For your interest (or not) I've been baking bread lately per Lahey's
no knead procedure, with some interesting variations. I've followed
his basic formula to the point of 'stretching and folding' the dough
but at that point I put the loaf into a cold covered vessel (handling
a 500 F container and dumping a lump of dough therein seemed to me to
be haphazard at best and dangerous at worst, so I never tried it.
This concern has been expressed by a number of folks) let it proof
fully and then pop it, covered, into a 500 F oven for about 25
minutes, take it out and dump the partially baked loaf upright onto a
sheet pan, return the loaf to the oven at 425 F and bake for another
30 minutes or so, to 210 F internal temp. I used various saucepans
with lids, casseroles, etc., and they all seem to work equally well.
I finally settled as best for my purpose a Corningware lidded
casserole, the white one with flat bottom, straight sides and clear
glass lid. I've used all white flour, 70% white/30% whole wheat, and
a w/w sourdough variation. They all produced outstanding bread, very
consistently, perhaps the best I've made; although my tasters so far
prefer the sourdough with sunflower seeds. It also makes a handsome
loaf, not at all like some of the malformed things I have seen photos
of. Maybe next a sourdough rye?
FF