BAKING BREAD IN CAST IRON LOAF PAN RECIPES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the warm water and honey. Sprinkle the yeast on top and allow it to proof for a few minutes as you measure the remaining ingredients. Add the flour and salt to the bowl and stir until it is fully incorporated.
• Cover the bowl with a lid, clean kitchen towel, or piece of plastic wrap. Set the bowl in the refrigerator and allow it to rest for 2-4 hours. A longer proof in the refrigerator leads to a better tasting loaf. Two hours should be sufficient if the water was warm to the touch and the yeast was allowed to proof before adding the dry ingredients. You will know that the dough is ready to shape when it has risen slightly and has visible bubbles on the surface.
• Brush the bottom surface and sides of your cast iron skillet with Baking Pan Release Spread or add a light coating of cooking spray or neutral tasting oil.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Sprinkle flour on a clean work surface. Remove the dough to the floured surface. The dough will be very sticky at first. Knead and turn the dough, shaping it into a ball as you go. Turn the dough a quarter turn with each kneading motion. Add more flour if necessary. The dough will quickly take shape and begin to lose its sticky texture. I usually knead it about 30 turns.
• Place the ball of dough in the middle of the prepared skillet. You can use a sharp knife to score the top of the loaf if you wish. Scoring the loaf will create a beautiful pattern on the baked loaf, but it isn't necessary to bake a delicious and beautiful loaf. Allow the dough to rest for around 30 minutes
• While the bread is resting, prepare your oven or grill for baking by preheating to 420-425 degrees Fahrenheit.
• When the 30 minutes have elapsed and your oven or grill is holding temperature, transfer the skillet to the preheated oven/grill. Set a timer for 30 minutes.
• Unlike an oven, grills can vary in heat during the cooking period. So, when I am baking these loaves on the grill, I usually check the temperature by glancing at our grill’s thermometer every ten minutes or so. If your grill runs a bit hotter than you would like, open the lid, adjust the heat down slightly, and consider baking your loaf for a few minutes less if necessary. It will all come out delicious in the end, I promise.
• When 30 minutes have passed, the loaf should be brown and the top surface should be crisp. Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven or grill and transfer to a safe place to cool for 5-10 minutes.
• Transfer the loaf from the skillet to a serving board or platter. Serve and enjoy every last bite with plenty of butter!

Steps:

• You’ve mastered making pizza in your Ooni Pro, now it’s time to nail baking bread! Bona fide baker and one of our Pizza Taste Testers, Mike Vaona, created this recipe for a Cast Iron-Baked Bread Loaf. Use Ooni’s Casserole Dish and Sizzler Pan combo to cook your favorite bread recipe. Here, Mike gives you the option to cook your loaf using a method for sourdough or a dough made with dried yeast.IngredientsFor a sourdough loaf3.9oz (110g) water 0.25oz (7g) salt1oz (28g) sourdough culture10oz (285g) bread flourFor a loaf using dried yeast4.4oz (125g) water0.25oz (7g) salt1 tsp active dried yeastPinch of sugar10.6oz (300g) bread flourMethodTo make a sourdough loaf:Day 1Start 3 days before the day you’d like to bake bread, during the evening (at around 9pm).Mix together 0.35oz (10g) of the sourdough starter, 0.7oz (20g) of the water, and 0.7oz (20g) of the flour in a jar to feed your starter overnight. This will become an active sourdough starter, and is ready to use once it has doubled in size, which usually takes around 8-10 hours after mixing. Only 1oz (28g) of this active sourdough starter will be required for the bread recipe the following day, but this will give you extra to work with.Day 2In the morning, mix together the sourdough starter with the remaining water, plus the salt and the flour until well incorporated. Place the dough ball into a bowl, cover with a cloth and rest for 30 minutes.Stretch and fold the dough 6 times. Be sure not to overwork the dough or it will tighten and become difficult to work with. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with a cloth and rest for a further 30 minutes.Stretch and fold the dough another 6 times. Rest again for another 30 minutes, covered with the cloth.On a floured work surface, turn the dough ball out of the bowl and shape it into a smooth, round ball – hold the dough ball with both hands, and tuck the bottom edges of the dough ball inwards on itself (similar to how you would shape a ball of pizza dough before proving).Place the dough ball back into the bowl, and cover with a wet kitchen towel. Leave to rest for 1.5 hours.Place the dough in the fridge and allow to rest overnight, covered again with the wet kitchen towel.Note that the process followed on Day 2 is based on working with dough that is around 70ºF (20ºC). If the dough is cooler because of your surroundings, lengthening the final rest time might be needed – in that case, add on another hour or two to the final rest after shaping. Likewise, if you’re in a warm environment the dough may be ready sooner. The dough is ready to be placed in the fridge when it feels airy and is not cool to the touch.Day 3In the morning, remove the dough ball from the fridge.Shape the dough ball again following the same technique as on Day 2.On a tray covered with a sheet of parchment paper (greaseproof paper), place the dough ball on top and cover with an upturned bowl. Allow to rest at room temperature for 3 hours.Place the dough ball back into the fridge, still covered with the bowl.Day 4Fire up your Ooni pizza oven. Aim for 900°F (482°C) on the stone baking board inside. You can check the temperature inside your oven quickly and easily using the Ooni’s Infrared Thermometer. If using a wood-burning fire, refrain from adding wood as the temperature begins to drop, and allow the oven temperature to reduce to 600°F (315°C). Fit your Casserole Dish with the Sizzler Pan as a lid, and place inside your oven to warm up. Keep it toward the very front of the oven.When you notice the oven temperature dropping to under 450°F (232°C), add wood into the burner tray as needed (we recommend 2 small pieces at around 15-20 minute intervals) in order to maintain a rough temperature of 450°F (232°C).Remove the dough ball from the fridge, keeping the parchment paper underneath. Flour and score the top of the dough with the design of your choice.Remove the hot Casserole Dish and Sizzler Pan from your oven. Flip the Sizzler Pan over (so it’s sitting flat like a tray) and flip upside down so the Sizzler is now on the bottom. Place the dough ball, still with the parchment paper underneath, onto the Sizzler Pan.Flip the Casserole Dish upside down and place on top of the Sizzler Pan, so that the Casserole Dish is now the lid to the Sizzler Pan.Open the chimney vents on the oven.Bake the loaf in your Pro for 30 minutes, keeping the pan as close to the front of the oven as possible and with the oven door on. Remove from the oven and take the Casserole Dish off of the Sizzler Pan. Place the Sizzler Pan with the bread loaf back in the oven and bake uncovered for 15 minutes until golden brown, rotating after about 7 minutes to ensure it bakes evenly. To make a loaf using dried yeast:Over a stovetop (hob) in a pan, warm the water to around 90°F (32°C). Add the active dried yeast and the sugar. Whisk well until they have dissolved into the liquid. Allow the mixture to rest for 5-10 minutes.Add the salt and mix until dissolved. Transfer the water mixture to a large bowl and add the flour. Mix by hand until well incorporated – be careful not to over mix.Cover with a kitchen towel and leave to rest for 30 minutes.Next, follow the same method as making the sourdough loaf, starting from the stretch & fold step on Day 2.