February 6, 2014 - 9:27am
Baking Steel vs Stone for Sourdough Bread Baking
I recently purchased a King Arthur baking steel with the thought to replace my baking stone for both pizza and bread baking.
How does it perform with breads? I typically create steam in my oven cavity for the crust, by sometimes placing a tray of water or using a sprayer. Does this effect the steel?
Thanks.
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I just looked at the KA steel. Boy did they mark up the Modernist steel !! Whew....they designed their steel with the built in handle and you get the case....but a lot more expensive and it is the same size. Anyway ..on to your question. I regularly spray my breads with a bottle while they are on the steel as well as having used a pan of lava rocks on a rack beneath the steel . Due to the heat in the oven there is no residual moisture in the oven so therefore no rust and the steel is WAY to heavy and well-made to be warped by the water. Have fun and enjoy . Be sure to check the Modernist Cuisine Baking Steel site for their recipes. Lots of great ideas for using it. c
And not pitting either? Will look at the website.
Both sides are as smooth now, 1 year after purchase, as they were when new. So far it seems to be impervious to all things. Hope you enjoy. The blog Alexandra's Kitchen is written by the person who develops the recipes for the steel. You can look at her blog also . c ( http://www.alexandracooks.com/2013/08/01/baking-steel-pizza-tomato-mozzarella-caramelized-onion-burrata/)
My steel does not suffer any negative effects from steam when baking, but it does rust if I leave it without use for a while because it is quite humid where I live.