How to Bake Bread in a French Oven

This weekend I will likely be sloughing on the sofa with my face slathered in Vicks, as I recover from what seems to be the plague that is making its way around my office. And if that isn't dramatic enough for you? Think Jane Eyre in the 1943 movie where they are forced to walk ceaselessly in the rain until her friend contracts pneumonia and dies. 

Anyway.

I thought I would share a baking success from last weekend. A boule baked in a French oven (Le Creuset). Frankly this is the easiest bread I have ever made, and has all of the ear marks of a professionally baked loaf.

Segue.

I have never had any trouble baking on the east coast where I grew up. Out here in the mountain west, results are frequently disastrous. I wasn't sure if it was the altitude (possible), but I read the opening chapters of the Bouchon Bakery cookbook, and it became almost insanely obvious that it was because of the dryness of the air (which also devastated my attempts at meat curing without MacGuyver-ing a curing room). What effect does the air have? So glad you asked. 

Having overly or under-ly(?) humid air can affect the weights of your ingredients, creating a situation where you may be putting in too much or too little of any one ingredient. Heat can similarly affect your ingredients in that it alters the chemical reactions. This is especially true when you cook by volume instead of weight.

You guys? I am a convert to cooking by weight. By the looks of my new kitchen scales you would think I was opening up shop as a drug dealer. In reality I am just OCD and refuse to settle for second best edible product. Or anything for that matter. Measuring by weight creates a fantastic looking and tasting product! It allows you to bake using one bowl!  It allows you to easily increase or decrease your recipe without the proportions becoming wonky. And precision! I can't say enough for it.

And why use a French oven? Well, those great loaves of bread with the great crust and the fantastic crumb? There are steam injectors in the ovens which help to develop the crust, and the nubs in your pot lid serve the same process... To drop the bits of steam on the dough and develop the crust. 

When all was said and done, the bread was miraculous. It's the sort of thing you could just eat fresh out of the oven (after having given it time to rest of course!!) With maybe a little good olive oil or fresh butter or with jam or as a crostini... How could anyone ever buy a loaf of bread again? Or use a dumb bread maker? This is so easy people... I challenge you to do it. You won't be sorry.

I used the recipe from Ruhlman's Twenty. You can see the recipe here and he has an awesome video to go with if you are so inclined.