Brunswick Bakers Seasoned Cast Iron Bread Pan Questions & Answers

Hi Lynette, Congrats on your new purchase. I hope it serves you as well as my Brunswick has for me, and I have no complaints. Firstly, yes it's like your Dutch oven. Although explicit instructions are few and far between because every oven is different, and of course if you live in a cold area it'll take longer to heat up than in the tropics.

I frequently preheat my Brunswick to 10-15C above the initial baking temperature for crisp crusts but immediately drop it to the recipe temp when I put my dough in. The initial increase allows for the cooling when I'm putting my boules/batards/baguettes in and the initial cooling that the dough has on the iron.

If you have a contact free thermometer (laser) you can easily see how the iron is going. The fancy ones are expensive, but there's a lot of more affordable ones these days. They're available online, any BBQ store, even Bunnings these days. If not, don't worry, I usually heat the pan up for about 45-50 mins before adding the dough and that works for me.

Pro Tip:

If you use the laser thermometer, remember to heat the pan closed (lid on), then measure the inside of the pan to see how well it's "heated through"... then once you know how long that takes to reach the desired temp on a couple of occasions, you can heat it open or with the base and lid on separate racks, (now the heat is applied on both sides) and roughly halve that heat up time. :-)

That's the only way I can think of for you to get a feel for how your particular pan and oven work together.

I hope this helps! Happy baking. Harmo

Thank you very much, Harmo. That is helpful. I’ve never heard of a laser thermometer before. Are there special bread recipes that I should use? When I bought the pan I hadn’t thought of baking baguettes etc in the pan, just a bread loaf, but I will give it a try. I usually bake baguettes on a pizza stone and they work well. It will be interesting to see the difference when they are in the pan.

Hi Pip B, Let's start with a frame of reference: My "everyday" bread recipe is about 150g water + 150g flour "Poolish starter", backed up by an additional 280g water, and 400g flour added on the day, so a total of 550g flour and 430g water, (excluding salt and yeast, which seems to be in the ball park of your recipe) which even on a "good rise" won't fill the space in the Brunswick pan. In fact I bake a batch of dough about 1.5-1.75x that most days in this pan without issue. (Naturally I have to adjust the times and temperatures accordingly)

Yes the Brunswick has a flat top, but those walls are steep for much of the height, giving it quite a bit of head room inside. That said... the shallowness and width of the base will need a firmer dough if you want it to keep the intended shape. It works quite well for two separate, foot-long baguettes side by side as well... but that dough needs structure... if it doesn't it'll sag and make a delicious, but ultimately flattish loaf. :-)

Please bear in mind that air circulation isn't the goal of your cast iron pot or this pan, it's the embodied, radiant heat from the preheated metal for even cooking, and the lack of airflow that is intended to slow the surface evaporation down a little by containing the moisture near the dough for longer, allowing the dough to rise higher by preventing the premature drying out and hardening of the crust.

In fact, I often spray a little water over my shaped/sliced dough balls just before putting the lid on and placing it in the oven to enhance the process further. Once it's risen enough, I take the lid off in the second baking stage, sometimes removing the loaf from the pan entirely, and bake it "nude" to brown the crust to my preferred level.

So in short, this should easily handle your recipe in terms of volume, it's actually one of the biggest loaf pans available. At least, of the several models that I'm aware of.

I hope that helps with your decision making, all the best in your bread baking!

Harmo.

Thanks so much for all that information, Harmo! I've now ordered the Brunswick and I'm sure I'll be baking lots of yummy sourdough for the family for years to come. Pip.

Hello again Colc, Firstly, that's a great question. The answer isn't a simple one, partly because the Brunswick had less detail about the exact iron composition than the other pans I've looked at. From the specs, it's "Grey" cast iron, but that's a category, rather than exact recipe. Metallurgical studies have found that the likelihood of thermal stress cracking is heavily impacted by the rate of heating/cooling, as well as the amount and type of carbon in the metal. Different sources of iron, different foundries, and even different batches can each have variances in terms of resistance to thermal cracking. So I'm just going to tell you what I know... which probably won't be much more than you.

I haven't had any problems with baking bread in mine from an ambient temperature. Although it does take quite some time to heat up that much iron, so the rapid expansion you're worried about is less likely, but may have an impact over years of such use.

Obviously, the less temperature range you expose the pan to, the better the iron will hold up. If you live in Cairns, where the temperature would be lucky to drop below 25 Celsius, and you bake to 200-220, then it is fine. If you live in Perisher valley at -8C (or worse yet, at Mawson Station at -38C) and treat your oven closer to a low-grade forge/furnace (say 400C) and you do it extremely quickly... then of course you can expect an increased chance of experiencing issues. I've had many cast iron pots hanging over/in raging campfires, and I've never had one crack yet. But know that I had the food (doughs/stews/etc) itself absorbing/buffering that initial heat shock, just a bit.

Honestly, I don't think you'll do much damage, even going to 250-275C. I pre-heat for most of my bakes, but I've probably done about 80-90 ambient (averaging 13-20C) bread bakes (220-275) with no sign of damage so far.

I hope that helps! Sorry if it was too long winded. Harmo.

Hi Beetles, Always happy to help a fellow baker. Yes of course, you can bake rolls in the Brunswick (or similar) pans. I generally bake two long/thin French-styled rolls side by side in my Brunswick, the rectangular shape makes it easier to fit two "baguettes" than some of the more oval shaped pans, (like Skitchen's "Brisbane" series of pans) which I generally use for single loaves. If you're looking to make large rolls, bordering-but-not-quite-the-size-of-whole-loaves, then to the Brisbane Sourdough Regular pan is probably the best one I can think of. It is more expensive though, and somewhat more limiting due to the smaller size. That said, you can fit more than one of these smaller pans into an oven.

Of course, like any of these pans, their bottom is flat, (aside from the low rim of the bottom edge). So rolls aren't "externally supported" during the bake and would normally require your dough have enough "strength" to hold its shape. If you're using a high hydration or "slack" doughs, then you can expect the dough will spread out and flatten somewhat as it cooks.

Are low/flatter rolls still tasty though? of course they are! :-) In fact, it works pretty well with foccacia and turkish breads.

Anyway, if your goal is crusty, tall rolls stay away from slack/wet doughs, build up a decent gluten network before baking, and you'll have no problems with the Brunswick.

I hope this helps! Hamish.

Hi Hamish, wow, thank you so much! I have a favourite focaccia recipe that I use another tin for - so no problem there! I hadn’t thought too much about the type of roll, so really appreciate your comments about the different dough strengths - will keep this mind. I just didn’t want the rolls to all blend together, so will aim for a stronger dough and space them apart a bit? I’m pretty much sold on the Brunswick bakers pan - would just like it to be multi purpose if possible. Thank you again.

Hi Glo, Always happy to help a fellow baker. I don't know what's going on with your dough, I'm flying blind here. If it's the same dough in all three cases, and it behaves differently in two different pieces of iron bake ware, then my guesses are:

1. Maybe you're over-proofing (because the Brunswick takes so long to heat up) and the gas is lost. This is merely a scheduling/timing issue. 2. The Brunswick is not up to temperature... 3. Different sized loaves need to be baked differently. (This requires a little trial and error)

Each of these cases can (individually, or combined) to slow or even inhibit the rise. If you're making different dough recipes, (as I often do) it's hard to nail down the exact cause. Some sourdoughs for instance, simply won't rise as much as normal breads. They can be a little finnicky, especially if you're changing quantities, and making different sized loaves. It takes longer to get the heat into larger loaves, especially with high hydration recipes. So a somewhat lower initial temperature for longer time will probably ensure a better rise, but of course, you probably want that high heat to get a crunchy, flavoursome crust too afterwards.

Your oven is also a consideration. There's no "one set time".

Pre-heating times will depend on various factors like your current climate, how hot you're baking at, and of course, how effective the oven is at getting to the target temperature. Every oven is different, and the greater the difference between ambient and target temps, and the more iron/food you have... the longer it'll take.

Here in Canberra winter, on a 15Amp, 70L (60cm wide, standard height/depth) oven that's 18 years old.... I usually start the oven (and the preheating of my cast iron gear) about 45-55 minutes early to ensure I'm at the 220-270 Celsius needed when I start baking. If you have an infrared thermometer (the non-contact kind) you could check the temperature of the Brunswick prior to putting the dough in. Alternatively, just give it a bigger head start to heat up the Brunswick.

If your cast iron pot works for you, maybe heating the extra iron in the Brunswick is the issue. If your cast iron pot weighs less than the Brunswick (my empty Brunswick is 7Kg of iron) I'd weigh the other pot, find out how many times your other pots weight can fit into the Brunswick. Let's say your other pot weighs 3.7Kg (empty) then calculate the heat-up time by using the following example:

7Kg divided by 3.7Kg = 1.89x (I'd multiply the heat up time accordingly). Then you can experiment a bit, shortening it until the preheating isn't reached in the time frame.

Anyway, good luck, I hope this helps! Harmo.

Hi Colc, The pre-seasoning was ok on my Brunswick. However, after washing it by hand in very mild soapy water for first use, (which is always recommended) and thoroughly drying the base and lid. I just gave it an additional seasoning coat to cover any gaps with a little grape seed oil, I find it's a little nicer than vegetable oil, but your mileage may vary. There are plenty of You Tube videos on how to season a cast iron pan if you don't know how.

Now I am sure you know, but I'm saying this, just to be clear:

Seasoning is NOT dishwasher safe. In fact, it's one of the fastest ways to remove most if not ALL the seasoning.

If you do use a dishwasher, or cook/spill acidic foods (wine, vinegar, citrus, reductions, etc) it's likely to damage the seasoned coating, or completely remove it in the dishwasher. Similarly if you leave the pan outdoors in the rain, it won't last. So keep this in mind if you're taking it while camping.

You will need to periodically give the Brunswick's seasoning a re-coating as it will naturally decay over time. However, because bread isn't like the usual oily/fatty foods that adds layers of seasoning to a wok or cast iron frypan through everyday use, it's likely the Brunswick will need seasoning more often. If you notice any rust, just clean it off, and re-season. Or feel free to add a couple of coats if it's "been a while". If I notice any of my cast iron gear needs more seasoning, I'll usually take that as an excuse to go through and season all of my cast iron cookware in one hit. I guess I do this on average... every 5-8 months or so.

I do have to say that the cast iron texture, along with the seasoning has been amazing as a non-stick surface, and I really enjoy not having to scrape it out as I have with some insufficiently greased sheet metal loaf pans. However, it is even better if you have a few thin coats, properly bonded, rather than just the original seasoning.

So is the Brunswick pre-seasoning sufficient for the first few bakes, absolutely. But it requires maintenance, and is improved by 2-3 thin additional coatings. Thin is key!

I hope this answers your question, happy baking! Hamish.

Thank you so much for your informative response

How do you season it again? I’ve used my pan only twice, and have noticed I have one small rust spot. Is this normal after such a short time?

I have had this pan for about 8months and have seasoned it a couple of times but the rust continues to come through.

I have never had this problem, Before each bake I apply a light coat of canola oil with a smooth cloth prior to preheat, results in a perfect non stick finish

Hi Wendy & Peter, Sorry for the slow response. I'm answering Wendy, but through that answer, I'll also answer Peter. My way to season cast iron (and it works for me, but everyone has their preferred ways) is as follows:

1. Clean and de-rust your cast iron BY HAND in extremely mild detergent. Dry it as quickly and thoroughly as possible. 2. Choose an oil type that has a high-ish smoke point. Use this for reference:

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Note that some oil types have wildly varying smoke points depending on how refined the oil is. This makes it a poor choice if you're not utterly sure what you're dealing with. (I like grape seed oil, it's almost universally consistent, it's not sticky afterwards, and 216 degree Celsius smoke point is good for my 200-210 degree "seasoning process"). 3. As suggested in step 2, preheat you cast iron to something a little lower than the smoke point of your chosen oil. I like to give it time (say 45 mins to an hour) to really expand and open up the pores in the iron. This will help the seasoning to attach to the metal. 4. While it's still hot (don't turn that oven off, you'll be using it shortly). I sit my cast iron pan on my gas hob stove, and quickly and thoroughly rub the oil all over the iron surface with paper towel. You do NOT want it dripping, while there are many sites that advocate thick coats, in my experience, thin coats stick MUCH better, and work as a non-stick surface better, and last longer. I think people who like thick coats are probably cooking oils/fats/meat in their cookware, so it's naturally replenished as part of the cooking process... not so relevant for a bread baking pan like this one. 5. Put it back into the oven and bake for another 30-60 minutes. Don't be worried too much if you get a little smoke. It's pretty close to that smoke point, but you want that heat there to harden it up a bit. However, if you get a LOT of smoke, then dial the heat down a bit. You don't want carcinogens on your cookware. :-) 6. Pull it out, let it cool for just a minute or two on a heat proof surface (I use my stove) then repeat step 4 and 5. 7. Then allow to cool in the oven. Don't be surprised if you still get a little smoke. A little is ok.

Sometimes, if I know I'll beat the seasoning up, I'll repeat steps 1-7 after cool down (usually while I'm seasoning other cast iron cookware) then come back to it.

TROUBLESHOOTING:

If you're getting rust, it might be because someone has:

1. Damaged the seasoning by using metal implements, or over heating (burning) it off. 2. Put it in the dishwasher, left it out in the weather, used industrial oven cleaner... basically any exposure to UV/caustic material/liquid will damage the coat. 3. Made the initial/subsequent coatings was/were too thick, or applied at a temperature that wasn't hot enough.. or the underlying iron wasn't clean enough at the time of application.

Try to track down the likeliest subjects and try to avoid them in future.

That said, it might just be old, and you might have a failing "base coat" and need to "start from scratch" by doing a thorough scrub with full detergent, even a metal scourer. Take it right back to bare iron, then rinse thoroughly, and dry thoroughly A.S.A.P. Then repeat steps 1-7.

I hope this helps. Good luck! Hamish.