Now We’re Cooking with Gas
Some delicious homemade Covid bread. Still as good during non-Pandemic times.
A few years ago, the wife and I were chatting about how fun it would be to bake our own bread, and both of us had previously heard using a Dutch oven made bread baking a pretty straightforward endeavor. She was really into, so I surprised her for Christmas with a Le Creuset Dutch Oven per our friend’s recommendation. I bought her a 6.75L Shallow Oven (see it on Le Creuset) in teal. It’s gorgeous, it’s well constructed, and it makes a helluva loaf of bread.
Okay, I know that I’ve talked about products being too pricey, so this might seem like a bit of a contradiction since there are so many alternatives, but hear me out. The recommending friend of ours is an incredible home cook. He has every kitchen gadget under the sun, from ice cream makers to kitchen torches, he’s got it all. I reached out to pick his Dutch oven brain, and he said – you could go cheaper, but you won’t regret getting spending the money with Le Creuset.
With proper care, the piece is an heirloom. We’ve had ours for over 5 years at this point (the non-bread pic is from today), and by being careful with the enamel and cleaning it thoroughly after every use, it still looks brand new. Ours is the short and wide version, but a lot of folks prefer the more classic dimensions – something a bit taller, like this. For years, we were debating if it was worth the money to splurge on a Le Creuset, and I’m so glad we did. It does not disappoint.
A few things we’ve cooked in it:
I swear to god we’re clean people — the flour on the oven was used during a homemade pizza cooking session (not in the DO).
Breads
Tons of Soups
Full Chicken
Paella
Pineapple Pork
Cinnamon Rolls
The list goes on.
If you were ever on the fence and feeling squirmy about spending $200+ on a Le Creuset Dutch Oven, it’s our recommendation that you just do it. Or add one to your wedding registry or Christmas/ Birthday present list. You will get years and years of cooking out of it, and when decades roll by and you’re still using your beloved DO, you will look back at the present day value of $200 and think it was an absolute steal.
Get one!
-Him
