Sunday Notes: The 45-Minute Preheat

For years I preheated the Dutch oven for 25 minutes at 500°F and could never figure out why the bottom of the loaf came out pale and slightly damp.

Cast iron is a heat sink. It takes 45 minutes at 500°F to actually saturate. Any less and the dough hits a cool floor and steams instead of searing.

Since I switched to a 45-minute preheat, the bottom has been reliably crackly and dark. It's a small time cost for a real quality shift.