Baking bread on the stove is a valid alternative to baking in the oven. It can be a good way to save energy, as well as a great solution when you don't have an oven available. You can bake bread at home, on a camping stove or aboard a boat by bringing a fabulous fresh loaf to the table.
Steps
Part 1 of 5: Replicating a Dutch Oven
Step 1. Start with a large cast iron pot
The heavier the material, the better. Cast iron is the ideal choice, as you will be baking the bread dry. If you use a saucepan made of a lighter material, such as aluminum, it may burn slightly on the bottom, however you can consider reserving it exclusively for baking bread.
Most Dutch ovens or cast iron pans specially designed for baking have a capacity of 5-7 liters, so they are roomy enough for baking bread
Step 2. Create a support that facilitates the diffusion of heat
Put a weight in the middle of the pot. It will be the base on which you will place the mold. It will allow air to move freely inside the pot and prevent the mold from coming into direct contact with the heat. This way you won't risk burning the bread.
- You can use either pieces of tiles with a suitable thickness, or flat or slightly rounded stones.
- Another option is to use an empty tuna can. Remove any paper label and place the tin on the bottom of the pot.
Step 3. Find a pan to bake the bread to place inside the pan
The ideal would be a metal or ceramic bread pan. Alternatively, you can use a Pyrex dish (not ordinary glass). Place the mold in the pot, on top of the stand. If you are going to use a rectangular shaped bread pan, you need to make sure it fits into the pot. Remember that it must not protrude over the edge of the Dutch Oven.
The mold must not occupy the entire available space inside the pot. Hot air must be able to flow freely around it
Step 4. Find a lid of the right size
It must not touch the mold and must leave room for the bread to rise. Test the mold inside the pot.
If you have a hard time finding an appropriately sized lid, you can use a pan that is large enough to cover the pot
Step 5. Reinforce the lid
It is important to do everything possible to retain the heat inside the pot. As the hot air rises, it is helpful to cover the lid or pan with a second lid to prevent it from moving. If the lid has a hole to let the steam escape, find a bolt, washer, and nut to close it with.
Part 2 of 5: Prepare the Dough
Step 1. Get all the ingredients you need
For a plain bread, you will need 375 g of 0 flour, a teaspoon of active dry yeast, two teaspoons of salt and 390 ml of warm water. These are the basic ingredients for making bread, but if you want you can also add aromatic herbs to taste, such as thyme and rosemary.
If you want to make a smaller loaf, you can cut the recipe in half
Step 2. Pour and mix the ingredients into a bowl
Blend the dry ingredients first, then add the warm water. Knead the dough until it is smooth and homogeneous. It should have a slightly sticky consistency.
Step 3. Let the dough rest
Cover the bowl with cling film and let the dough rest at room temperature for 18-24 hours. The yeast will gradually increase in volume. Air bubbles may form on the surface of the dough.
Step 4. Finish preparing the dough
Remove it from the bowl and place it on a floured surface. Fold it in half on itself, then push the dough to the sides under the dough, as if to stretch the surface. Wrap it in a floured kitchen cloth and let it rest for another 2 hours or until it easily regains its original shape by pressing it with your finger. This test is used to verify that the dough has reached the correct elasticity.
Part 3 of 5: Bake the Bread on the Stove
Step 1. Preheat the pot
Place your homemade Dutch Ovenòp on the largest stove. Place the holder of your choice in the center of the pot and cover it with both lids. Heat the saucepan over high heat for 5 minutes, then adjust the heat to medium.
Step 2. Put the dough into the floured mold
Flour the bottom and sides of the bread pan. To make the flour adhere to the walls, you can grease them with oil or lard, flour them and then gently move the mold until the result is uniform. Baking the dough will rise again, so it must fit comfortably in the mold and must not go beyond the edges.
If you prefer, you can use oatmeal to make the pan non-stick. Grease the bottom and sides with olive oil, then add the oatmeal. Move the mold by rotating your wrists until it is evenly floured
Step 3. Place the mold inside the pot
Put on your oven mitts, lift the two lids and place them on a heat-resistant surface. Place the mold in the center of the Dutch Oven, being careful not to touch the edges of the boiling pot. Make sure hot air can flow freely around all sides of the mold.
Step 4. Bake the bread
Put the two lids back on the pot with your oven gloves on. Let the bread bake for about 30 minutes. Check it after 20 minutes to see if the crust is forming. The top of the loaf will not darken, but once cooked it will be firm and firm.
Step 5. Place the bread on a rack to cool
Put on your oven mitts, remove the two lids from the pot and take out the mold. Take out the loaf carefully, it should come out easily since you've floured the mold. The bottom will be significantly more baked than the top side of the loaf.
If you don't have a rack on which to store the bread to cool, you can place it on a heat-resistant surface, for example on a plate
Part 4 of 5: Using a Haybox (or Stove without Fire)
Step 1. Begin the cooking process on the stove
Place your Dutch oven on the stove with the mold resting on the inner stand. Cover and heat the pot over high heat for 15 minutes.
The first loaves may be undercooked or burnt. If your equipment is different than what is shown, the stove may be providing more or less heat. As a result, you may have to adjust the cooking time
Step 2. Finish baking bread with your version of the haybox (also known as a stove without fire)
The idea is to put the pot in the haybox and take advantage of the heat that has built up inside the pot. Surrounding it with an insulating material allows you to retain the heat necessary to continue baking the bread.
- Remove the pot from the stove using oven mitts. Instead of completing the cooking over the fire, carefully cover the pot with insulating materials, such as sweatshirts or blankets, to create a haybox.
- Make sure it is natural and durable, such as cotton. Synthetic fabrics may melt due to the high temperature.
- If it's a sunny day, expose the haybox to sunlight to give it some extra warmth.
Step 3. Leave the pot in the haybox for at least an hour
Three hours increases the chances of success and cannot harm the bread. When time runs out - or if you're too hungry to wait, uncover the pot with caution.
Step 4. Cut the loaf to check if it is cooked in the center as well
If it's overcooked, dry or burned, or still raw and mushy in the middle, take note of the result and adjust the time spent on the fire next time. If it is perfect like the one shown in the photo, enjoy the result of your work.
You saved 80% of the energy needed to bake the same loaf in the oven
Part 5 of 5: Bake Thin Bread in a Pan
Step 1. Prepare the dough
Dissolve 2 large teaspoons of instant yeast and 2 teaspoons of sugar in 180ml of hot water. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes, while pouring 250 g of plain flour and a teaspoon of salt into a large bowl. Add the mixture with the yeast and a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to the dough and knead it until it has a uniform and sticky consistency.
Step 2. Finish preparing the dough
Transfer it to a floured flat surface and knead for 10 minutes. When finished, grease the bowl to make it non-stick and put the dough back into it. Let it rest for 30 minutes in the bowl sealed with cling film.
Step 3. Shape the dough
Divide it into 6 equal parts. Take a piece of dough and roll it between your palms to shape it into a ball, then place it on a floured surface. Take the rolling pin and roll out the balls to obtain thin discs. Each disc of dough must have a diameter of about 20 cm.
Step 4. Prepare the pan
Heat it on the stove. Set the heat to medium-high and let the pan warm up. Cast iron is the material that best diffuses heat. If you don't have a cast iron skillet, you can use any one. Grease the bottom with olive oil or butter.
Step 5. Bake the bread
Place a disc of dough in the pan and let it cook for 30 seconds. Flip it using a thin kitchen spatula, let it cook for a minute and a half, and then flip it a second time. Let it cook on the already partially cooked side for another minute and a half. Once ready, place it on a clean kitchen towel and repeat the process with the other 5 discs of dough.
- The bread should swell as it cooks.
- Flat bread should have small burns on both sides.
Advice
This method works with any heat source, including a campfire, and this equipment is much lighter to carry than a heavy cast iron pot. Look for flat stones in the area around the campsite
Warnings
- If you use a glass container, make sure it is Pyrex or a similar heat resistant glass and be aware that Pyrex can also explode violently if placed directly on the fire.
- When you remove the pot from the stove after cooking, remember that it may have reached and exceeded 150 ° C. Use a pair of leather gloves, pot holders or an equivalent tool and test the degree of heat on the handles before lifting the pot.
- Some stones may contain water in the cracks or have a porous consistency, so they could break inside the pot causing the mold or the lid to break, if they are made of glass, and damage to nearby people. Try to select stones composed entirely of hard rock.
