Cooking in Cast Iron Camp Ovens / Dutch Ovens

[sadie33]

I've been trying to make awesome hogie rolls. I have a good recipe, but not like the deli. I guess the magic is steam. Long story short my husband got me the challenger cast iron pan for making perfect hogie rolls!! I LOVE this thing. My first batch has come out better than anything I have done up to this point and it was only my first time. We had a prime rib roast for Christmas so I sliced up the leftovers nice and thin and heated it all up in an ajour sauce and put them on the hogie rolls. It was amazing. You can only cook 2 rolls at a time so I kinda experimented with each batch, you can see the difference in them. Here are some pics.

[Salt Must Flow]

I've been trying to make awesome hogie rolls. I have a good recipe, but not like the deli. I guess the magic is steam. Long story short my husband got me the challenger cast iron pan for making perfect hogie rolls!! I LOVE this thing. My first batch has come out better than anything I have done up to this point and it was only my first time. We had a prime rib roast for Christmas so I sliced up the leftovers nice and thin and heated it all up in an ajour sauce and put them on the hogie rolls. It was amazing. You can only cook 2 rolls at a time so I kinda experimented with each batch, you can see the difference in them. Here are some pics.



DSC_0028.JPG

DSC_0023.JPG

That's awesome! My wife works at the company that manufactures that exact cast iron pan! She brought me one from work one day because they rejected it as 'cosmetic defect'. I seasoned it, but never tried using it.

I too have recently been trying to make the best hogie rolls I can. This is the recipe I've been using and everyone absolutely loves them. This recipe also has a video on YouTube. I've been doubling the recipe and for driving up the humidity, I pre-heat the oven with an empty pan on the very bottom. Right after placing the dough on the oven rack, I dump a cup of ice cubes on the empty pan and shut the door.

I'm going to have to try using that cast iron pan now and see if it works better. Those things are VERY expensive! Like you said, you can only bake 2 rolls at a time. How long does it take for your hogie rolls to bake inside of that thing? It only takes me about 10 min on a pan. Does it take longer with the cast iron?


Also once you remove the first batch of buns, do you place the 2nd batch inside it immediately? If so, does the 2nd batch bake quicker?

[sadie33]

Oh my goodness, that's crazy awesome your wife works for them. What a score getting that!! It's funny, when I clicked on the video, it was one I already watched.
This was the video I liked best.

I tried one of the methods with the pan on top after adding ice and it made the best italian bread I ever made. I think that's what caused my husband to order the challenger pan. I can't wait to try that bread in it.
I used my crusty Italian bread recipe to start with (I did double it). I divided it into 6 rolls. I placed the pan in the oven at 500*F for 30 min. I had my first 2 rolls ready on parchment paper. I took the pan out of the oven, scored the 2 rolls, tossed them in my pan with my pizza peel and placed 4-8 pieces of ice in the pan, quickly put the lid on and put it back in the oven. I cooked it 10 min with the lid on, then took off the lid for 6-7 min. The rest of my rolls were ready (not scored) on parchment paper. I did put the pan back in the oven for about 5 min between batches. I didn't read to do this, I just decided to do it.

my first 2 I put them in the oven, then realized I forgot the ice and had to take it back out and add the ice I put 8 pieces of ice and the bottom edges of the rolls were a little wet. You can see those first 2 on the far right of the picture. They have a different look.

The next batch I did 6 pieces of ice and cooked for 6 min w/o the lid and they are lighter so the next batch I did 4 pieces of ice and cooked 7 min wo ice and they looked the best, they are on the far left of the picture.

[Salt Must Flow]

Oh my goodness, that's crazy awesome your wife works for them. What a score getting that!! It's funny, when I clicked on the video, it was one I already watched.
This was the video I liked best.

I tried one of the methods with the pan on top after adding ice and it made the best italian bread I ever made. I think that's what caused my husband to order the challenger pan. I can't wait to try that bread in it.
I used my crusty Italian bread recipe to start with (I did double it). I divided it into 6 rolls. I placed the pan in the oven at 500*F for 30 min. I had my first 2 rolls ready on parchment paper. I took the pan out of the oven, scored the 2 rolls, tossed them in my pan with my pizza peel and placed 4-8 pieces of ice in the pan, quickly put the lid on and put it back in the oven. I cooked it 10 min with the lid on, then took off the lid for 6-7 min. The rest of my rolls were ready (not scored) on parchment paper. I did put the pan back in the oven for about 5 min between batches. I didn't read to do this, I just decided to do it.

my first 2 I put them in the oven, then realized I forgot the ice and had to take it back out and add the ice I put 8 pieces of ice and the bottom edges of the rolls were a little wet. You can see those first 2 on the far right of the picture. They have a different look.

The next batch I did 6 pieces of ice and cooked for 6 min w/o the lid and they are lighter so the next batch I did 4 pieces of ice and cooked 7 min wo ice and they looked the best, they are on the far left of the picture.

I watched some videos on how to use the Challenger bread pan, but I think your description based on your experience may be most helpful.

I have dough rising right now. I'll try 10 min with the lid on with minimal amount of ice and I'll keep an eye on the bread to see how long to cook with the lid off. I'll use the trick Challenger recommends by placing the domed lid upside down and the base of the pan on top. That supposedly keep the bottom of the bread from being over-baked (hard and/or turning too dark).

[sadie33]

hmmm...not sure how that will work with rolls. I have seen it done for sourdough bread, but the rolls are long. It seems they would not lay flat, taking on the curve of the lid. But I guess you don't know until you try it. Post pictures and let me know how it all comes out.

[acfixer69]

I've been baking and cooking in cast iron most of my life. Bread is my favorite thing to make. I use a lodge combo DO which is what the challenger was modeled to duplicate. It uses the breads escaping moisture to keep things moist. There is no need for ice cubes to be added to a closed vessel. If your Bread has enough hydration to start with. I'm making mostly sourdough these days.
Back off on the ice thing, it is bad for cast iron and the moisture should already be there.

[Bradster68]

I've been baking and cooking in cast iron most of my life. Bread is my favorite thing to make. I use a lodge combo DO which is what the challenger was modeled to duplicate. It uses the breads escaping moisture to keep things moist. There is no need for ice cubes to be added to a closed vessel. If your Bread has enough hydration to start with. I'm making mostly sourdough these days.
Back off on the ice thing, it is bad for cast iron and the moisture should already be there.

Mmmmmmm. Nothing like fresh bread, ABSOLUTELY WITH BUTTER. To die for. The smell the taste. And yes ,dough,rise,pan,heat,done. The smell attracts all kinds

[sadie33]

I've been baking and cooking in cast iron most of my life. Bread is my favorite thing to make. I use a lodge combo DO which is what the challenger was modeled to duplicate. It uses the breads escaping moisture to keep things moist. There is no need for ice cubes to be added to a closed vessel. If your Bread has enough hydration to start with. I'm making mostly sourdough these days.
Back off on the ice thing, it is bad for cast iron and the moisture should already be there.

I'll try it with out the ice and see how it goes, thanks.

[acfixer69]

I've been baking and cooking in cast iron most of my life. Bread is my favorite thing to make. I use a lodge combo DO which is what the challenger was modeled to duplicate. It uses the breads escaping moisture to keep things moist. There is no need for ice cubes to be added to a closed vessel. If your Bread has enough hydration to start with. I'm making mostly sourdough these days.
Back off on the ice thing, it is bad for cast iron and the moisture should already be there.

I'll try it with out the ice and see how it goes, thanks.

Nothing wrong with a spritzer of water on the dough before putting it in the oven makes the little blisters on the crust crunch.

[Saltbush Bill]

Need something to go with all that bread, two x 22 inch ovens , one with 35kg roast pork , the other full of roast legs of Lamb

[greggn]

I've been trying to make awesome hogie rolls.

Wait ... the term "hoagie" is used in New Hampshire ? I thought that was unique to eastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey.

[higgins]

I thought New Englanders called them 'grinders'.

[LWTCS]

Just hammered through this entire thread again. Excellent thread.
I have a basic collection of cast iron skillets and would have more if I had room.
I'd say we use the 12" most. Wish I had a 14 with a pair of handles and a lid.

D
No doubt, superior heat distribution with the cast iron.

Recently, my wife picked up one of those fancy enamel coated ( I think it's an enamal anyway?) Skillet with a lid. Very well made. Bottom plane is super true, so no rocking back and forth on the glass cook top ( which I more or less hate).
Any way, super dense wall thickness and the enamel makes it easy for her majesty to clean when she more often doesn't use enough grease/lard/oil/butter...

[sadie33]

I've been trying to make awesome hogie rolls.

Wait ... the term "hoagie" is used in New Hampshire ? I thought that was unique to eastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey.

I grew up in New England and we always called them subs. But I like the word hogie better.

[sadie33]

Need something to go with all that bread, two x 22 inch ovens , one with 35kg roast pork , the other full of roast legs of Lamb
FB_IMG_1735355800720.jpgFB_IMG_1735355746992.jpgFB_IMG_1735355731359.jpg

mmmmm roast pork. Yes please!!! That looks soooooo good.

[NorthWoodsAb]

I've been trying to make awesome hogie rolls.

Wait ... the term "hoagie" is used in New Hampshire ? I thought that was unique to eastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey.

Up here in Northern Alberta we have hoagie buns and sandwiches too.

I like cooking with cast iron. Had an ex take all my cookware including a favorite Dutch oven that I never replaced. (The Dutch oven that is ) on Christmas eve I decided to cook up a batch of baked beans. Didn't have a Dutch or suitable heavy oven pot so used slow cooker. Took forever to cook and didn't turn out as I'd expected. They were good but could have been better. Been shopping for a new Dutch oven just over past couple of days. Can't beat cast iron for a lot of things.

[sadie33]

I am LOVING this new pan. They had recipes on the challenger wear page and they showed a roasted chicken. I thought it was veggies under it so I picked up baby potatoes and pearl onions, it was stuffing. I cooked it in the top of the lid. tossed the pot in oil and seasoned, put that on the bottom, threw the pearl onions on top. spatchcocked the chicken (if that's how you say it) and cooked it with the bottom on top. I took the "cover" off 10 min and broiled to get some color. It was so good. Juicy and tender. Here's a pic

[Tammuz]

Just made some sourdough with oats. Went well for my fresh Dorado sandwich last night and made some french toast with it this morning.

[Copperhead road]

Looks darn good mate.
What’s on a Dorado sandwich? Can not find it on the internet, keeps coming up with the Florida Keys burger

[Tammuz]

Looks darn good mate.
What’s on a Dorado sandwich? Can not find it on the internet, keeps coming up with the Florida Keys burger
[/quote
Others might call it a mahi mahi sandwich.

[sadie33]

Just made some sourdough with oats. Went well for my fresh Dorado sandwich last night and made some french toast with it this morning.

Did you use oat flour in the recipe or oat meal? It looks good.

[Tammuz]

Hello Sadie,
I normally like to roll the top of my loaf with oats just for the texture on the baking. This time though my hydration was about 84% so I added some quick oats to help firm up my dough. It did change the "mouthfeel " though and also altered the acidic nature of my starter. Which was perfect for my fish sandwich and it also made killer French toast.

Nice to see a woman welcome new members to what was traditionally a men's club.

[OtisT]

Howdy folks. I’m a Dutch oven virgin but want to learn how to camp cook with one. I’ll wondering what size should I be looking for that will cook for 4 people. Something that will be versatile for different foods and I learn how to use one of these. I’m car camping, so I don’t need to worry too much about the weight/size.

I found an 8 quart, 12” diameter, 5” high oven with there legs and a flat top with a flange that looks about right. I wondering if that is tall enough for cooking a bird? That’s one reason why I’m checking with the experts.

I know this is going to be like selecting a still. The right size depends on what I plan to make, and how much of it. And like stills, I’ll probably end up with multiple ovens for different needs. Just looking for a good starting point.

Thanks in advance for your advice. Otis

[Rusty Ole Bucket]

Howdy folks. I’m a Dutch oven virgin but want to learn how to camp cook with one. I’ll wondering what size should I be looking for that will cook for 4 people. Something that will be versatile for different foods and I learn how to use one of these. I’m car camping, so I don’t need to worry too much about the weight/size.

I found an 8 quart, 12” diameter, 5” high oven with there legs and a flat top with a flange that looks about right. I wondering if that is tall enough for cooking a bird? That’s one reason why I’m checking with the experts.

I know this is going to be like selecting a still. The right size depends on what I plan to make, and how much of it. And like stills, I’ll probably end up with multiple ovens for different needs. Just looking for a good starting point.

Thanks in advance for your advice. Otis

Hi Otis, I have a 10qt. Lodge we use for camping all the time for the four of us. It's the one cooking piece that's ALWAYS in the truck for a camping trip, a lot of times I don't even bring a camp stove. I've never tried to roast a whole chicken in it, but it should work. You're going to love the flange top; it works great for top browning anything you're baking in there. I did chicken and dumplings last time we were out, and it worked great to brown the dumplings a bit. I've cooked biscuits in it, tons of chili, deer roast, burgers, a chocolate cake mix once, you name it. You're gonna love cooking with one, and everything cooked over a campfire is better anyway.

Rusty

[Deplorable]

My mom passed away last week at the age of 83. I was the fortunate son the got to claim her prized Wagner Ware 12 inch skillet and an unbranded number 5 skillet from BSR a couple decades older than my 10 inch BSR.
I fucked up, and left behind her chicken fryer and a Dutch oven I'll have to get in the spring when I head back to Reno.
I had a choice between the 12 and 14 inch skillet, but took the 12 since my older brother has more mouths to feed. I can't begin to estimate the number of meals I've eaten from this skillet.

[Deplorable]

Howdy folks. I’m a Dutch oven virgin but want to learn how to camp cook with one. I’ll wondering what size should I be looking for that will cook for 4 people. Something that will be versatile for different foods and I learn how to use one of these. I’m car camping, so I don’t need to worry too much about the weight/size.

I found an 8 quart, 12” diameter, 5” high oven with there legs and a flat top with a flange that looks about right. I wondering if that is tall enough for cooking a bird? That’s one reason why I’m checking with the experts.

I know this is going to be like selecting a still. The right size depends on what I plan to make, and how much of it. And like stills, I’ll probably end up with multiple ovens for different needs. Just looking for a good starting point.

Thanks in advance for your advice. Otis

We have a 6 quart enameled DO my wife calls her "magic pot" it will roast a 5 pound bird. I dont know that you would need anything bigger for 4 people.If your going to use it for cooking over coals You're looking at the right kind with legs and a flange on the lid to hold coals.

[Sailman]

Here is a few of my large cast iron wash pots. The plan is to use them to cook brunswick stew this spring.

[Black Bull]

I've been known to dabble with some bush cooking and have a selection of Camp ovens.
Ideally I'd love a bigger oval one but to this day I've never seen one.
Roast pork meal, cooked out the back of Broken hill for my support team, in two Oval 10qt ovens.
The other was a quick feed in between stages of an off road race.

[Saltbush Bill]

Broken hill for my support team

From there you could almost throw Aastone at my old home town Black Bull.

I’ll wondering what size should I be looking for that will cook for 4 people.

Otis here in Australia Campovens or what you call Dutch ovens are traditionally described by size rather than capacity.
For most dishes a 12 inch will feed four people, regardless of if that meal is a wet dish or something like roast meat.

found an 8 quart, 12” diameter, 5” high oven with there legs and a flat top with a flange that looks about right.

The flange is important to keep the coals from falling off the top, a campoven without is about as useful as a still with no Product condencer.

I wondering if that is tall enough for cooking a bird?

My 12 inch ovens average 5 inches , I just went and measured one, I have no trouble roasting a chicken or leg of lamb in one , pieces of pork or other meats should be just as easy to do.
I have noticed that some of the American lids seem to be flat , where as a lot of our older ovens have raised curved lids, this gives a bit more distance between the thing being cooked and the hot lid.
If you look hard enough you might be lucky enough to find an old English or Scottish Oven ......they made some really nice ones with high domed lids, but they dont usually come cheap because of collectable/ antiques status.
The main trick to the art is learning heat control, how much under and how much on top, different woods preform differently , as does charcoal or heat beads.
Its a good idea to practice at home using something like charcoal bbq briquettes before trying to cook something while camping.
Anything you can cook at home in your household oven is achievable in a campoven / dutchoven, the sky is the limit.
Don't worry about a few fails, if your not burning your not learning.....that simple.
I would suggest that you join and read some of what can be found here https://www.aussiecampovenforum.com/cgi ... b2/YaBB.pl
Its pretty much the Aussie Campoven version of HD, lots of great recipes that have been proven time and again along with lots of other Dutch/ Camp oven orientated info.
It is handy to own more than one , you can be cooking / roasting meat in one and Veg in another, trying to roast to much in one oven can gets tricky because of moisture build up, if there is to much moisture in the bottom of the oven your steaming the meat not roasting.
It all really depends on what you want to to cook and how.
if there is anything else I can help with feel free to PM.

[NorthWoodsAb]

My mom passed away last week at the age of 83. I was the fortunate son the got to claim her prized Wagner Ware 12 inch skillet and an unbranded number 5 skillet .

Deplorable. Condolences on the loss of your Mom.

I've had a cast skillet like that for years, my favorite tool.
Have given the kids shit a few times when they land it in the sink and scrub the oils out of it. Have had to season it 2 or 3 times. "Just wiping it out in not sanitary Dad"

Question for you dutch cookers.
I looked at dutch ovens about a month ago after a less than satisfactory result with baked beans in a slow cooker. All I could find locally are enameled pots., prices vary widely. I choose my cast frying pan over the wife's coated pans every time.
Would same rule apply to a seasoned bare cast dutch?
Thx