SuperStone / 9" x 8" Bread Dome Baker

This product does two really great things-- allows an even, more rounded (dare I say BOULE) final rise shape and THEN an amazing oven spring and even...no, stunningly even bake. For wet doughs of the no-knead variety this is really important to not have to move the dough after the final rise to bake. I am having a slight problem with sticking using only cornmeal (haven't tried oil yet). Some patient and gentle prying-- working a rubber spatula under the bread whilst it cools releases the bread unharmed. I'm sure there is a solution for this because only a few spots seem to stick-- not the whole bottom surface. Only other issue is gripping the top with oven mitts is hard (you often take it off for the last 10 minutes of baking). It's pretty close to the top of the oven and the grip is useless such you end up gripping the sides. Again, the output quality of the loaf is just not possible any other way so the ergonomics are easily taken in stride for me.

Absolutely love it. The best way to bake "New Artisan Breads in Five Minutes a Day" ( by Jeff Hertzberg, M.D, and Zoe Francois) as it holds the form of the relatively wet dough while it is baking, and keeps it form spreading out too much. Be sure to buy the right size banneton (reed basket or similar) for raising the bread. The 1 kg (8.5" or 21.5 cm) round banneton I have fits it perfectly. Also the doughs in Chad Robertson's "Tartine" books, and in Ken Fprkish's, "Flour, Water, Salt, Yeast" are worked very wet and thus this pot is good for baking them. Chad and Ken recommend working with cast iron casseroles. I tried both and while there may be some slightly better crust achieved at the slightly higher temperature of the cast iron, day to day, the pleasure of working with the lighter weight, and less dangerous, terra cotta bread pot, wins hands down over the cast iron. Now I wish Sassafras would make a larger version too!

This is really good, but I wish I had bought a cloche. I have to drop the dough into this type because to reach in gently results in a burnt wrist. The dropping deforms the lump. Someone who knows what they're doing would likely love it, but I'm a bit clumsy. The cloche with its shallow bottom would not impede hand motion, and the bell-like (cloche) top provides the same coverage as this. Given the price of these things I'll learn to live with this, or find some exciting new uses for it then add a star, maybe two! Well made, good quality. but not well matched to my performance level.

Love it! Love it! Love it! I use it all the time - mostly for baking bread. It works SO WELL. The only down side is it gets discolored as you use it and you can't keep it looking bright and new. That does not impact its performance. It does a fabulous job baking artisan bread - nice rise and great crust. I am so glad I bought it.

The bread dome works as advertised and produces a nice loaf of artisan bread. After trying out different things I have come to the conclusion though that it is not the ideal vessel for bread baking. I have found that enameled cast iron dutch ovens are much more practical. What crust and crumb are concerned, the results are identical, I can' t find any difference in tatse and texture between a loaf baked in the clay baker and one baked in a dutch oven.The single biggest advantage of a dutch oven over the clay baker is that you can bake a loaf in it that has been proofed in the fridge. It doesn' t need to be at room temperature, it can go from the fridge directly into the preheated dutch oven. This results in a very nice oven spring, and the cold dough is much easier to handle and holds it's shape much better than a dough at room temperature.I have to add that I always do one of the steps, either the bulk fermentatin or the loaf proof, in the fridge, since the slower and longer fermentation results in a superior taste.Being able to do the loaf proof in the fridge makes you much more flexible. It gives you a larger time window of when to bake the bread, since it's proofing much slower in the fridge, so you can postpone the baking for a few hours if something comes up at the last minute. You also have the choice to do the bulk fermentation at room temperature and the loaf proof in the fridge, or the other way around.You have none of this flexibility with the clay baker, since putting a loaf from the fridge into the preheated clay baker will almost certainly break it due to the rapid temperature change. You have to do the loaf proof at room temperature if you want to use the clay baker. This restricts your options and your flexibility considerably and makes the cast iron durtch oven a better choice.Other things to consider: with the cast iron dutch oven you don't have to constantly worry that you might break it. It's easier to clean. Also, I like the shape of the bread better, with a flat bottom and a round top. The bread dome is shaped somewhat like a ball, the lower half gets narrower toward the bottom, so the resulting loaf is shaped somehat like a slightly flattened ball. And finally, the lower half of the bread dome has a rim on the inside around the perimeter that holds the lid, but it makes the opening narrower, and it's more difficult to place a loaf of bread inside it than it is to put it into a durch oven.Bottom line: I have used the bread dome a lot to bake bread, and I was happy with the results, but ever since I got a dutch oven, I prefer using that, and the bread dome gathers dust. I might use it as a clay baker/cooker to cook other dishes than bread in it in the future. But as a bread baker I have retired it.

i bought it for bread, it has lots of other applications.

great for bread baking and much more!