The Sourdough School

Centre of Research & Education in Nutrition & Digestibility of Bread & the Gut Microbiome

The bread that you eat every day has a powerful, influence on both your phyical and mental health. We teach a groundbreaking, evidence-based approach to bread to nourish your gut microbiome and support health. Our courses are open to wide range of people, including bakers and healthcare professionals to learn how to bake and eat beautiful bread as lifestyle medicine. "Vanessa’s work on sourdough and the gut microbiome is changing the way we think of food, health and baking.” - Tim Spector
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spun iron cloche

Spun Iron Cloche

£120.00

A beautifully handmade spun black iron cloche made in Shropshire. Sitting on a 12″ rimmed base, the dome is complete with cast-iron knob and brass rivets.

Designed by: Vanessa Kimbell

Developed and made by: Netherton Foundry

Categories: Featured Products, Products, Sourdough Baking Equipment
  • Description
  • Video
  • Using for the first time.

A beautifully crafted British made hand-spun black iron cloche, with brass rivets and cast iron knob on the top, sitting on a 12″ rimmed baking tray, which can be used separately.

When I moved house in 2011, my bread suddenly stopped rising. I’d always worked in bakeries with commercial ovens and had a steam setting on my home oven. I hadn’t fully appreciated the impact of the steam setting in my old oven, and I was frustrated at the bread in my new oven having very little spring.  Another baker suggested that I use a clay cloche. I’ll admit that I was sceptical, but I hadn’t realised that most domestic ovens are less than ideal when it comes to a beautiful loaf with maximum oven spring, even with a tray of water.

It was 2015 and I remember an acute sense of frustration as yet my 3rd clay cloche broke in the oven at exactly the wrong moment, so I began experimenting with a local blacksmith. The lodge pan was too small and I had burnt myself on a high sided casserole pot. When I looked for a company who could realise my ideas to manufacture, I met the wonderful Sue and Neil and they really brought this idea to life. They make amazing pots and pans and are an artisan manufacturer .

I love them.

Why it works

What baking dough needs is immediate, even heat and steam. The heat provides the rise and the steam keeps the crust soft throughout the time it is rising. The result is bread that reaches its full potential giving an evenly baked, golden open crumbed sourdough. The perfect way to achieve this is with my Spun Iron Cloche.

  • The Spun Iron Cloche is PTFE free
  • Pre-seasoned organic British grown flax oil for a natural non-stick finish.
  • It is strong and light will bake the perfect golden loaf.
  • Made with 99.1% pure iron bell and a tray with brass rivets.
  • Perfect for range stoves, electric, gas & wood fired ovens.
  • Can be used in very hot ovens, safe up to at least 300ºC (572F).

Dimensions

The total height including the knob is 19cm (7.5″). The internal height is 16cm (6.25″) and the diameter is 31cm (12.25″). The lip on the base is 2cm (0.75″) and the total weight is  1.77kg (3lb 14oz).

Learn to bake sourdough online – join our Sourdough Club

Video

Using for the first time.

You can use the Spun Iron Cloche immediately.

Just rinse in hot water – don’t use soap or detergent and dry thoroughly.

Re-seasoning at home.
This is easy to do and quickly returns your cloche to a smooth, black, easy to clean finish. Important, if the tin has any rust spots simply remove these with fine sand paper or steel wool. Wash tin in very hot soapy water, you may need to scrub with a scouring pad or stiff brush and dry thoroughly. Cover all surfaces of the cloche with a very thin coating of flax oil using kitchen towel. A thin coating gives best results. Place cloche in the oven. Place a baking tray under the cloche to catch any dripping oil. Heat oven to MAX (approx 250ºC/400F,  Gas Mark 8). Once the oven is up to temperature, maintain for one hour. Then switch off the oven, allow the tin to cool slowly and store in an airy dry place.

Which oils can I use for re-seasoning?
For best results use flax oil (edible linseed oil). Olive and nut oils are not effective seasoning oils.

Do not use boiled linseed oil, this is not edible.

Baking every day
To get bread loaves to release perfectly every time we recommend giving the inside of the Spun Iron Cloche a very thin wipe of olive oil just before use and I often use a sprinkle of semolina.

Sweet breads & Cheese Sourdough
Additional care is required when you cook recipes containing sugar (eg sweet sourdough, sourdough with inclusions such as cheese fruit breads). To prevent bread from sticking, we recommend lining the loaf tin with baking parchment, butter papers or using a tin liner.

Cleaning the pre-seasoned Spun Iron Cloche
After most baking uses your cloche will not require washing, just dust off, this preserves the seasoning.

If you do need to wash, never clean the cloche in in a dish washer.

Don’t ever place a hot iron tin into very cold water, this will cause it to warp!

After use, clean the base of the cloche tin with a stiff natural bristle brush and hot water. Do not use soap & definitely do not ever use detergents.

If you find that some mixture has stuck, try boiling some water in the tin to soften it. Dry immediately. Never allow the iron  tin to stand damp or wet as this will encourage rusting.

Storing the Spun Iron Cloche.
Store in a dry airy place. Don’t cover as this can trap moisture and encourage rust.

Warning

Also remember, a hot iron retains heat, so always pick up the cloche using oven gloves

Concept & Designed by: Vanessa Kimbell with The Netherton Foundry Team

Developed by: Netherton Foundry

Related products

  • Flaxseed oil for our Spun Iron Cloche

    Flax oil for re-seasoning Iron Cloche

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  • The Sourdough School by Vanessa Kimbell – signed copy

    Buy the book here
  • Roccbox Pizza Oven

    Gozney Roccbox Pizza Oven

    Buy from our stockist
  • Mango wood bread board

    Large Mango Wood Bread Board

    Buy the bread board here
THE GENDER GAP IN HEART DIAGNOSIS
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According to a report by the British Heart Foundation, more than 8,200 women died needlessly over a ten year period due to inequalities in the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease. Concerningly, women fare worse at every stage in their health journey for heart disease globally. 
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DID YOU KNOW?
-	Women get half as much heart attack treatment as men 
-	Women are 50% more likely to receive a wrong initial diagnosis than their male counterpart, increasing the risk of death by as much as 70%
-	Women are less likey than men to recieve standard treatments such as bypass surgery
We can and must do better, starting by tackling the false- and deadly- assumption that women are not at risk of heart attacks. In reality, women are twice as likely to die from coronary heart disease than breast cancer.
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🌾Whole Grain Consumption And Heart Disease Protection
There is a robust body of evidence that suggests whole grains can protect against coronary heart disease, alongside obesity and colorectal cancer.
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❤️ According to a senior dietician at the British Heart Foundation: "Eating more whole grains is a simple change we can make to improve our diet and help lower our risk of heart and circulatory disease." Opting for wholemeal or granary in favour of refined white bread is a simple, effective way to increase your whole grain and fibre intake. #hearthealth #healthyheart #wholegrain #feedthecells #lifestylemedice #bake2give1 #wholegrainbread #internationalwomensday
A NEW APPROACH

👉🏻 For the past 3 years we’ve been working on something incredible … prescription sourdough bread making courses for our @sourdoughclub members 

📈We have had amazing advances in healthcare, but there is no pill to cure poor diet. The best medicine is prevention via a healthy lifestyle, and many studies have shown that people who eat healthily and exercise regularly sleep better, have less anxiety and depression, have more energy, and lower their risk of chronic illness overall.

🙌 Vanessa’s work on Bread & the Impact on the Gut Microbiome has been turned into something extraordinary. Prescription bread-making courses as a lifestyle intervention, and the Bread Protocol we teach here is designed to address the way you live, exploring behaviour related to nutrition, physical activity, stress management, sleep, social support and environmental exposures. These courses are 12 weeks long, and designed to maintain health and prevent disease not just in individuals bit in patients and populations, so we have 2 ways to enrol on a course: 

1️⃣ SOCIAL PRESCRIPTION 
If your doctor or healthcare practitioner is one of  our Sourdough School graduates and they feel that this bread-making prescription course is something that will improve your health, then they may can prescribe the course for you as a social prescription free.

2️⃣ SELF PRESCRIPTION 
You can self-prescribe these courses by enrolling yourself on a course to improve your health and wellbeing.

📰 If you are interested in learning more about the prescription courses then please sign up to the newsletters as we will be announcing their launch over the coming weeks and months. 

@vanessakimbell
@drmiguelmateas 
@dralexdavidson 
@dksherratt 

#lifestylemedicine #preventativemedicine #systemschange #socialprescribingday #socialprescribing
IN 2016 WE TESTED BLOOD SUGAR RESPONSE TO OUR PUMP IN 2016 WE TESTED BLOOD SUGAR RESPONSE TO OUR PUMPKIN SOURDOUGH IN THE  CLASSES

Our students measured their responses throughout the #breadandguts #sourdoughschool & @vanessakimbell wrote the recipe up in her bestselling Sourdough School book.

✨ So good to read that a recent 2021 study on Glycaemic and Appetite Suppression Effect of a Vegetable-Enriched Bread ( mentioned by @theguthealthdoctor today see last slide ) where researchers looked at the impacts of veg-enriched bread compared to  commercial white bread and commercial brown bread on the insulin levels of people participating. 

The results showed that when the participants ate the veg bread they reported feeling more satiation versus when they ate the white or brown bread. 

👆🏼They also experienced a lower insulin response with the vegetable bread. 
essentially translating this science into practice before it was trendy 😂👆🏼👍

This image is taken from the @sourdoughschool book by @vanessakimbell, produced by @kylebooksuk, with photography by @nassimarothacker, styled by @season_adam & with foreword by @richardhartbaker
DID YOU KNOW WE HAVE AN ONLINE SHOP & CAN PURCHASE DID YOU KNOW WE HAVE AN ONLINE SHOP & CAN PURCHASE MY WHITE SOURDOUGH STARTER?
(with worldwide delivery)
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I have several sourdough starters but The French white starter is one that I have been using since I was 11 years old and originates in the bakery I grew up baking within France. It takes a bit longer to reach it’s peak and is generally slower and sweeter, and much more forgiving of being neglected for a week, so the one I recommend for beginners. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
We have verbal confirmation that the starter originated over 115 years ago and If you swipe right in the video you can listen to me chatting to one of the older residents of the village confirming that bakery did not shut during the war either .. & it has been maintained ever since... it’s a lovely story. Although the microbes double every 20 – 30 minutes when they are refreshed ... so it is either over a century old or 30 minutes old depending on how you want to look at it. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
You can purchase a pot of my starter, along with a grey moon kilner jar & a mini video course on looking after your starter. 
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TAP THE PICTURE TO SHOP.
 
Swipe right to see the amazing video of the French bakery where the starter originated from @vanessakimbell has been baking with this starter for over 20 years … and first baked almost 40 years ago with it …#romantic 
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#breadbosses #breadporn #flourwatersalt #breadtalk #bread #breadstagram #sourdough #sourdoughschool #bread #sourdoughlove #sourdoughlover #naturalleavened #leavening #levain #realbread #breadmaking #bakebread #makebread #makerealbread #learntobakebread #breadmakingclass #sourdoughstories #bakingforlove #bakingtherapy #sourdoughbaking #bannetons #bakery
UNDERSTANDING SOURDOUGH … starts, not in the bak UNDERSTANDING SOURDOUGH …
starts, not in the bakery, but in the soil.
#sourdough
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