I have a great wheat bread recipe
which makes 4 loaves in 1 hour and 15 minutes and it is FANTASTIC!
Anyway, here at the Farrm we are preparedness minded. What would I do to cook my meals if there was no power? I know it's ridiculous, but the one thing this farmhouse does not have is a wood burning stove. Weird, huh? Well, I own a dutch oven, and I have made beef stew in it before, but could I bake bread? I have a year's supply of wheat, and I know how to bake bread, could I bake it without electricity?
After I asked myself these questions I jumped in with both feet -- I volunteered to teach a class on how to bake bread in a dutch oven. Only, I had never baked bread in a dutch oven!
But that did not stop me. I could have asked one of my friends to teach the class, but I learn better by doing it myself, so I took the challenge and here are the results:
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| First, don't be afraid of the coals. They are your friends. Buy the self starting type and put them in a pile and light 'em up. In 15-20 minutes they will be grey with ash, that is when they are ready. |
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| Transfer 14 to the top and leave 10 for underneath. I'm told that produces a 350 degree dutch oven. Don't forget to have two boxers in the background to hold down the grass--very necessary. |
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| IronMan had this piece of metal I used but you can build the fire in a B-B-Q or a fire pit or anywhere you don't mind a black burn spot afterwards. I wanted it convenient to the house because I had the other 3 loaves in the oven and had to hear when the timer went off. |
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| Lodge is a company which sells the ovens. Purchase one which is already seasoned. |
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| 14 coals up, 10 coals under. It would be handy to have what they call a "chimney', to start coals in. It keeps them handy and they all burn evenly. It would also be nice to have a few extra incase you needed them: if it was rainy, windy, or winter you would likely need more heat. |
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| 35 minutes later, the three loaves in the oven were done. The one I shaped for the dutch oven is smaller than these because the height of the dutch oven is shorter. |
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| It took 50 minutes to cook in the dutch oven, but I think it would have cooked more quickly if I had added more coals. It was a bit windy. Notice the stone in the bottom there are actually 4 to raise the pan off the bottom of the oven so the air will circulate. Also I added about a 1/4 inch of water to the oven to produce a soft crust. It worked like a charm! |
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| It turned out just perfect! First try! |
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| Smaller loaf but just as tasty and light and beautiful. I think it lasted 15 minutes. The other loaves were gone the next day. Did I mention I have 5 teens at home? Here is a copy of the recipe for 2 loaves with added Dutch oven directions included in bold. Let me know if you have any questions or how yours turns out. Just remember: You don't want to be caught trying to learn how to cook without electricity when an emergency is upon you. Take some time now to master the skills necessary while you aren't under the pressure of foul weather, injury, stress, or disaster. That way you can offer your family familiar comfort food and your very best prepared and calm self when it is most needed. |
