June 7, 2016 - 10:28am
Baking Stone Recommendation
Hey all - wanted to share a link for a waterproof baking stone, awesome for easy-clean, etc. I wonder if they'd go in a dishwasher and not break, they are supposed to be very durable. What does everyone think?
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I use a slab (actually, two slabs) of counter top granite, about 1 1/4 inches thick and slightly smaller all around than my oven. For cleaning I use my bench scraper to scrape off the burned on bits and leftover farina (which I dust my peels with), then I wipe it with a wet cloth. The stones will be heated to 475F before any bread goes on them - there's no need to clean any more than that. I would never put such a thing in the dishwasher where it could get contaminated with dishwasher detergent! These granite slabs are very durable and I love them. A lot.
I use a 3/4” granite slab on the rough side and love it! I will say, first use I found the bottoms of my baguettes got a bit darker than normal but I went about preheating at 500F like I normally would. I guess granite holds heat much more intensely than cast iron. Will try dropping to around 450F tomorrow. Love that it’s inexpensive and accessible in Barbados.
You are better off using a baking steel rather than this composite stone. Google serious eats site then baking steel, especially good for pizza besides bread. Lots of choices and manufacturers, more durable too!
Totally disagree on baking steel. I find they conduct too much heat at once. Know a few folks always getting burnt bottoms. I have a had a fibrament stone for years and it is in perfect condition. I wouldn't put it in the dishwasher, I think they tell you not too. But there is no reason to unless you had a catastrophic mistake. I think one way to think about this is to consider what how much people love brick and ceramic ovens, they just release heat in a way metal doesn't.
"much people love brick and ceramic ovens, they just release heat in a way metal doesn't."
How do you explain the success of people dropping dough into a hot cast iron pot?
Two words: the lid.
How does a lid work this magic? My pressure cooker will burn things just fine.
I was not saying you cannot have success. I disagreed with the comment "you are better off". As is noted the lid makes a huge difference. But you can easily find many posts on TFL of people using a DO that get a great loaf, except for the burned bottom.
I see a comment on the Emile Henry now. That was a bit outside of the scope of the question so I didn't bring it up. I think there products are the the absolute best answer and have posted a couple of reviews here on the TLF. You get the ceramic properties AND the lid. I have never had a loaf come out of one that wasn't good enough to sell. I use the Bread cloche, the bread loaf and baguette cloche all with great better results than any steel or stone I have tried.
always go with rectangular ones.
I've been using the Emile Henry baking stone for about 16 months now. It does its job and can even be run through the dishwasher.
http://www.amazon.com/Emile-Henry-Rectangular-Grilling-Charcoal/dp/B0061SH5D0?ie=UTF8&keywords=baking%20stones&qid=1465357554&ref_=sr_1_74&sr=8-74
on top and bottom racks. My breads are baked evenly with great colors because of the steady thermal capacity (hope I'm using the right term here) the stones have provided, I believe. My oven temperature fluctuates minimally, it recovers very quickly after loading the dough. I can reach my (true) target temperature accurately and easily, I can tell for sure because I measure the oven temperature remotely with a wireless oven thermometer.
I believe these stones have made a big difference in my breads. Though a bit pricey, in the long run, it's worth the investment. The instant gratification from producing a good loaf is priceless.
I agree this is a great approach. There are kits and inserts out there to basically create a ceramic oven inside your metal oven. (Again the properties of ceramic just bake differently than metal) - but using the two big stone approach you can get the result over more than half of the baking area and on the crucial top and bottoms.
When I don't use a cloche, this is my preferred method. I also agree on your quick temperature recovery, they retain so much heat that if an opened door has little effect. After a good preheat and a couple hours of baking they take many, many more hours to completely cool down, whereas metal loses that heat rather quickly
Ceramic or cementitious materials work better for bread than steel. The latter transfers its heat content faster and is useful for foods that must cook quickly, i.e. pizza. Steel plates can work, but ceramics are less conductive and less likely to overbake the bottom of a loaf of bread.
I use two stacked 16" square ceramic tiles, the cheapest ones I can find at Home Depot or Menards. There is no risk of contamination; they are lead free and, even if they were not, the chemistry of breads and the temperature of the oven are not conducive to extraction (as Dana Carvey would say: not gonna do it...).
If money is no object, I would go with https://bakingstone.com. They evolved as replacement hearthstones for commercial ovens which originally came with asbestos decks. They have optimal thermal properties and are very durable.
Automatic dishwasher detergents are very alkaline (think: lye, drano) and are not going attack granite. Stone is porous, however anything the stone may absorb from a detergent is going to be driven off or decomposed when heated to 450F or higher. It is very unlikely, if not impossible, that automatic dishwashing detergent will contaminate a granite stone.