piece, are two loaves of Reinhart's Pane Siciliano---a wonderful bread made with semolina flour.




Sorry for the pause. I couln't resist, and am chewing a piece even as we speak.

To get to this point I started three days ago, when I mixed the pre-ferment and let it sit overnight. Yesterday I made the main dough, let it proof, shaped the loaves, and let them sit in the fridge overnight. This morning I baked the bread.

Not everyone is willing to go through this sort of thing. But once you do, and discover the incredible difference artisan baking makes, the trip is worthwhile.

Thank you so much, I know I do have to get that book ASAP! You've mentioned it before and I simply get side tracked, alot going on around here! But thanks loads for the reminder I need a nudge right now!

One of our new members Lizgirl was speaking of her possibly having an allergy to wheat, and I was thinking maybe she can experiment with for instance semolina flour and see if there is any improvement. So since you mentioned the Reinhart's Pane Siciliano just now I am excited to share this with her, just in hopes it will help her out!

Thanks a million, Cathy

Well, I am not sure about something like that, but I do use something similar for cooking my bead...I used a Mario Batali dutch oven for cooking my bread....the thing that it does for bread is amazing. Make the bread slightly more watery than you normally would and cook it covered at 450 for 20 minutes and then uncovered at 395 for 15....this allows the water in the bread to steam the crust....which is what gives the crust that amazing texture and leaves the inside moist and soft....works GREAT!.

Thank you George and welcome to our Forum.
I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do!!!

CCCathy

Thanks! I am sure I will as I love talking food and cooking, and especially breads! I love bread and I love cooking bread...

If you ever need a dutch oven I would seriously give my method a try....I have tried everything in the past to get my crust perfect...I tried spraying water in the oven, I tried throwing ice cubes on the floor of the over and nothing ever worked till I the dutch oven.