On November 19, 2006, Dick Adams wrote in:
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.f...e80fc739217ba2
> That is not too original an idea, because it is pretty much what
> the pot-lugging trailside sourdough bakers from early r.f.s. days
> used to do, except for the substitution of an oven for a pit
> filled with hot coals.
Hey Dick:
Good ideas and suggestions, Dick. However, I sometimes ponder similar
baking ideas but taking it back a few thousand years. Going back would seem
to point toward baking in pottery/ clay. Disclaimer: I have never tried
this!
I have read anecdotal reports that one does not need to worry about heavy
metals, e.g., lead, in clay flower pots widely available in many home/
garden centers. The ambitious person(s) wanting to try this is advised to
fully investigate that "non-toxic/ lead-free" claim to a level of personal
comfort.
If indeed such containers pose no health threats, then perhaps dough could
be allowed to rise in a clay saucer covered by a pre-soaked pot. When
sufficiently risen, the outside of the covering pot could be remoistened by
spraying liberally with water and then placed into a cold oven. After a
reasonable period of baking at say 425F (220C) the top pot could be removed
(hot, hot, hot; watch those hands!) and the loaf allowed to finish baking.
My guess is the set-up would cost maybe $20 or less. That's about the price
I paid when I bough my Romertopf (marked "W Germany" on the bottom) years
ago <g>.
Best regards,
Ray