COOKING NOTES; Over the years I have burnt bread, desserts, vegetables and about anything else I cooked in a dutch oven. So what I am going to try to do is give you some ideas on who to adjust your heat. First off there are two kinds of dutch ovens, the one we use come in different sizes of 8”, 10”, 12”, 14” and 16 “. Some are deeper than others but work the same. These have a lid with a lip all the way around and three legs to set on, to keep it off of the ground. The other one comes in different sizes but does not have a lip on the lid or the legs, these can be used on the open fire or in your oven in the house. We use coals from the fire pit which is from mainly mesquite, but any hardwood does fine. Once the wood has burned down and you have a good bed of coals then it is time to bake. Now the fun begins, Clear a small spot on the ground and using a 12 inch dutch oven I will put about ½ ½1/2of a shovelful of coals on the ground, take and spread the coals out to the size of the bottom of the dutch. Set the dutch on top of the coals and then put a little more than ¾ 3/4of a shovelful on top, keeping the direct center of the dutch lid free of coals. It is best to use a wind break if possible because the wind will effect your temp. You should have about a 350° oven. It is best to pre-heat your oven some before baking, and then once you start bake at the regular time, but check every once in a while. You will need to add coals on the recipes that take a long time, but it depends on the wood you use. I have added this for any of those that would prefer to use the charcoal briquets. Once the briquets are lit and going good then a rule of thumb is as follows. Take the size of the oven and take that number of briquets minus 3 for the bottom of the dutch. 12” dutch bottom 12 – 3 = 9 briquets top 12 + 3 = 15 briquets Adding 1 to the top and 1 to the bottom will bring the heat up about 25 degrees and visa-versa. Hope this will help, and remember that burnt bisquits is just a way of learning.
Seasoning a New Dutch Oven;
New Dutch ovens need to be cured and a simple way is to heat them in an oven with the lid off laying beside or on another rack at 350˚ for about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. With a lightly oiled rag(vegetable oil works great) wipe the entire oven and lid to remove the protective coating. Be careful the oven will still be hot. When the oven has cooled repeat the process, and when you remove it from the oven the second time let it cool for about 15 to 20 minutes, then wipe completely with a well vegetable oiled rag, lid and all. I usually repeat this process one more time and let the oven and lid completely cool. It is ready for use. Always re-oil after each use. To store you dutch, place a paper towel inside before putting on the lid, it will absorb any moisture that may develop.
Coals & The Dutch Oven;
The size of the oven and the number of briquets plus 3 for the top of the oven. This will give you approximately a 350 oven.
EXAMPLE:
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FEATURED RECIPE RAFTER L
By Dennis Dodson
This is for a 12" Dutch Oven
Take one yellow cake mix and prepare according to the directions on the box, except where it calls for 1 cup of water just use 1/4 cup. This can be completely mixed in your dutch oven. To this add 3 quart sized cans of canned peaches, but drain the juice of each can. There will still be a little juice left in the peaches, and this is where the rest of the moisture comes from for the cake mix. Stir the peaches around a little then sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon and a little nutmeg. I usually take about 1/2 to 3/4 stick of butter cut into small pieces and add to the top. You can add a little amaretto to the top for a little different taste. Now the Cobbler is ready for the coals. Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes or until the crust becomes a golden color.
