My sourdoughBoule (half whole wheat/half all purpose flour) was stick completely to the bottom of my clay Breadtopia cloche when I removed it from the one. What makes dough stick to a fully pre-heated clay cloche? The entire bottom stuck when I finally was able to pry the rest of the boule out of the cloche. I followed all of Eric’s steps in the no-knead video. At the end of the proofing period the dough seemed a bit moister and more stretchy than normal. Is that the problem? It was also warmer and probably more humid for the proofing than my previous baking days. Could over pre-heating cause this? I pre-heated the cloche for maybe a bit over 30 minutes at 500 degrees. Any advice or insights? Thanks in advance.
Not sure why your dough stuck, but I can maybe help to eliminate one thing - I pre-heat my breadtopia clay baker at 500F for 30 minutes all the time and I’ve never had a loaf get stuck to the bottom of it, other than a little initial stuckness that pops right out cleanly when i push on the loaf from one side or the other.
After you pried it out of the baker, was there residue left stuck to the baker or did the loaf all come out together?
Thanks for your quick reply. In fact, the entire bottom of the loaf stuck to the cloche, so I had a loaf without a bottom crust. I’ve only been baking bread for a few months but this was my worst baking experience so far. I’ve tried very hard to adhere to Eric’s directions and am thus surprised. Is it possible to pre-heat the cloche too long at 500F? Can variables of flour type/brand or percentage of water cause such sticking? Over- or under-proofing? I’m puzzled and could use some help. Thanks again.
Again, I’m not sure, but I’m doubting the too-long-pre-heating hypothesis based on my experience. I’m guessing it is more likely some characteristic of your dough / flour. What kind / brand of flour are you using?
In sourdough bread baking, adhering closely to a specific recipe or methodology often doesn’t give you the results you are expecting because there are a fair number of hidden variables that can make a pretty big difference. No recipe can take into account the specific qualities of your flour or the temperature of your kitchen from bake to bake.
I wrote an article about all of that here:
Thank you for the article. I’m reading it (not finished yet) and finding it very helpful. Meanwhile, I’ll answer your questions about flour. I started off using King Arthur Bread flour and a popular commercial whole wheat flour. But once I ran out of the KA white bread flour, I had to use commercial all-purpose. Then I ran out of whole wheat and began trying to find flour, quickly discovering it was hard to come by. I started baking right before the Covid virus hit and everyone decided to bake. I found a locally (Upper Michigan) milled whole wheat flour at our Co-Op that should be high quality. My neighbor managed to find two 5 lb bags of KA white in a nearby town but I have not had to use it yet. The flour I used for my failed/stuck loaf was 2 cups all-purpose commercial and 2 cups of the locally milled whole wheat. I’d also note that the outside temp was much higher for this last loaf, which I left out overnight after it rested in the fridge until about 9:30 pm. Total proof time was about 12 hours, maybe a bit more, and based on what I’ve read in your article so far, that might be a factor. I noted that when I uncovered it the next morning it had risen well and had large gas bubbles in it, and it seemed wetter and more stretchy than my previous doughs had been. I’ll finish your article and give another try soon. I also plan on using some parchment paper to experiment with that option. Thanks again. You clearly know a lot about baking and you write well. Much appreciated.