January 7, 2010 - 8:34pm
opinions on whether this will work for bread
What do you all think about this "Cast Iron Grill Humidifier"?
http://www.surlatable.com/product/661256.do#
The description seems to say that it is just two cast iron boxes with holey lids. So is it anything? or not anything?
Sometimes in warmer months I will try to bake out on the grill. It is sometimes quite successful, and sometimes not so much. Does anyone believe this might help in baking bread?
I also wonder if this might work in an indoor oven too. I don't like to mess w/ water or ice tossed into a hot oven.
My only concern is that one would be unable to estimate the correct amount of water needed for baking.
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But decided against it because the capacity seemed too small for the amount of water I use. My mother always used a cast iron loaf pan. I use my broiler pan which is already beat to hell.
AW, How much water do you use? Many people seem to say that they just use a handfull of ice cubes. I would think I only want a bit of steam at the start of baking... really i'm not sure how much volume that would be, or if this humidifier thingy would do the job.
I am surprised at the description, it does sound small. I would think for grilling meats on the barbecue they would need more liquid.
I'm probably using too much water. I have a bottle and pour some until it coats the bottom of my broiler pan and steams the oven well. I spray the sides of my oven and the loaves. My bread never turns out gummy though. Do you think I'm using too much?
It's not too much if you like the bread. Would you say your crust comes out hard, chewy, crispy?
Coating the bottom of the pan is probably not much water at all, but would give you a nice quick steam. That is one of the problems with those humidifier things, probably would not give a nice "flash" of steam, but just steady humidity. I'm not sure what that would do for me or my bread.
I don't like too hard/thick a crust but I can't seem to regulate it much with any water/ steam method I've been willing to try. I have more luck by changing the baking temperature, or spraying/wetting the bread before putting it in. I've tried a few things but it seems to be hit-and-miss.