SassafrasSuperstoneLa Cloche Bread Baker with Bread Whisk

I have been using this item for a month now and have baked many loaves of bread in it. Sourdough, whole wheat, rustic breads are what I bake and all come out beautifully crisp top and bottom...I do not remove lid at all when baking.I put the dough in the superstone to rise on a bed of cornmeal (to prevent sticking) freestyle and then put it in the oven...I have made very small (one person/one meal) loaves as well as larger loaves.

I had two of these bread bakers which sadly broke by human error. LOVE this company's products! I also have two of their oblong bread bakers which I use for French bread. As my homemade sourdough starter is from 1992, I wanted to get back into making sourdough and knew I wanted the round baker! I know the picture doesn't do justice but my sourdough rose and baked beautifully as the French bread! Both bakers are amazing!

Exactly what I wanted. Much lighter than cast iron pans. Goes into oven cold but still gets great oven spring. Oven is on only as long as it takes to hit 500 degrees, so you save 40 mins each bake.

The instructions leave something to be desired. Not clear if the cloche could be used for both cold and preheated start baking. Internet searches were contradictory. I called King Arthur Flour hotline and was satisfied that a cold start with a cloche works. I wanted to do a cold start because bake day was hot and humid - not a day for a 1 hour 450 degree preheat that the recipe called for. To do the cold start, put the loaf in the cloche with dome on into a cold oven and set the temp to 450. After 35 minutes, remove the dome and bake the remaining 25 minutes uncovered. The loaf turned out beautifully. I’ll try a preheat some winter just to compare.

This made such a difference to my bread making. My whole-wheat loaves were much better risen and lighter than before and it gives all my bread a nice crunchy crust.