Kye- I have long used the cold start method and it works well for me and, as you show above, the results are similar to the pre-heated method. I like the cold start for one very important reason. I am 68 and not as strong as I used to be (hard to admit that but it is true). With the pre-heated method pulling the pre-heated really hot, heavy dutch oven out of the oven was very scary. I was always afraid I would drop it. Then getting the really hot dutch oven back into the oven after I put the dough in was also challenging. Then I had to deal with the hot heavy pot one more time... coming out of the oven when the bread was done. With the cold start method I get the same results and I only have to deal with a hot pot once - when the bread is done. For me, it is so much easier to lift and move a cold pot than a hot one. There is also a lot of discussion on some of the internet bread baking sites about energy conservation and saving energy by using the cold start method. However, I like it because I am not dealing with the hot pot three times to bake my bread. Thanks for keeping an open mind about this one. This is a good post.

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