Hooray for the French boule

I was the kind of mom who almost always answered my kids’ requests to buy something spontaneously with “Not today” or “It’s not on sale.”

Just ask them.

So a couple of weeks ago when I walked into a store in downtown Whitefish and plunked down full retail for a Le Creuset Dutch oven, I surprised even myself.

My seemingly spontaneous desire for a Dutch oven began when my sister emailed me a recipe for No Knead Dutch Oven Bread, later regaling me with the simplicity and success of the recipe over the phone, to which I replied, “That would make a great neighbor gift.”

Barb immediately baked a “boule,” French for “ball,” and gave it to her neighbor who feeds their cats when she and her husband are out of town.

In the recipe my sister describes how her 5-1/2 quart Le Creuset Dutch oven is perfect for the task because the bread steams beneath the tight-fitting lid as it bakes, producing a nice crust.

I started phoning a number of stores (along with copious online searching) to find out what they had on hand. A Whitefish gourmet kitchen shop had a 7-1/4 quart Le Creuset Dutch oven on sale! I’d learned not only that Le Creuset typically never goes on sale, but the manufacturer guarantees everyone sells it for the same price – now, that’s brand equity.

I dashed up to Whitefish after work on Good Friday, thinking how much bigger could the 7-1/4 be from the 5-1/2. I was going to get myself a lovely Dutch oven … and save money!

Well, it was huge. I could cook dinner for a dozen in it. It would not due at all for a boule … unless it was the size of a cheese wheel.

I was now facing a higher price for a smaller piece of cookware, comparing another high-end brand, and bombarded by myriad color choices, either in stock or by order.

It was too much. Too big an investment. I went home empty-handed.

But I really wanted to bake a boule for my neighbors for Easter. By this point I’d convinced myself this was going to be the wisest investment in my kitchen for years to come.

More online research that evening. More phone calls Saturday morning to query local stores about their stock.

Of course, I could have ordered exactly what I wanted at any number of online retailers with free shipping to boot, but my conscience wanted me to buy local — pandemic, be damned. And I wanted to bake in it that same weekend.

After much mulling, I finally knew exactly what I wanted; again surprising myself when I realized the color I’d planned on getting was all wrong for my kitchen. The right color, brand and size I truly wanted was right there in the Whitefish shop all along.

I called. “Hi, I’m the one who couldn’t make up her mind yesterday.”

“Hi Carol!” the storeowner replied, offering to hold the Dutch oven of my dreams for me.

I walked out of the store with my new Le Creuset in my arms … and a happy, new member of the store’s rewards program.

I got home with just enough time to throw together a turkey sandwich and a loaf of No Knead Dutch Oven Bread to rise the required three hours before jumping on my bike to meet a friend at our appointed rendezvous ride. We planned our route in the saddle and, as luck would have it, I was back home in just under three hours.

I followed the rest of the recipe, and now I know that not only can my Dutch oven crank out a perfectly beautiful, crusty boule, but it has a wonderful way with roasting, braising and sautéing too.

Of course it does. And it’s lovely.