La Cloche preheating question

Baking Tools
1

I just did a bit of an experiment with a sourdough, a non-scientific comparison of using a La Cloche (Sassafras brand) vs a baking stone.
It was the KA Extra-Tangy sourdough. All steps the same up until dividing/shaping the dough. I shaped one half and put it on parchment, then on the La Cloche bottom, and the other was on parchment and on a baking sheet. Proofed both for about an hour and a quarter, until an impression didn’t quite spring back so quickly, then the baking sheet loaf was put in the fridge–the goal here was so that, since I can only put one in the oven at a time (due to the size of the covered baker) I didn’t want the second loaf to overproof.

Total proofing time was a little over 2 hours, checking for indentation more than just by-the-clock. The oven had preheated to 425 with the Cloche top inside–I’d kept the bottom out based on the info on the company’s website, which seem based on a thermal shock concern. Hot lid was placed on the bottom, and all went in the oven.

I removed the lid after 15 minutes. Normal total cooking time (from the recipe and prior experience) is about 25 minnutes. But internal temp (Thermapen) was still too low after 30 minutes; I didn’t quite get an accurate time reading (I kept checking every few minutes) but it was close to 35.

I took the bread out and put on a rack to cool. I’d also had a Fibrament baking stone in the oven the whole time, on a rack below the Cloche, and I switched it to a higher slot and put the other rack below it with a cast iron pan. I waited a bit, mainly for the dough to pass the depression test, and put it in along with hot water for the pan.

Here are the results (the dough was likely not split precisely in half):

bread_experiment
bread_experiment1723×2567 779 KB

The Fibrament loaf had better oven spring, (not surprising); what was surprising was how pale the cloche loaf’s bottom was, despite the much greater cooking time.

In the future, I don’t see why I’d bake like this, with the unheated bottom. I do have cast iron Dutch ovens to use, but is there a significant thermal shock issue with a hot clay bottom and room temp dough?

2

Nothing?

3

I’m sorry. Would like to help but don’t bake in a La Cloche. Hope someone who does sees this and chimes in.

4

I haven’t heard of leaving the base of a clay baker out during the preheat. I’m pretty sure that’s why the base of that bread is so pale.

I have Breadtopia’s clay bakers (a few shapes) and I preheat them to 500F and load refrigerator-cold dough onto them with a layer of parchment in between (more for ease of transfer than thermal shock concern).

I do make sure not to place the 500F clay on my cold granite countertops – dish towel in between – or I put them on my stove grates.

5

Sorry for replying so late.

I bake regularly with a La Cloche for my boule-shaped loaves. I always pre-heat the entire thing for about one hour in an oven set to 450°. I used to pre-heat to 500°, but I have better oven spring at 450°. I never had any problem with the La Cloche at either temperature.

I would not expect any damage due to thermal shock, if the baker is put into a cold oven to preheat. I have put loaves, directly from my fridge, onto the pre-heated baker bottom with no problem, either. I would think that putting the room temperature baker bottom into a hot over might be more likely to result in thermal shock.

I use the Breadtopia clay baker for my batard-shaped bread and I also pre-heat that to 450° and put cold dough into them without incident.