I have never used a clay baker before and I am trying to decide which one to buy. Breadtopia clay baker batard vs the cloche oblong in the usa made or breadtopia version. I want to buy USA made but they only make the cloche long baker. I dont want anything too narrow or less than a normal size bread loaf for toasting bread.
any tips would be helpful
I don’t know if this photo helps but here are a couple of loaves I just baked in the Breadtopia batard and oblong bakers. Same dough weight went into each.
From a slightly smaller loaf, here are some oblong slices on a dinner plate.
thank you so much very helpful. so which one do you find yourself using more? The batard looks huge . I am mainly using it for toasting breakfast bread. Have you had any issues with rocking or poor fit of the cover? thanks again
I use them both at the same time a lot. I have one friend whom I gift bread to almost weekly and she prefers the oblong shape, because more slices are the same size. But others prefer the batard because there’s more tender bread interior vs crust. A better surface to score or stencil if you’re into doing that too.
Both my lids rock a bit and are probably not fully airtight, but the bakers have always worked fantastic and I think this is normal. Edited: Maybe “rock” isn’t the right term – the lids don’t click into place, they can slide a bit while closed.
Here’s a pic of them in action, after the lids came off around 25 minutes (with some roasting cauliflower lol)
thank you such helpful information I think I will start with the batard . Looks like you use parchment. Do you use a proofing basket? liner or no liner just parchemnt?
thanks again I am so new at this. Still trying to get the perfect loaf.
Glad to help! I always use a proofing basket and usually use the liner, but sometimes I put the dough directly into the floured rattan (makes neat stripes).
Let the basket/liner dry completely before you store it and you won’t have to wash it more than 1-2x a year, basically if big chunks of dough are stuck on it, or colorful ooze from dried fruit. The seasoning of the basket and/or liner with layers of flour is helpful in preventing sticking.
Parchment paper doesn’t come into the picture for me until the last minute, when I flip the dough out of the basket on to the paper, and take a little time to score it.
Here are some videos of that:
And here’s the usage and care guide for the clay bakers with even more info:
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@sckmommdbaker I have the Breadtopia batard covered clay baker and I totally love it! In fact, it’s the one and only “bread pan” I have so I use it exclusively to bake all my breads. It’s been wonderful. I know you’ll love using yours.
Baking blessings,
Leah
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