Make Homemade Bread Taller And Crustier With One Simple Tool

Breadmakers have plenty of modern appliances, including this Cuisinart bread machine, to produce freshly baked loaves with the push of a button. That said, you can achieve a crusty, tall bread boule with a simple tool known as a cloche. Dating back to the time of the ancient Etruscans, a cloche is a bell-shaped ceramic structure that consists of a flat foundation and a tall, domed top into which you place bread dough before baking it in a hearth or oven.

Meaning "bell" in French, the cloche is designed and constructed to deliver a moist tender crumb, crispy crust, and a decidedly taller loaf of bread. Similar to what you'd do with cast iron pans or Dutch ovens, you start by preheating the cloche, which kickstarts the baking process and facilitates the rise of your dough into a taller loaf. A cloche is also a closed container that allows for the trapping and collection of steam. Whereas steam rises and evaporates from your bread in an uncovered baking pan in the oven, a cloche provides a steamy cocoon that'll result in a springy moist crumb and a crispy, crackly crust.

The cloche's ceramic material also ensures even heat distribution for even cooking, brings out the natural flavor of your food, and is easy to clean. Modern appliances have revolutionized cooking in many culinary arenas, but for the best bread, ancient practices oftentimes still reign supreme.

Dutch ovens share certain similarities with cloches, and we've even made the argument that baking bread is one of the best uses for a Dutch oven. Both appliances employ the same mechanism to bake bread by using their enclosed forms like a hearth to distribute heat and retain moisture.

However, there are key differences between cloches and Dutch ovens that you should know about. To begin, cloches are specialized appliances with the singular purpose of baking bread while Dutch Ovens serve multiple purposes and encompass many recipes. Cloches have a dome-shaped top that sits over a flat base while Dutch ovens have a half-dome top and a large, deep pot foundation. Since they're meant for bread baking, cloches are all similar in size. Dutch ovens, on the other hand, come in various sizes, many of which are much larger and deeper than bread cloches. Furthermore, cloches are traditionally made with ceramic but Dutch ovens encompass various heat-conducting materials, like this cast iron Dutch oven.

Dutch ovens are more versatile when cooking various recipes and are definitely something any home cook will want to invest in. But bread cloches are most recommended for die-hard home bread makers looking to get the best results.