Hey bread bakers,
This week I tested out my new Challenger Bread Pan against my standard dutch oven that I have been using for almost a year (a Lodge enameled cast iron dutch oven).
I baked the same size sourdough boules (about 860g) in each baking vessel and compared the results at the end.
The video detailing the whole process is included below if anyone is interested in watching -
Your comparison seemed non-bias and straight forward. After paying so much for the Challenger Pan you almost have to like it. But you made an excellent comparison...
The Challenger is a nice pan and better suited for longer batards than a round pot. If the price is not a consideration and the weight is manageable, it is a beautiful piece of cast iron.
Thanks for taking the time to, share your review. I enjoy your videos. So much so, I just subscribed to your YouTube Channel.
Danny
Nice Video, Grant!
I wonder if you could put some tiles on the lower rack of the oven beneath the pans to deflect some of the heat (or even a baking tray), so you dont get the charring on the bottom of the loaves. I think I've read that's not uncommon with gas ovens to have this issue.
My breads baked in the dutch oven used to scorch a bit on the bottom like what you experienced. I now place the dutch oven on top of the roasting pan and rack that the oven came with, you know the one made of granite ware. I then stuff the roasting pan with crumpled aluminum foil and the works are placed on the lowest rack in my oven then heated with the dutch oven on the roasting pan’s rack. I no longer has any burnt bottoms of my bread. When I bake baguettes I simply place my baking steel on the roasting pan with rack leaving the aluminum foil in place and my baguettes also never burn on the bottoms.