Two of my favorite gifts this Christmas came from my Mum. She knows how much I have been baking bread and really getting into new types of artisan bread and these two things couldn’t have been more perfect for me, especially right now.
The first is this beautiful book, simply called Crusts. If you love crusts, pastries, breads and the like, you may want to look this one up. It’s a monster of a book and it’s gorgeous. It’s a history of bread, a trip around the world of all different techniques and different types of grains and ingredients and methods, and the photographs and stories of people and bakeries are wonderful.
This is a sample of the inside. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in this sort of a read/cookbook. It’s going to take me a long time to really get through it and read it all, but I’m slowly pouring over it and I love every page.
This ties together with the other thing. A bread cloche. I had never heard of this before! I had to google it to understand what it is, how it’s made, and how to use it.
It was designed by a Frenchman to create the most perfect baking condition for artisan bread. It works by trapping moisture that evaporates from the dough as it bakes, keeping that moisture inside the cloche and turning it into steam, which keeps the dough/bread moist during baking. It’s kind of like creating a really old fashioned 500 year old wood fired bread oven inside your modern day stove.
Some of these are glazed to prevent scratching and marking, but this one is not. So you may be able to see in the photo that there are marks on mine already. Every time I use this it seems to sort of discolor in random areas. At first I was confused, but I actually love this. It is sort of seasoning itself with every bake and it will eventually turn dark (from what I’ve read anyway) and look really old. I like the idea of this. So a glazed version will always stay pretty for you (and come in various colors), but this version will look like it’s a hundred years old and made in a different era. For this type of bread baking, that’s right up my alley.
I have made a few loaves of what I considered to be pretty good artisan type breads, but once I figured out how to use this properly, oh boy, I was sold. It’s not fancy and doesn’t look like it’s going to do a whole lot of different baking, but it really does. The design is genius and I have been baking artisan bread like a mad woman to try all sorts of new types of bread. The crust it produces is hard, crackly and crispy. And then the inside, ohhhh, the inside….is so incredibly light and moist and airy. It’s almost sponge-like without feeling soggy. It’s so beautiful.
Basically, you are following the recipe instructions like you normally would with whatever bread you are making. I line it with parchment parchment paper because you aren’t supposed to grease this or wash it like a normal baking dish, but a sticky dough will stick to it and burn on. So easy care as long as you are kind to it!
Then you put your dough in (I was making two demi loaves so I put a small piece of parchment between the two), put the lid back on and put it in the oven at the normal baking temperature.
I found that I needed an extra 10-15 minutes on each loaf I’ve made so far. I am guessing there’s a small amount of time in the beginning that the cloche needs to bring itself up to oven temperature. Once it does, it stays at an even temperature the whole time, unlike your oven in most cases.
In playing with it to figure it out, I lifted the lid during baking a couple of times to see what was happening in there. Was it burning? Was it working? I didn’t know….so I defeated the purpose and let all the steam out, I know, but it was in the name of science. I had to know what was happening. Now I let it do it’s thing and trust the process. Don’t open it up!
I can’t say enough about the quality of bread this produces.
Look at that beautiful inside goodness in that loaf. If you love artisan bread as much as I do, you will know what I’m talking about and will be able to taste this in your head. It’s pure magic.
You don’t need a bread cloche to make good artisan bread, but I have to say, owning one of these has really upped the quality factor to what I was able to make thus far. I’m sold and not turning back. Every artisan loaf I make from here on out will be made in this. I now want a few more in different sizes and shapes. A round one would be nice. (Rob…Mum….anyone listening?)
Anyway, this is not a paid endorsement by any means. I’m just sharing a few things I love and think some of you cooks and bakers may enjoy this as well, or to give as a great gift to someone who might appreciate it. There’s a bunch of different sizes, shapes and brands online. I was having trouble finding the one I was given on Amazon, but here is another one almost identical to it that is also unglazed. I think the most authentic one available is the original design by Emile Henry.
Next on my list of bread making ‘must-haves’ is a really good bread lame. If anyone has a good brand or type that you love and can’t live without, please let me know. My next venture is making them pretty too!
– The Crazy Bread Lady
When raising my sons I made al of our bread and have always wanted to learn how to cook on an old wood stove/oven.
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I would love to know too! I’m an avid reader and I love books about the pioneers and settlers who came west. I am always fascinated how they knew how to bake in real wood stoves.
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You know what they say. That food really does tast better
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Very cool! I learned something new this morning.
Happy Sunday!
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Very nice Olympia! Happy Sunday to you! ☺ -Wife
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I have the cheap green one from amazon. It came with a banneton I got for Christmas. It works but it’s kinda flimsy and lame lol I’m also on a hunt for a nice one that I could use for a very long time 🙂 that books also looks amazing.
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I’ll have to have you show me next time I see you. I checked Amazon and got overwhelmed and then stopped. Theres too many options 😂🤷♀️
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Looks awesome!!
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Thanks! I’m in love with it 😍
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Well, I am glad that you love it. Bread looks good enough to eat😁😁
The book did have some amazing pictures…now to see what you will come up witn next.:)
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Well I hope so! Good enough to eat I mean 😂❤.
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You are soooo inspiring!! That book looks AMAZING, and I didn’t know about that special baking dish, the cloche! I totally love artisan bread, and the only homemade bread I’ve made was in a bread machine years ago when my kids were little. I made some bread with my daughter last year, she turned me on to The Great British baking show, Love it and am hooked, so she’s been experimenting and baking many of the recipes from there. So much FUN!! Thanks so much for your inspiration! Love your blog! ❤️ Diana
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Oh you are way too kind! ☺ I have just been determined to learn. And luckily have found some really easy recipes along the way. Theres something really satisfying about it! I have seen the Great British Baking Show but haven’t watched it yet….I will have to look it up now! Thank you 😍❤
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OMG those loaves look so good! Thanks for educating me on what a bread cloche is! Glad it is working out so well!
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I know! I had no idea! Now I don’t want to bake without it 😂🤗
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You will enjoy watching the show!! I found it on Netflix. Home Baker’s competing. The things they bake are amazing, some REALLY old recipes dating back hundreds of years as they compete with modern recipes too. Super FUN!! ❤️😁
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I’ve just added it to “my list” 🤗
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Hi, thanks for a very interesting post. I have recently read about bakers using a Dutch Oven for baking bread, I guess your Cloche works on the same principle. Getting a crust that stays crisp is one of my greatest problems, maybe a cloche would be the answer. I see several of your commenters have found the Great British Baking Show (or The Great British Bake Off as it’s known over here). It certainly is great television and a mine of information for the home baker. For those who don’t have Netflix the shows can usually be found at bbc.co.uk/iplayer
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Hello! So I have fallen in love with this cloche for sure, but I have to say that using a Dutch oven or even just a regular old bakeware dish with a glass lid (on for 30 mins, then lid off for another 15) makes almost the same result. I have a blog post for “no knead bread” that works great in something like this if you Search back. Its crisp every time! I can’t wait to start that show now! It’s my weekend to do! ☺
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