Actually I noticed my bread is also ready about 4-5 minutes before the time called for in the recipe so that further strengthens your suggestion. Would you lower the temp during the 1st stage (lid on) or 2nd (lid off)? I do 500/450 at 20 minutes each.
I’ve had success with having a baking steel or cookie tray on the lowest rack and then baking the bread in a Dutch oven on the rack above. I haven’t had a burnt bottom since. However, this does put the top of the bread closer to the top of the oven, so after removing the lid to allow browning I find that I have to cover it with foil or the replace the lid but askew to prevent the top from over browning.
A new trick, to me anyhow, that I learned from Kirsten of FullProofBaking on one of her videos, is to place a broiling pan with rack on the lowest rack of the oven and then bake in the Dutch oven on top of the broiling pan with rack. This again provides a nice shield to avoid direct heat from the bottom of the oven and yet doesn’t place the top of the loaf so close to the top to avoid over browning of the top of the bread.
One or more of these:
Burner flame diffuser
Layers of aluminum foil
White interior DO
Cookie sheet under DO for last half of bake time
Full disclosure: my gas oven is bottom burner with no convection feature.
That's interesting. I wonder if my gas oven is also bottom burner? Will have to check the manual...
Should I use the convection feature, if available, for baking sourdough?
After the first 25-30 min, take the loaf out of the DO, finish the loaf on a stone/baking sheet.
May I assume that the stone or baking sheet would be cold when it's time to use them in the oven?
Can you see the flames directly? Is there a plate between the flames and the oven cavity?
There is a plate, I believe. I can't see the flames from down below if that's what you're asking.
Lower oven setting seems counter-intuitive. Isn't it being burned because it's too close to the bottom?
Lower the temperature of the oven not the rack in the oven, please.
that makes sense :)
Actually I noticed my bread is also ready about 4-5 minutes before the time called for in the recipe so that further strengthens your suggestion. Would you lower the temp during the 1st stage (lid on) or 2nd (lid off)? I do 500/450 at 20 minutes each.
I’ve had success with having a baking steel or cookie tray on the lowest rack and then baking the bread in a Dutch oven on the rack above. I haven’t had a burnt bottom since. However, this does put the top of the bread closer to the top of the oven, so after removing the lid to allow browning I find that I have to cover it with foil or the replace the lid but askew to prevent the top from over browning.
Benny
What I do is after 20 min and removing the lid, I put the dutch oven on top of an upside down cooking sheet.
A new trick, to me anyhow, that I learned from Kirsten of FullProofBaking on one of her videos, is to place a broiling pan with rack on the lowest rack of the oven and then bake in the Dutch oven on top of the broiling pan with rack. This again provides a nice shield to avoid direct heat from the bottom of the oven and yet doesn’t place the top of the loaf so close to the top to avoid over browning of the top of the bread.
Isn't this effectively the same as putting it on the medium rack though? As far as distance from the bottom burner goes at least?
Not for my oven, it is still below the 2nd lowest rack and the bottom of the broiler is still there to shield the bottom of the Dutch Oven.