Cast iron Dutch oven vs. a $15 bread pan from the thrift store
I finally got tired of my loafs coming out flat and pale, so I picked the thrift store bread pan over buying a fancy Dutch oven after reading one too many posts about steam. The pan was $15 and made the crust way darker, but the bottom burned after 40 minutes at 450 degrees, leaving a smell that took two days to air out of my kitchen. Has anyone else had luck with a cheap pan, or do I need to just bite the bullet and save up for the cast iron?