Then we tried a recipe Aimey found and came up with this beast (see below). The bread was great, but the salt content was off. Some of the people on the website's forum had suggested upping the amount, but we didn't notice that until after we had prepared it. This one was cooked inside our dutch oven. Plus I was using Kosher salt, which I know I should do because it is so variable in the volume to weight ratio, unlike the granulated stuff. Looks nice though.
I have made a few loafs since then and I think I am a lot more confident in preparing the stuff now.
My lessons learned so far:
- I have the oven temp down fairly well now (~400 setting = ~450 actual).
- The Dutch Oven, while cramped, tends to produce a better crust. I tried the "water on the oven floor bit" with a cast iron 9x12, but it just didn't work as well with out a lid.
- I learned when waiting for the dough to rise in the quick recipes, I get better results by turning the oven on to 200 to get the room warmed. The dough rises better. Our kitchen gets cold in the late fall and winter months.
- Don't use Kosher salt, unless you really know your brand's volume as compared to a similar weighted amount of granulated. My scale isn't accurate enough, so granulated it is after boning two recipes a little.
- Don't listen to a recipe that tells you to flour a towel and wrap the just formed dough in it for an hour or so to rest. It doesn't work. I had to throw that towel out after trying to wash it several times. Wet towels on floured cutting board work better.
- Don't put the bread in a plastic bag, especially if it is still warm. Yeah I already know this, but I am still dumb sometimes. I put that shit back in the dutch oven after it cools and it stays perfect for days.
D>M>