Opinions on Enameled Cast Iron Dutch ovens for baking

These are all round, so I guess you intend to make round loaves. If you're getting more than one, you might want to consider an oval, as well. Make sure the size is enough for your loaves--sometimes they hit the inside of the lid.

Maybe someone more knowledgeable than me could comment on a white DO for baking bread. I'm inclined to think it might not conduct heat as well as a darker pot, but I could be full of hot air.

i have 2 -- a round red no-name one I found on the street & an insanely massive white lodge oval I bought.

The lodge is definitely better. It's much heaver gauge and radiates heat more effectively so I get better crusts. Its one drawback is that the lid is a tiny bit mis-shapen.

Still, perhaps bc the lodge is so big, I have recently been baking more with the round pot.

Rob

I have a round dark blue enamel dutch oven from IKEA which I use for all my loaves, and I have never had a problem. The key is for them to be heavy and store the heat well.

My loaves are always based on 400g of total flour and they fit snuggly but well. Only the last couple of bakes where I have trialed a type of biga preferment did I have an issue with the oven spring of the loaves lifting the lid of the dutch oven, but that is a nice problem to have ;-)

I often use stone bread pans and then I don't have to deal with the edges of circle loaves. Then just use cast iron and ice for steam production, you preheat the stones just the same you would with the Dutch oven, just another option that's a bit cheaper