January 22, 2008 - 7:57am
New Stone Experiment
I got a new 15x20' FibraMent stone, but Sunday was my first chance to temper/predry it. After slowly getting it up to 550 over 7 hours, I knew I'd want to bake something on it, so I made three slightly different loaves. I set up a poolish the day before, then split that into three doughs - 1 with no oil, 1 with a tbsp of butter, and 1 with a tbsp of olive oil (in that order in the picture). I shaped them different so I'll know which is which.
My slashing wasn't quite deep enough, but they all taste great.
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Your bread looks great. let us know if you liked the taste of one better than the other. Great job. weavershouse
I liked the olive oil, my wife liked the butter. The crust on the "french" loaf was wonderfully chewy
The site for Fibrament baking stones is http://www.bakingstone.com/
All Fibrament baking stones are 3/4 inch thick. In contrast, most quality baking stones for home users are 1/2" thick while inexpensive baking/pizza stones for home use are less than 1/2" thick.
The Fibrament baking stone is thicker than most baking stones sold to the home baker. This has pros and cons.
Greater thickness requires longer preheating times to bring it to proper temperature. However, it will help keep the oven temperature high if you use home steaming methods (which typically drop the oven temperature by 50F due to the opening and closing of the oven door) and will help keep the oven temperature high if you are baking more than one batch of loaves. You have to factor in the additional $$ cost to initially bring the oven to proper temperature as against your own baking needs (and pocket book!).
The picture below shows one of their baking stones (it is posted on their site). The photo caption says that " This stone has been used several times a week for the last five plus years."
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FYI, I do not own a Fibrament baking stone, though I have been researching comments and evaluations on them for about 6 years. This baking stone has received excellent reviews on TFL and other baking sites.
Because I am concerned about energy costs, I personally have decided to forgo a baking stone in favor of the "no preheat" (aka "cold oven start") method of baking artisan breads which has been discussed on TFL, especially by TFL member ehanner.
I tried the no-preheat method before my new stone arrived, but I got no oven spring at all. The stone has also improved my oven spring
...alas...I also get very little oven spring. I wonder how the successful ones manage it?
I meant that I get great oven spring with a preheated oven with the stone - preheated above baking temp by ~50 degrees.
Oven spring comes from the gas bubbles in the dough expanding from the heat, but you want to expand as mjuch as possible before the dough cooks and hardens, hindering expansion.