Baking stone adventures continue
Hello again, everyone! 🤗
After my previous baking stone adventure, I thought I'd try out the towel steam method to see if I could improve upon those bakes. I'm pleased to say that tonight's loaves didn't burst on the bottom! In addition to the steam pan with the towel in it, I also put a pan upside down above the baking stone as a way to trap steam and shield from the upper heating element.
Here's my setup:
I used an old small bath towel, and poured boiling water over it. I kept this steam pan in the oven for only the first 15 minutes of the bake, then continued baking with the heat shield for 20 minutes, followed by moving the heat shield to brown the crust a bit for 5 to 10 minutes.
My only disappointment with these loaves is the scoring; I was hoping I'd have bigger "ears" on them, and that they'd maintain their shape a bit better than they did. The batard has a bit of a crusty ear on it, but the scoring on the boule flattened out. Is it possible that there was too much steam in the oven?
I've been able to get nice crusty ears on previous breads thanks to the steam-trapping Dutch oven, but I'm not sure how to achieve similar results with the baking stone. What's oven safe but tall enough to put on top of the stone over the loaf to retain the steam? Are there baking pans deep enough? Or do I just turn my Dutch oven pot upside down? 🤔
I am planning on buying a combo baker so I can use it for batards and boules, but I want to put my baking stone to good use too, you know? I spent a pretty penny to get it, after all!
UPDATE:Â Here's a crumb shot of the batard - it's nice and even, with some large holes, so I think extending bulk fermentation by 30 minutes this time worked out. Texture-wise, it's crispy on the outside thanks to the baking stone giving that lovely crust, and fluffy on the inside without being doughy.
First, nice results. Second, while a DO does trap steam, depending on the size of the loaf, it also gives support to the sides of loaf and thus reducing spreading. I normally bake free form loaves in the shape of a boule, and usually get some spreading during the bake.  I find it is much easier to get an ear on a batarrd than a boule.  If buy a combo cooker https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/cabelas-outfitter-series-cast-iron-deep-skillet-with-lid?ds_e=GOOGLE&ds_c=Cabelas%7CShopping%7CPMax%7CProprietary%7CGe... and use it with the flat pan down, it is easier to load and you will get the same steam effect as the DO, but my guess is that you will get more spreading because the loaf won't be touching the sides of the combo cooker.Â
Oh I see, that makes sense! I am planning on buying this hearth baker from Breadtopia, as I can bake boules or batards in it, and perhaps I can use the tall lid on my baking stone also as a cloche.
Now that I'm looking at the batard photos again, the scoring was kind of on the side rather than the top of the loaf, which could explain why it expanded a bit sideways (in addition to normal oven spread).
Thanks for your input, I appreciate it! :D