This weekend, I made a sourdough oatmeal honey sandwich loaf for my husband. My house smelled like the baking company in my Alabama hometown. Oh, the sweet fragrant memories that transported me back to my youth. The community around the bakery always smelled wonderfully of the baked bread, and I was so excited to recreate that memory in my home with just a bit of flour, water, sourdough starter and an iron baking pan.

When I began to venture into bread making this year, my daughter loaned me her prized iron bake pan. It bakes a beautiful loaf.

And look at this loaf. I immediately smelled the wildflower honey. It was the last of a bottle I purchased from a friend’s apiary in Virginia, and I need to order some more. We couldn’t wait for this beautiful bread to cool, so we could have a slice with delicious butter and homemade pear preserves.

AND, here is the TIP! To grease the pan prior to baking, I pour a teaspoon of olive (or other) oil into the bottom of the pan and used a coffee filter to spread the oil over the bottom and sides of the pan. It is easier to completely coat the pan, and it keeps your fingers just a bit cleaner. This process also works with shortening and butter when you are greasing most any pan. The coating is more even and complete and you will not be surprised with ugly stuck bread.

Just thought I would share this tip with you. Hope you are excited about using iron to bake. I’ll share the recipe for an Olive and Parmesan boulle with you in a future posting which I bake on the lid of a Dutch oven.

If you are interested in a sourdough starter and recipes, I found instructions on Pinterest. There are many posts from the sourdough experts of which I am not one. Simply, sourdough begins with unbleached all purpose flour and filtered water. But, like a pet, it is a commitment because you are beginning a living collection of wild yummy yeast in a jar which you have to feed and nurture.

This weekend our house was full of family! My favorite kind of weekend. While we were putting up jars of jam and preserves, we cooked buttermilk fried chicken fingers and a fresh peach cobbler ….both in iron, or course. However, I was enjoying the gathering so much that I didn’t take photos! Oh my. I reckon I’ll have to do those again so I can share them with you. So, please stay tuned.

What are you cooking in iron this week? We’d love to hear from you. Also, if you have a question about using, storing, refurbishing iron, you can email me at the address below or comment here.

Have a blessed week! Buon Apetito!

Kim Orsini

Iron Maiden – Black Skillet Cooking

Kdorsini@icloud.com