October 5, 2024 - 9:13am
lava rocks
after doing some reading here, I was wondering if the lava rocks disintegrate over time?
I'm looking at these from AMZN.
I'm planning on using the oven broiler pan as I have for steam until now. Normally I heat some water in the broiling pan during pre-heat, then add some boiling to that when the bread goes in.
Concerned about taking the seasoning off grammys CIS. I'd get my head handed to me.
I want to make miche baguettes, so I'd think more/better steam might be a good idea.
If that works, then perhaps a new Lodge CIS for just this purpose.
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I got - well, I already had - a Lodge oval shaped cast iron baking dish. I've filled it with river rocks, not even lava rocks. They have cracked and produced some rock dust over the years, and that's discolored the pan. It could probably be cleaned up if I wanted to sometime, and I'm sure all the seasoning is gone. Cast iron pans are easy to re-season so not a big problem. Lava rocks will probably hold up better than river stones since they came from very hot lava.
I definitely would get a dedicated steam pan. Don't keep using your grannie's one.
TomP
South Pacific earth ovens use vesicular basalt, an igneous rock, as it best survives repeated cycles of intense heating and then cooling.
https://www.primitiveways.com/Imu1.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basalt
for a decade, and can't see much degradation after years of bakes at 460dF & 480dF. One Sylvia's Steaming Towel and 2 cups of near boiling water in a 9"x13" heatproof thick aluminum pan which sits between the lower heating element and the granite baking deck.
You can see it in action here if you wish, below my former Mexican unglazed paver baking deck.
https://youtu.be/TGF3ApIXn6U?t=114
what is Sylvia baking towel?
https://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/20162/oven-steaming-my-new-favorite-way
I add one to the oven about 10 minutes before loading the dough and then add the water to the already hot lava rocks.
so you're using both rocks and towels?
in Sylvias post, them towels don't look particularly thick. Perhaps hands towels.
we don't have a mw, but I suppose boiling water on the towels in a pyrex near the end of the pre-heat.
which is somewhat like davidg618 post is at the end of that thread. Though I don't think I'd put the towels, wet or not on the top rack. Just seems like something could go incredibly wrong with that.
You can clearly see the towel in a pyrex baking dish, and the eventual removal when the water is depleted (~12 minutes into the bake).
I can't say that because I do it this way, anyone/everyone else should. But it certainly works for me and many others on TFL over the years.
In this 9 second video you can see the amount of steam generated by both at the start of the bake. My oven is electric.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe-faylsUHA
In the lowest rack of our oven I have two cheap aluminum pie pans. Each is filled with lava rocks, and I have never had to replace any of the rocks. When it comes time to fill the pie pans, I open the oven door, slide the rack out, put a measuring cup with hot water right above the pie pan, and carefully pour the water in (taking care not to splash any water onto the glass oven door). Then slide the rack back in.
Happy baking.
Ted
For more steam, you can throw a few ice cubes or a bit more water inside the oven once the bread is in. This will help create an even more humid environment.