How to Bake Sourdough Bread in a Barbeque

Introduction

Baking bread in a home BBQ is a great way to get a crispy crust and a chewy interior. It's also a fun challenge to use your BBQ during the summer months.

In this article, we will show you how to bake bread in a home BBQ. We will provide you our simple recipe for Abigail's Oven Country Loaf and some tips for getting the best results to beat the heat in your kitchen.

Abigail's Oven Sourdough Country Loaf Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (120 g) active sourdough starter
• 1 1/3 cups + 2 tablespoons (350 g) water
• ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon (50 g) whole wheat flour
• 3 ¾ cups (450 g) bread flour
• 2 teaspoons (10 g) fine sea salt

Instructions:

In a mixing bowl, combine the sourdough starter, water, and flour. Mix by hand until a shaggy dough comes together. OR In a stand mixer knead for 5-7 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, add the salt to the dough with a bit more water [¼ cup/ 60g] and poke the salt and water into the dough.  Then turn the dough and stretch and fold it in your bowl. (see instructions to the right >>>) Repeat this stretch and fold every 30 minutes during the next 90 minutes. Then cover the dough with plastic wrap or a damp towel, and let rise in a warm place for 6–8 hours, or until doubled in size. (NOTE: if you are working to mitigate gluten in your diet, the dough should be cold fermented for 12 or more hours.) Once the dough has doubled in size, shape it into a loaf. Place the dough into a well floured proofing basket or well floured cotton towel in a bowl, cover it with plastic for 1–2 hours, or until doubled in size. OR Leave the dough in the covered basket in your fridge overnight. When ready to bake, you can warm the dough back to room temperature before baking or score it cold and bake it a bit longer.

Stretch and Fold Stretch and fold is a simple technique that can be used to develop dough strength and that helps to develop the gluten network. Gluten is the protein that gives bread its structure and elasticity. To stretch and fold sourdough, you will need a bowl of dough and a second bowl of water to dip your hands into. Dip your fingers in water and grab a piece of dough from the top of the bowl. Stretch the dough up and over the top of the dough in the bowl. Fold the dough in half, pressing down gently to seal the edges. Repeat steps 2-4 two more times. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat steps 2-5 two more times. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. You can repeat the stretch and fold process 2-3 more times, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Using the BBQ to Bake Bread

1. Preheat the BBQ and your Dutch(s) ovens to 450°F (230°C) for about 10 minutes
2. Carefully remove the preheated Dutch oven from the barbecue, but quickly recover the lid to keep as much in in the BBQ as possible.
3. Remove the dough from your proofing basket, and place it on a sheet of parchment.
4. Score the bread with a sharp knife or lame  and lower dough into the hol Dutch oven using the parchment as a sling to prevent burning your hands. 
5. Place the Dutch oven back in the barbecue and bake for 30-40 minutes, at 400°F [205°C] if you can control the heat for 45-55 minutes.
   Otherwise, bake it indirectly on an unheated side of your gas grill.
   Either way the bread should be baked until the internal temperature reaches 200°F [95°C] and it turns a golden brown.
   It should also sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. 
6. Let the bread cool completely before slicing and serving.

Here are some tips for baking sourdough bread on your barbecue:

• Use a cast iron Dutch oven to help to create a nice crust and prevent the bread from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
• If you don't have a cast iron skillet or baking sheet, you can place the dough directly on the grill grates. Just be sure to preheat the grill grates for 5-10 minutes before placing the dough on them and lower the heat when baking.
• Preheat your barbecue will help to ensure that your bread bakes evenly.
• If you're using a gas barbeque, you can use a two-zone cooking setup. This means that you'll want to heat one side of the barbeque to high heat and the other side to low heat. Place the dough on the low heat side of the barbeque.
• Be careful when removing the Dutch oven from the barbecue. The handle will be hot!
• Score the top of the bread with a sharp knife before baking. This will help the bread to rise evenly and prevent it from cracking.
• Bake the bread for 30-40 minutes, or until it is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. But be sure to monitor the bread while it's baking. If the crust is browning too quickly, you can tent the bread with foil.
• Let the bread cool completely before slicing and serving.

Conclusion

Baking bread in a home BBQ is a fun and easy way to enjoy fresh bread during the summer months. With a little practice, you'll be able to bake delicious bread that your family and friends will love.