Materials suitable for baking temperatures
After several attempts with teflon cookware / bakeware, I have realized that even "good quality teflon" starts taking off soon. Also, when I measure temperature on the baking sheet in the first minutes of baking bread, it often reaches 500°F... which may not be safe. Well, I decided to get rid of all teflon...
Please, could you help me to choose baking equipment from other, safe materials that can be used at high temepratures as well?
I don´t think I would buy a baking stone (pre-heating it in our electric Bosch oven for 45minutes would come quite expensive...). I have enamel baking sheets - but how do you prevent bread from sticking? I wanted to buy IfYouCare parchment, but it should be suitable only for temperatures under 430°F :-(
I would also like some loaf pans, cake and muffin pan... but don´t know which material would be really health-safe and at the same time would assure good oven spring and browning...?
I make a distinction between the tools I use for bread and other baked goods. For cakes, cookies, muffins, I sometime use silicone bakeware. I do sometimes use a silicone loaf pan for sandwich bread, but not for artisan breads. I use parchment paper on my baking stone or, when I'm in a place where there is not baking stone, I use parchment on the a baking sheet/cookie sheet. I've never had any trouble with using high quality parchment on a baking stone or baking sheet at 500 degrees.
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/3632/parchment-paper-temperature-limit
I don't know why you have come to believe that you have to pre-heat a baking stone for 45 minutes before loading a loaf onto its surface. True, the additional time will ensure that everything is perfectly heated before you start, but I have been known to put my stone into a cold oven, preheat it just until it the oven comes up to temperature, and waiting only a few minutes before loading the loaf on the stone to bake. I preheat my oven to about 500 degrees the reduce the heat a short time after loading the loaf to bake and 've truly never found any significance in using that method for baking my bread.
Don't overlook the value of a Dutch Oven. Whether it's enameled or raw cast iron, they're wonderful for baking bread.
I have hust found that Silpat should also be suitable for higher temperatures. As for parchments - some seem to be silicone and some teflon coated. It is not always stated on the box. I do not say that the parchment cannot stand high temperatures, but that, if it is not designed for such a use, there may be some "unhealthy" microscopic changes. As with teflon...
As for the baking stone - initially it seemed like a great thing. But then, on several web pages I read that thinner stones do not work, that it must be a pretty thick one and also that it is not enough to preheated for a 10 or 15 minutes (my oven takes 15 minutes to gett to 475°F. I do not remember the exact reference but I would appreciate any experience from other good bakers :-)
zdenka
You may be surprised at what you find that will work. Any all metal pots or pans,cast iron,any pyrex or corelle casseroles,even pie plates or "tin" cans that aren't lined.
If I have to buy something, I have found that the cheapest cookie sheets and loaf pans (no coating-steel,usually) work best. They are the kind that you brush with oil and turn dark brown after the first few bakes.
Good Will, Salvation Army,rummage sales and estate sales are great sources also. Just make sure you are buying food grade pans.
If you want a good formula for a non-stick coating-just mix a little liquid lecithin in a little oil.Keep it in a jar and brush it on any pan you want the baked goods to pop out of.Has never failed me.
I've tried several materials over the years.
Tin plated steel - the old favourite - but I find that the bread often sticks to it and makes the loaf difficult to extract.
Silicon rubber - the new thing - I can't get on with this, I find it's a heat insulator. An identical amount of dough put side by side in my favourite pan (see below) cooks 10 minutes quicker!
Teflon coated thin aluminium or steel - OK - if it wasn't meant for baking at bread temperatures (up to 230 C) they couldn't sell it as a bread tin. Can't find any in the 2lb (about 24cm long) size I like.
Hard anodised thick aluminium (grey finish Avanti & Tefal) - current favourite - good heat conductor and bread won't stick to it even without oiling. These may have a Teflon overlay, but it doesn't say so on the packaging. Oil doesn't wet the surface, just beads. Hardly needs washing after use. 35-45 minutes at 200 - 230 C and the loaf is done.