You asked about Flour Pilgrim. I’m keen to figure out what you call your flours compared to the names in the UK.
I’ve imaged 5 flours from my cupboard. Reading from left to right the protein levels vary.
Strong Stone Ground Flour - 14g protein - used for more traditional artisan loaves
Very Strong Wholemeal Bread Flour - 13g protein - for making Wholemeal/Brown Loaves
Very Strong White Bread Flour - 13.6g protein - Good for mixing with other not so strong flours like Rye. Or making pasta
Strong White Bread Flour - 11.7g (often 12g) protein - general purpose bread flour
Plain Flour - 9.1g protein - baking cakes
What’s the flour you’re using called and what’s the protein content?
Thanks for this. I use whatever unbleached flour I have on hand. Occasionally labelled “bread” flour but usually just all purpose. King Arthur, Gold Medal.
A few thoughts. The process of putting the risen boule into the super-heated pot is very simple and very fraught with pitfalls.
At home, I have a work table directed opposite the oven. I put a board on the table, Remove hot pot from oven, put on board and remove lid. Spray with cooking spray and immediately tip the boule, upsidedown into the pot, shake the pot vigorously to assure it is not sticking, close the lid and return to oven. This all takes about 15 seconds.
In the country, the oven opens onto a utility cabinet. I have to removed the hot pot from the side and put it on the stove, which is taller than my usual table, Tipping the boule into the pot is more difficult, a torquing motion, clumsy. Returning the covered pot to the oven, i.e., the reverse, is much more difficult, dangerous, time consuming.
With this delicate dough, all of these motion and time factors come into play. It is a bit tricky.
Oh, and since DH does not like too dark a crust, I cook the bread covered for around 25 minutes, then lower the temp to 400F and remove the boule and cook it for another half hour without the pot, ON THE OVEN RACK.
I never use cooking spray. Just dump the dough in the hot pot, cover it, and back in the oven. Never had the slightest problem with the bread sticking to the pot.
I am using ancient Griswald Dutch ovens and initially we had TREMENDOUS sticking problems. So I started using Pam. Since then, both pots have developed a substantial season and there is no sticking problem. But I still give it a fast whiff.
Is the Griswold cast iron? I use either Le Creuset, enameled cast iron, or Pyroflam, something from Corning. Both are fine without oil. But if you are worried, you could probaby spray the side of the dough that will land in the pot.
Yes, plain cast iron. But we haven’t had sticking problems in some time. My problems could have also been due to extra high hydration, altho I’ve read elsewhere of bakers’ using parchment paper to avoid this, so it is apparently not an infrequent problem.
