Poor man's Bongard
 

These days I have a never-ending source of day-old bread
from the local supermarkets, so I am not doing much baking.
So I will probably not do what I propose here. But some
one or more could try it and comment on the results.

1st, since I worry about burning my fingers, and about
wasting gas (or electricity) trying to get a pot real hot, I would
seriously consider rising sourdough in a room-temperature
pot, for a full or nearly full rise, and then putting the pot in an
oven, starting cold.

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.

2nd, were I an ambitious entrepreneur, I would start designing
an electric baking pot. I guess I'd need some coiled nichrome
heater wire, some fiber-glass fabric and insulation, and
something fireproof for an outer cover, not to mention an iron
pot to start. For the top crust, maybe a way to blow in
superheated air sometime before the cycle completes.

If nobody picks up on that, and I don't get around to it, maybe
I will discuss it with George Foreman, so that the homeless
people in the tunnels will get a way to do sourdough. No
doubt the commercial model would have a Teflon surface,
with possibly a simulated basket-weave texture. George
knows how to do that kind of stuff. He is one smart guy.

--
Dicky

P.S. To the several people who are still requoting
whole articles over terse replies:

Please don't do it any more.

Figure out how to delete irrelevant material so that most
of the > >> >>> >>>> goes away.

(You can say "snip snip" if you feel guilty, or
"> [ ... ]" like I do sometimes.)

--
-d.

Poor man's Bongard
 

On Sun, 19 Nov 2006 15:54:23 GMT, "Dick Adams" >
wrote:

>Figure out how to delete irrelevant material .

Perfect.

Boron

Poor man's Bongard
 

"Boron Elgar" > wrote in message ...

> On Sun, 19 Nov 2006 15:54:23 GMT, "Dick Adams" >
> wrote:
>
> >Figure out how to delete irrelevant material .
>
> Perfect.

For you there's a better way. Killfile me.
(Recommended by Kenneth.)

--
-d.

Poor man's Bongard
 

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