Which Baking Pan Works Better – Cast Iron or Clay?

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You can’t go wrong baking with clay or cast iron. In fact, both materials are proven to make great baked goods. Wonderful pies have many times come out of a clay baker or a terracotta dish. Aside from that, new earthenware pans come with a cookbook that teaches about pre-baking. Some people also claim that the only way to get a great corn bread is through a cast iron, which also is the best way to make quick breads and biscuits. So, which baking pan really works well?

I’ve actually used both metal and earthenware baking pans for everything. My clay pot pieces have been magnificent and almost ideal for almost what I bake. Alternatively, I’ve also tried cakes, cobblers, quick breads, yeast breads, pies and baked desserts in my cast iron. There probably is no lesser kind of a baking pan in a clay or cast iron bake ware – we only need to know the main difference to see which one goes well with your needs.

Clay is a porous or “absorbent” material which, when soaked in water and heated in the oven, provides slow evaporation of steam from the pores. During the baking process, the porosity of the clay allows hot air and moisture to combine within the pot and cook the food in a manner similar to that of steam cooking, and keeps the food moist. The end result is a tastier, more nutritious and more flavorful bread. The distinctiveness of clay pot baking is moist bread that is easy to slice.

Cast iron pots are generally suitable for sautéing anything and for making pancakes and crêpes. When used as a baking pan, the temperature it provides has the power to generate a good crust in your baked goods. Baking bread in a Dutch oven or a cast-iron pot maintains the steam in with the bread, creating a crust that’s nice and chewy. It retains heat and radiates the heat of the oven consistently. Every time I make my own bread loaf in a cast iron, I only pre-heat the pan to very hot then I gently put the dough into the hot baking pan.

Either baked in clay, or cast iron, great bread is made with perfect timing and temperature. The timing is your guide that will allow your baking pan to work well in shaping your loaves. Many times I have baked bread loaf in cast-iron or in my clay pot in a cold oven and I get beautiful results each time, and since baking bread is all about technique, a little practice is what is needed to get the most of my baking pans.

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Source by Terry Retter

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