I'm a long time bread baker and new owner of a Big Green Egg. The loaves are fine but the smoky flavor and aroma is too strong. I'm using BGE charcoal and the BGE heat shield. I haven't used the Egg for anything else but bread. I'd welcome any suggestions. I chose the BGE because I thought a wood burning oven was too ambitious.
You could make some rockin' smoked meats in your BGE, I think. I don't own a BGE myself. I have a Weber Bullet smoker...but the principle is similar. I know a guy that produces a divine porchetta with his BGE; the heat retention being the critical advantage of a BGE. Along with your bread-making skills, you could be on your way to sandwich-making stardom.
http://eggheadforum.com/
I bake bread on the Egg once in awhile. How long do you leave the egg to stabilize? Unpleasant flavours can come from remnant fat from a previous cook, chicken fat seems to give off a particularly acrid smoke flavour. It is easy to get over that by leaving for 20 minutes to half hour or so at 500˚F to burn it off. I find that I bake at a higher temperature on the egg than in the oven.
The roast above looks juicy and has a nice smoke ring but I would have sliced against the grain rather than with the grain.
Gerhard
Gerhard, thanks very much. Waiting a little more than 30 minutes was the answer. I appreciate the suggestion. As for the roast in the photo--looks delicious.
I have a Kamado Joe - same idea as the BGE.. I've baked bread in mine several times and not experienced and overly smokey flavour to it.
I use local lumpwood charcoal though - it's relatively smoke free once up to heat - maybe let it stabilise at temperature for a bit longer? I usually leave mine for about half an hour before I throw the bread in, but from memory that's probably more to do with my own lazy approach than anyting else...
-Gordon
Gordon, thanks very much. I followed your advice and waited a bit more than a half hour. bread came out nicely, smelling like bread!
It was stressed in all the Kamado Joe literature to never use paraffin/kerosene type lighters - fluid or blocks as that can leave a lasting taint to flavours - I guess because it's more enclosed. I used to use waxed paper milk cartons but the local dairy switched to plastic recently - now I use old paper flour sacks. (with a stash of natural wax soaked wood shaving lighters as backup)
-Gordon
Paper towel with a little bit of vegetable oil lights it for me, if I use the olive oil I sometimes get a bit of heat from Cherie as well ;)
Gerhard