Enamel Pot Black Rice European Bread
Baking European-style bread in an enamel (cast-iron) pot has become a popular technique among home bakers. Despite what some may assume, this method still requires an oven—the enamel pot is not cooked over direct heat.
Most home ovens max out at around 230 °C, which falls short of the high temperatures and bursts of steam that European-style bread needs. By placing cold dough into a preheated enamel pot, the temperature difference generates steam, which is trapped inside the pot. This creates a mini steam chamber that gives the bread its signature color and a crisp crust with a tender crumb.
Two tips when using an enamel pot:
- Preheat thoroughly. Because the pot is thick cast iron, place it in the oven at high heat for at least one hour before baking. This ensures the bread heats evenly and produces enough steam on contact.
- Choose a black-enameled interior. During the long, nearly dry preheat, a white-glazed interior is prone to yellowing, which can ruin the appearance of an expensive pot.
Ingredients
black rice bread flour
300g
dry yeast
3g
salt
4g
whey
190g
Instructions
1
Step 1
Prepare black rice bread flour, dry yeast, salt, and whey drained from homemade cheese; the whey is chilled to 4°C in the refrigerator, with the sweetness and aroma of rice wine; if you don't have whey, you can use an equal amount of ice water, or 20g less of cold milk as a substitute.
2
Step 2
Add all ingredients to the mixing bowl, mix at low speed until a dough forms; since there is no butter, just knead until a rough gluten film forms.
3
Step 3
Shape the dough into a round, place it in an airtight storage container, and let it ferment at room temperature for 30 minutes.
4
Step 4
After 30 minutes, sprinkle a small amount of bread flour on the work surface, place the dough with the smooth side down, pat it gently a few times, then fold the left and right sides toward the center, and fold the top and bottom sides toward the center.
5
Step 5
Reshape the dough into a round with the smooth side up, put it back in the airtight storage container, and let it ferment for another 30 minutes; meanwhile, place the enamel pot with its lid in the oven to preheat, set the top and bottom heating elements to 230°C.
6
Step 6
After 30 minutes, repeat the process in Step 4.
7
Step 7
Find a bowl with a diameter of approximately 20cm, line it with a sheet of baking paper, place the shaped dough with the smooth side up in the bowl.
8
Step 8
Let it ferment in a warm, humid place for 40 minutes.
9
Step 9
Sift a layer of plain bread flour over the surface of the dough, then use a bread scoring knife to cut your preferred patterns on top.
10
Step 10
Take the preheated enamel pot out of the oven and remove the lid; then quickly lift the baking paper to transfer the unbaked dough into the enamel pot.
11
Step 11
Put the lid back on, place the pot with the dough in the lower middle rack of the oven, set the top and bottom heating elements to 230°C, bake for a total of 50 minutes, with the lid on for the first 35 minutes.
12
Step 12
For the remaining 15 minutes, remove the lid from the enamel pot, and adjust the top/bottom heat to 200/230°C; you can adjust the temperature and baking time according to your oven's actual conditions.
13
Step 13
After taking it out of the oven, lift the bread with the baking paper, transfer it to a cooling rack, and let it cool until warm before eating.
14
Step 14
This enamel pot black rice European bread is crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, slightly salty, and delicious!
