Reddit mentions of Lodge 5 Quart Cast Iron Dutch Oven. Pre-Seasoned Pot with Lid and Dual Loop Handle

One of the greatest pots in the world -- and I'm not exaggerating -- is nice and inexpensive: the bare cast iron dutch oven. Reddit's cast iron cult is loud and persistent (and I'm proud to be a member of it), but that doesn't detract from the fact that a cast iron dutch oven is enormously useful. You can cook nearly anything in it, from slow-cooked stews to high-temperature seared and braised meats, both on top of your stove and in the oven. It's nearly indestructible, and you can use metal utensils on it without fear of scratching or damaging it. One of these is a must-have for any burgeoning cook: take care of it by treating the cast iron right (keep it oiled and seasoned to prevent rust), and it will produce outstanding dishes for decades to come. (New cast iron doesn't like tomatoes, though; for pasta sauces and other acidic dishes, use an enameled pot.)

Get an Instant Pot. It is a good enough slow cooker, but it is an outstanding pressure cooker, and for the big majority of what you do that is better than a slow cooker. (And if you really want to hit that $150 mark, add a cast iron dutch oven)

Thanks! 5 Quarts

So there are basically two keys here:

1. Rising time
   
2. Oven spring
   
   Typically when you make bread, you knead the dough manually by hand or with a dough hook. With no-knead bread, you use "time" as the tool to knead the dough; yeast will basically self-knead, IF given sufficient time (in a relatively warm environment). The process basically has 3 steps:
   
   
3. Mix the ingredients (yeast, salt, water, flour) & let rise for 12 to 18 hours in a large covered bowl (first rise)
   
4. Shape into a ball (or baguette, or whatever you want to make) & let rise for a few more hours (second rise)
   
5. Bake for 45 minutes (typically 30 minutes with a lid on, then take the lid off for the last 15 minutes, depending on how crisp you want the exterior crust to be)
   
   The reason so many people use Dutch ovens (basically an oven-friendly cast-iron bowl with a lid) is because of the heat retention. The heat radiates from the metal & cause the bread to "spring" up, so you can a nice round boule; the idea is basically to emulate a baker's oven, which creates kind of a steamy environment to allow the bread to do the proper rising trick when baking. Whole Foods sells loaves like that for five bucks; you can make it yourself at home for like a quarter, haha, plus a minute or two of time to stir up the ingredients & whatnot. A lot of people have never heard of no-knead bread & have no idea how easy it is to add homemade bread to your daily routine with minimal effort (literally like, minutes a day).
   
   You can also use a flat surface, such as a cast-iron griddle, or a Baking Steel. I use a Baking Steel for most of my no-knead bread projects these days & just leave it in my oven all the time. I also have a smaller 2-quart Dutch oven for making Panera-style bread bowls for soup & stuff. You don't necessarily need a fancy, expensive Dutch oven (Le Creuset Dutch ovens can go for over $300; you can get a Lodge model that functions exactly the same, but isn't as pretty, for $40 on Amazon, and will literally outlive you).
   
   There are also two additional factors for flavor:
   
   
6. Time
   
7. Ingredients
   
   You can do "speedy" no-knead bread, which is what I sometimes do with my Instant Pot, but you sacrifice some of the aromatics & flavor that develops from a long self-kneading rise time. It's not like a night & day difference, but depending on how sensitive your palette is, it can be the difference between "meh, bread" & "ooh, bread!". It's also fun to experiment with sourdough instead of yeast; you basically just have to let some flour & water "rot" for a week in a jar, and then use that in place of the yeast:
   
   https://artisanbreadinfive.com/2017/02/06/easy-sourdough-starter/
   
   It's super easy & helps with the flavor. You can also try using different flours, such as whole wheat & a bit of rye, as both of those provide additional flavor layers. I typically tell people to experiment several times a week over the course of a few months & see what they like; a lot of people end up liking this setup:
   
   
8. Homemade sourdough starter
   
9. Mix of flours (ex. primarily all-purpose, with some whole wheat for extra flavor)
   
10. Extra salt (more than what most recipes call for, I've found this helps the flavor a LOT)
    
11. Long rise time (10 to 18 hours, or using the 3-5 day cold fermentation trick)
    
12. Long second rise time (2 to 4 hours)
    
    You can pick up that cheap cast-iron griddle (recommend pre-heating it for 45 minutes to get it to absorb the heat) above for like $20 on Amazon & start experimenting with round boules, small baguettes, Naan, pitas, flour tortillas, and so on. Flour is cheap (Costco sells 25-pound bags for $11 delivered) & the effort is pretty minimal (stir ingredients by hand, let sit overnight, form into a shape & let rise again, toss into oven to bake...really really easy).
    
    The Instant Pot offers two benefits:
    
    
13. If you have a cold or variable-temperature house, you can use the IP as a "proofer" (nice warm environment) for your bread (such as on the Yogurt setting, which you can set for up to 24 hours, if your Instant Pot model has the yogurt feature)
    
14. You can do a quick-rise method, as described by the OP, where you basically condense the time down to a 4-hour first-rise (using the heat from the Instant Pot to help activate the dough growth) & a 30-minute second rise (while the oven is pre-heating)
    
    One tip for loading the bread: after proofing for the first rise, put the dough on a sheet of parchment paper, and then load the entire parchment paper into the Dutch oven. It will burn (a bit), but when you go to take off the lid to get the crispy crust, you can just slide the parchment sheet right out, since the dough will be solid bread at that point. That makes loading the dough really easy, without having to risk messing up the dough ball when putting it in the Dutch oven or risk burning your fingers!

dutch oven

or

food processor

Lodge brand cast-iron cookware, it's cheap and awesome. Not even a 'someday' thing so much as a 'as soon as the major debts are paid and some emergency fund is built' thing. For example, this dutch oven is only about $30 and it's the perfect thing for roasting a whole chicken, or making a big, yummy stew.

Hope this helps and best of luck to you and your family! :)

This is what we mean. :) Dutch Oven
Mine is ceramic coated in purple. Great for stews and baking bread!

I would suggest this http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-L8DOL3-Pre-Seasoned-Cast-Iron-Handles/dp/B00063RWYI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1418785009&sr=8-3&keywords=5+quart+cast+iron. It will last forever, be non-stick and probably won't kill you.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000N501BK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_xqMUBbW7TSQEQ

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00063RWYI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_hrMUBb7XNG2YA


Comparatively cheap and good quality. I use the first.

a good wok, is about as important as a good heat source for it. as i understand, the problem is, western stove tops don't put out enough heat to use regular woks effectively. so for me, all regular asian wok's are out of the question.

teflon wok can be convenient, but still not good. yes the coating wears down, but you can't get it hot enough to do a good wok cook.

the closest thing to success i've used? dutch big ass oven https://smile.amazon.com/Lodge-L8DOL3-Handles-Pre-Seasoned-5-Quart/dp/B00063RWYI/ref=sr_1_6?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1487267253&sr=1-6&keywords=dutch+oven

why? on electric, or gas stove top, you just let it heat up until it starts to smoke. put a little oil in, and put some food to stir fry. by not putting much food in at a time, you allow it to get a ton of heat, closer to an actual wok cooking. scoop it out, let it heat back up, and do more.

lodge logic stuff comes pre-seasoned, and ive never had to strip mine down and re-season it. i just wipe it clean with paper towel, maybe scrape some bits off with a metal spatula or big cooking spoon, and let it dry/cool.

IF you really want an actual wok, i think some turkey fryer burners can put out enough heat to do it justice. but you'll likely want to use it outside. i thought i remember you needing around 100,000 BTU to cook on a wok well. this should be enough https://smile.amazon.com/Portable-High-Pressure-Single-Burner-Adjustable-Regulator/dp/B01LTBH2UO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1487267502&sr=8-3&keywords=high+btu+propane+burner

edit: one thing worth mentioning. cast iron and carbon steel both rust if not taken care of. i think, given the same thickness and same dimensions, carbon steel is heavier. also, i think carbon steel conducts heat better/faster. i have not looked into using a carbon steel dutch oven. my cast iron one was $40 like 7 years ago and it has been a dam trooper ever since. i even do long cooks with tomato sauce and it's fine.

I received this Lodge cast iron dutch oven from my fiance last Christmas. I use it to make bread, soups/stews, and fried foods (fish, chips, ect.). I've browned meats in it a few times when I don't want to overload my cast iron pan. One thing I would say is that using it for soups has been hard on the seasoning.

I use this Dutch oven: Lodge L8DOL3 Pre-Seasoned Dutch Oven with Dual Handles, 5-Quart by Lodge http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00063RWYI/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_Hw1ntb0XX86N9

As for the parchment paper, it has a certain temperature that it can go before it starts to burn/blacken. I've gone up to 450 degrees with no problem.

Parchment paper is great because it helps me transfer my bread into the Dutch oven without damaging or ruining the air bubbles in the bread.

As far as I'm concerned, the paper does not alter the taste of the bread!

I have an antique version of this.

You are correct that the first two Dutch ovens are Lodge. Not very old. I'd probably by a brand new one on Amazon for $34.

I'd consider the 5 quart Lodge Cast Iron Dutch Oven and a skillet. I have the dutch oven but haven't bought the skillet yet. Reviews suggest that the lid from the 5 qt dutch oven fit the 10.25 inch skillet

What is the difference between the one you posted and this one? The lid? Looks like the lid can flip over and be used as a pan?

The following:

http://www.amazon.com/All-Clad-Stainless-Tri-Ply-Dishwasher-Cookware/dp/B00FUF5K8W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1463006632&sr=8-1&keywords=all+clad+12

http://www.amazon.com/T-fal-Professional-Thermo-Spot-Indicator-Dishwasher/dp/B000GWG0T2/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1463006621&sr=1-1&keywords=tfal+pan

http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Swiss-Classic-Chefs-Knife/dp/B0061SWV8Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1463006669&sr=8-1&keywords=victorinox+fibrox

http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-L8DOL3-Pre-Seasoned-Cast-Iron-Handles/dp/B00063RWYI/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1463006684&sr=1-1&keywords=dutch+oven

http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-719-18-Classic-Stainless-Saucepan/dp/B00008CM6C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1463006713&sr=8-1&keywords=2qt+saucepan

That leaves a bit of cash left over for randoms, and covers 90+ percent of your cooking. Alternatively, swap the dutch oven for a stock pot type of thing:

http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-766-24-Classic-8-Quart-Stockpot/dp/B00008CM6J/ref=pd_sim_79_5?ie=UTF8&dpID=31Dg3p7dZbL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=0F6BGCPD6FGMSZWWMW2D


I'd vote keep the DO and use it for boiling any pastas in, etc.

Yes, the no knead bread recipes calls for the bread to be covered for the first half hour of baking. Baking in a pot or dutch oven this way mimics a commercial steam oven. The higher humidity inside the pot is what allows this bread to bake so nicely in your home oven. I imagine that the bread would be quite dry if you didn't bake it in a pot. Here is an excellent, inexpensive dutch oven that would be perfect for the no-knead recipe. If you are seriously interested in this also have a look at this article and this recipe. And this Book is fantastic, but not necessary to get started.

Let's do it in the kitchen.

This contest was MADE FOR ME. My wish list is 90% stuff I want for the kitchen. Edit: I am only linking things that I have tried for myself so I can recommend them.

Have you seen these gloves? Never cut your finger off again! Need to steam stuff but you're tired of burning your fingers removing your veggies? I got you, girl! Love cooking with garlic but you're tired of your hands always smelling like it? No sweat! Tired of always fishing your spoons out of your spaghetti sauce? No worries!

For me, I just need my cast iron pans and I'm a happy girl. My dutch oven is probably my favorite one, I can make ANYTHING in it.

Here you go. He used a 5 quart one from what I can tell.

dutch oven

I'll just list everything that I can, how's that?

The bakers rack on the left is This

The left most skillet is an AUS-ION
They're made in Australia and so smooth. Some nice touches of the piece are the very detailed cut-out of Australia on the handle and another nice engraving on the bottom.

Then there's the Stargazer. My first expensive piece. It's also very smooth. It's had a hard time keeping its seasoning, and I've admittedly been babying it by seasoning and seasoning it with flaxseed oil and a Crisbee puck.

Then there is the Finex group. It starts with the 10" grill pan. Then there's the 12" and 8". I just love the different geometric shapes of them.

All the way to the right is the Lodge Sauce Pot

I haven't used it a whole lot other than to make a few dips.

Between the big hanging skillets are some Lodge 4" and 5" skillets that I thought just looked cool and rounded out my collection.

The griddle is just a double sided griddle from world market. It's my go to pancake tool.

Then there is an A1 Chef pizza pan that I honestly don't use very much. I tend to just use some cheap aluminum pans with holes on the bottom because they're easier to form the crust on.

On the middle shelf from left to right are my 10" and 12" lodges. The 10" was my very first cast iron skillet. They've both been stripped and reseasoned and are much smoother than factory. I don't see myself giving up my first two skillets. I still use them a lot.

In the middle is the 10" grill pan from Lodge. I honestly hate cleaning the grill pans and have found that the lines in the meat aren't really worth the scraping. There's also some cheap fajita skillet that I don't think I've ever used.

And on the right is the Lodge enameled dutch oven but in the light grey. I love this thing, and got it for a song on Amazon one day.

On the bottom shelf on the left is the Lodge Wok I have definintely not used it. It seems like it would be better on a gas range, which I don't have. This was an impulse buy, and I don't know how to really cook any asian food, so who knows.

Then last but not least is the regular Lodge Dutch Oven
Many a roast has been made in this. The drip spikes on top does the basting for you. I just got a sous vide setup, so I'll probably be using it less and less, but sometimes I know I'll want the smell of a roast wafting through the air all day on a cold Autumn day.

Bonus pieces Kitchenaid Stainless Steel cookware set on top with All clad non-stick pans to the right of those.

Then there are some Lodge Stonewear on the other bakers rack

$30.54

The bread does not go in the pot. The pot goes on top of the bread. Baking bread in a container that constricts its expansion will ruin the crust and destroy the texture of the crumb. Only short breads (muffins, cakes, ect) and soft pullman loaves (no crumb or crust) get bakes in containers.

Looks like you got a DIY version of a cloche baking pot. The cloche simulates a stone oven cooking the bread with infra-red heat (radiation). Whereas a standard home oven cooks using only hot air (conduction).


To use your DIY cloche, you need a baking stone or terra-cotta tiles. Preheat the baking stone and pot to 500F. When they are good and hot, place your bread dough (shaped into a boule) on the stone and cover it with the pot. Bake as per recipe.


Since you are just starting out I am going to recommend against using this technique, because judging the oven temperature and transferring the dough into the hot baking stones can be a bit tricky.


Instead you should buy a cast iron dutch oven and use Jim Lahey's No Knead technique. His method is practically foolproof and produces great bread with less than 20 minutes of time invested per loaf.


The cloche will give you better results for a wider range of dough formulas provided you take the time to learn about bread. I would recommend you read The Bread Bakers Apprentice if you are interested in going this route.

here you go, $30:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00063RWYI/ref=s9_acsd_simh_hd_bw_b1DOU_c_x_3_w?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-4&pf_rd_r=T4DBEM8FYZPBSXRFG4XZ&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=583113ca-4280-5cf7-9256-1686242a14df&pf_rd_i=289818

so they say, enamels tend to crack. cast iron pots can last generations. if they rust, just scrub it off with steel wool and season again.

Here's a similar device for half the cost. It doesn't have its own timer or heat source, so you have to put it on a stovetop, in an oven, over a campfire, on a grill, or somewhere else that heat is generated; and you do have to remember to open the lid and eat what you cooked at some point (although it turns out humans have a built-in timer for this called "hunger.") And if you want it to build a head of pressure you have to put a couple bricks on the lid.

If you can't see how this is going to be exactly equivalent to the fancy thingie with a cord, heating element, and blue LEDs, you might want to reconsider your plan as in that case it doesn't sound like you're actually planning to slow-cook anything.

If you're serious about doing this and saving money, you can often pick up an old Dutch oven at swap meet, yard sale, Goodwill, thrift shop or craigslist for about $10.

I have a fancy electric slow cooker and an enameled Dutch oven; I far prefer the Dutch oven because it is easier and more convenient to use, and I've occasionally regretted that it's a $300 enamel job and not the $35 cast iron because you can take cast iron camping, make your stew, make dessert on the lid, brush everything off with a wire brush at the end, and not worry about your pretty enamel getting chipped, scratched or stained.

Only if you have no access to any other heat source would I bless the electric thingie.

This is the one I have. http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-L8DOL3-Pre-Seasoned-Cast-Iron-Handles/dp/B00063RWYI

I bake of loaf that is 775g of four, and 70%. It goes just up to the edge but doesn't touch them. It's perfect for that size or smaller. It is a pretty big loaf.

Yes! You just want to be careful it doesn't have the feet on the bottom, that you can use it like a regular baking dish. Something like this would work great.

This is really the best answer. I'm sure you could find an electric one, but it would never last a lifetime. A cast iron skillet, properly cared for, will last several lifetimes. Here is the one I have, but you could find one cheaper.

I'd go with a cast iron skillet, cast iron dutch oven (this one's lid doubles as a pan so it's sort of a 2 for 1 deal), or a decent knife.

The cast iron stuff should be at walmart for the same-ish price if you don't want to deal with shipping.

If properly cared for, any of those things should last a long time. The cast iron could potentially last for generations.

You can get a 5-quart dutch oven on Amazon for $36.

No, you don't need one. It's literally throw stuff in a bowl, mix, then ignore for 19 hours. Pop the big bubbles, turn out, shape into a ball, ignore for 2 hours. Bake in dutch oven, done.

https://www.amazon.com/Lodge-L8DOL3-Handles-Pre-Seasoned-5-Quart/dp/B00063RWYI/ref=sr_1_3_acs_ac_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535867943&sr=8-3-acs&keywords=dutch+oven

Buy Lodge (preferably USA-made Lodge) or buy an expensive French one like Le Creuset or Staub. Do not buy Chinese garbage at a place like Macys (basically any brand named after a famous chef or chef-like person is going to be crap).

Apparently the enameled Lodge stuff is made in China (the plain matte black is USA made still). Lodge is a reputable brand, but I would personally avoid the enameled stuff.

Here is the desktop version of your link

Lodge makes some inexpensive ones that aren't as good as but at least comparable to Le Creuset from what I've seen

http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-EC6D43-Enameled-Island-6-Quart/dp/B000N501BK/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1409173482&sr=8-7&keywords=lodge

Also, something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-LCC3-Pre-Seasoned-Cast-Iron-3-Quart/dp/B0009JKG9M/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1409173593&sr=8-6&keywords=lodge

or this would work too with regards to the bread and you could use the Le Creuset for braises:
http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-L8DOL3-Pre-Seasoned-Cast-Iron-Handles/dp/B00063RWYI/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1409173593&sr=8-12&keywords=lodge

However, non-enamled cast iron comes with some caveats of what you should cook in it without a solid seasoning built up and extra care to avoid rust.

it makes sense if you look at an actual dutch oven

Forkish recommends a 4-qt for the FWSY recipes. I use this one for those recipes. It spreads out a little more than it would in a 4 quart but still gets some good height on it.

Dropping it in isn't really that much of an issue, unless you're tossing it in from a few feet off the ground. 8 inches or so won't really matter.

No. If the dough is too low in my oven I think the bottom gets too hot compared to the top, and it burns, so I put it on a rack that is higher in the oven.

I think that you might have a hard time putting a dutch oven like this on a rack because of the feet.

I have this (EDIT: 5Qt), which is big enough for your standard 500g flour loaf. I'm fine with that size.

https://www.amazon.com/Lodge-L8DOL3-Handles-Pre-Seasoned-5-Quart/dp/B00063RWYI

https://www.amazon.com/Aroma-Housewares-AID-506-Induction-Plate/dp/B0044WWBGG

For future bread baking I would buy cheap cast iron dutch oven like this one: https://www.amazon.com/Lodge-L8DOL3-Handles-Pre-Seasoned-5-Quart/dp/B00063RWYI

The high temperatures won't eventually crack an enameled cast iron or damage the glaze on the ceramic.