Cloche Baker Care Instructions

Your Cloche Baker is manufactured in Portugal from clay imported from Germany. The quarries in Germany where the clay is sourced are renowned for clay of excellent strength and thermal properties. Here are a few points to follow to ensure optimum longevity of your Baker — The main thing to remember is to avoid exposing your Baker to sudden extreme temperature changes. This is called thermal shock and can cause cracks to occur. When removing the hot Baker from the oven after baking, place it on a stove top, cooling rack or folded towel rather than directly on a cold countertop. Avoid spilling or spraying liquids on an already hot Baker. Never use a spray bottle to mist the dough while in the hot baker. There is no need for this anyway. One of the main advantages of the Baker is that it holds the steam from the baking dough in close proximity to the dough while baking to give it a naturally superior crust. Don’t place very cold or frozen items on the Baker base while it’s hot. Do not exceed oven temperatures of 500° F. Washing and Usage — If you are only using your baker for baking bread, there is no need to wash it. The high baking temperatures will automatically bake off excess dough. If you do wash it, hand wash with warm water and use a nylon scouring pad. Do not use soap on the unglazed surfaces. Allow it to air dry thoroughly. Some manufacturers recommend soaking ceramic bakers prior to use. We don’t. Again, there is enough steam released from the baking dough to give optimum results. It is your choice whether to preheat your Baker prior to placing the dough inside (while wearing protective oven gloves) or to bake using the “cold start” method. Preheating your Baker will more accurately simulate the baking results obtained in a wood fired oven. A wood fired oven is brought up to baking temperature and then the bread is placed inside to bake, resulting in excellent oven spring and crust development. Another advantage of fully preheating your Baker prior to placing the dough inside is that the dough won’t stick to it. The cold start method simply involves placing your bread dough in your Baker while it’s at room temperature and then placing the Baker in the oven and turning on the heat. This will lengthen the baking time and will also likely result in the dough sticking to the base. To avoid sticking using the cold start method, line the Baker with a piece of parchment paper. Feel free to experiment with either method to find your preference. Please also see our clay baker instructional video: breadtopia.com/clay-baker — Your friends at Breadtopia — 300 N. 16th St; Fairfield, IA 52556; 800-469-7989 (Central Time)

round cloche baker5-22-18