The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Baking in a gas grill

Heidi Napier's picture
Heidi Napier

Baking in a gas grill

I love to bake all year round, but I don't like to heat the kitchen up in the summer by turning on the oven.  I decided to try an experiment and bake on my gas grill.  I have a 3 burner Weber with a thermometer built in.  It works GREAT for bread and pies and even a souffle.  I preheat the grill with all 3 burners; then I turn the middle burner off and put the loaves on the middle between the lit burners.  I can fit 3 5x9 inch bread pans or two 9 inch pans with round loaves.  For artisan bread that needs a good crust, I put an 8 inch pan of water over each lit burner and get lots of steam.  The crusts are almost as good as the commercial bread baked with forced steam,

THe tricky part is regulating the temperature, because the grill has no thermostat.  The size of the flame depends on the outside temperature, at least until I figure out a way to insulate the grill!!  With some practice, I've gotten pretty good at regulating the flame, and the bread is really very forgiving if you bake it at the wrong temperature. 

I do recommend using an instant read thermometer to make sure the bread is done. 

Heidi

 

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

I just a take my mini convection oven outside and plug it in.  It weighs 5 pounds and bakes way better bread the my big GE oven.  No heat in this AZ kitchen in the summer is a good bread thing,  I've done pizza crust, naan and other flat breads on the grill buit never a loaf.

Happy baking

bob13's picture
bob13

I have a kamado style charcoal grill (Big Green Egg type) and it works great for pizza and artisan bread baking.  It holds a steady temperature for a very long time so I can make fresh bread/rolls and than put on the main course while the bread cools.   Keeps the house cool and gives my bread a little different style.