The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Petalite baking stone?

Glacrwlf's picture
Glacrwlf

Petalite baking stone?

Has anyone ever heard of the mineral called "Petalite"? It's a lithium feldspar that, when used to bake, radiates infrared rays that exceed that of a stone oven. It's supposed to create really good bread! I watched "Yakitate!! Japan" to find that out. Can I really use it in clay, and more importantly, can I use it to make a mold with volcanic rock? Please help me!

ClimbHi's picture
ClimbHi

One of the benefits of a masonry oven is that the heat radiates from all around the thing being cooked, whereas any stone you put under the baked object only radiates from below. So, even if it's the best radiator in the world, it still won't equal a masonry oven. For example, I once tried to bake bread in my WFO underneath a grill on stilts. The bread under the grill was lame. The bread NOT under the grill was perfect.

So, it may work better, but you'd have to put one above, below and on each side to get the benefits of a masonry oven.

ClimbHi
Pittsburgh, PA

osx-addict's picture
osx-addict

Something like a BGE (Big Green Egg) or Kamado BBQ would work as an close alternative I believe since all are egg shaped and most have ~1.5" thick ceramic walls to refract the heat.. My textured black Kamado with no fuel can get over 100F just sitting in the sun on a typical afternoon with the nice thick ceramic...