RECIPES - Baking bread in a cast iron pot (Dutch Oven) 2. 50/50 White/Brown

Baking bread in a cast iron pot - 

a 50/50 White and Wholemeal Loaf 

I made this loaf using the cast-iron pot method as shown in my earlier post for a basic white loaf

I used a bread machine to make the basic dough, but you can use any recipe up to an including the first rise.  As I didn't have a recipe for a 50/50 loaf, I made my own by combining and adapting two recipes designed for my machine, one for a Basic White Loaf and the other for a Wholemeal loaf.

Ingredients:

¾ cup water

1 ¾  tbsp skimmed milk powder

1 ¾ tbsp butter

¾  tbsp granulated sugar

1 ¼ tbsp soft brown sugar

1 tsp salt

1 cup Strong white bread flour

1 cup Strong Wholemeal flour

1 tsp dry yeast

Adding a vitamin C tablet (crushed and added before the flour) is often recommended when using wholemeal flour, to aid the rise.  I didn't on this occasion as I didn't have one and as it was 50% strong white flour felt it wouldn't need it anyway. 

I followed the machine instructions and added the ingredients, in the above order, to the pan and set the machine to the dough setting which is 6 minutes mixing, 34 minutes kneading and 1 hour rising at 32C.

(if you don't have a bread machine, follow any recipe either for making by hand or food mixer with a dough hook then leave to rise until doubled in size then follow the rest of this method).

I then removed the dough from the machine.....

end of the first rise

.... kneaded gently for a few minutes on a floured board and then shaped into a ball

dough shaped in a ball, ready for baking

... then made one deep slash across the top with a sharp knife

the uncooked loaf

....placed the shaped dough in my cast iron casserole pot, which I had lined with baking paper

the pot

....placed the lid on top and put the dish in a cold conventional oven.  I set the oven to 240C and switched on.  After 30 minutes I took a peek to see how it was doing 

loaf after 30 minutes baking in oven with lid on

I put it back in the oven for a further 5 minutes with the lid on, then removed the lid and cooked for a further 10 minutes - total cooking time 45 minutes (35 minutes lid on, final 10 minutes lid removed).

This was the final result

loaf removed from oven

I left the loaf for 5 minutes in the pot, then removed and placed on a rack

the final result

Whilst it was still warm, but cool enough to handle, I could not resist trying a slice

the proof of the pudding is in the eating

I am pleased to say it was a successful result.  Now I have done a basic white loaf and a 50/50, it's time to try this method with a 100% wholemeal !

John Austin

Hove 25 May 2020