The Fresh Loaf

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Pottery cloche: glaze the inside?

Mason's picture
Mason

Pottery cloche: glaze the inside?

I’m an amateur potter and baker.  My oven has fans that run always, pulling out steam from the oven rather quickly.

So I’m making a pair of stoneware cloches in which to bake bread.  

Shallow base with a domed lid to keep in the steam.  The idea is to preheat the cloches in the oven, load a loaf in each (moistened with a water spray?), seal the lids, then bake.  Remove the lids about half way through the bake.

I’m torn about whether to glaze the inside of the lid.  It seems that perhaps an unglazed inside might absorb some steam, and so then maybe retain the steam a bit longer.  But perhaps it better for the lid to be glazed, and keep the steam in the air to be absorbed by the loaves?

Does anyone with experience have thoughts about this?