The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Ceramic Grill... Bread

August 28, 2011 - 9:00pm
Pain Partout's picture
Pain Partout

Ceramic Grill... Bread

New Primo grill owner.  Looking for people who have actually cooked bread on Kamado-type grills, such as Primo & Big Green Egg.  

I can find some information on cooking pizza on ceramic grills.  But little info, for bread.  Has anyone... done this successfully? 

 

 

 

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mrfrost's picture
mrfrost
Aug 28 2011 - 9:55pm

First hit on youtube.com:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyXmx7L_GTw

Undoubtably some more. Quite a few on pizza.

You want to get the loaves relatively high up in the dome, for good browning.

Pain Partout's picture
Pain Partout
Aug 29 2011 - 8:36pm

Thanks,... mrfrost for the Youtube link.  But, I am hoping to cook higher than 450, which means that I likely cannot use parchment paper (as used in the video). It might be dangerous to open the lid, and have the paper catch fire at higher temps?  Concerned with dough sticking, with a higher hydration dough, if used without paper (I use parchment for all of my baking, even on my oven stone).  I have not found parchment rated much above 450, even though I frequently push mine for short periods at 475 degrees.  Gets pretty toasty though.

How high do wood-fired ovens go, when cooking bread?  I was hoping to find someone who has actually cooked breads on one of these types of grills.   Looks like it could be a way of making killer focaccia, or semolina rolls? Looking to use it more like a pizza oven, for naan, rolls, or baguettes.  Don't wish to destroy my baking stone in the learning process.

Anyone...?

 

 

 

 

 

Chuck's picture
Chuck
Aug 30 2011 - 9:23am

...I am hoping to cook higher than 450, which means that I likely cannot use parchment paper...

My experience (in my oven, not on a grill:-) with using parchment paper above 450F has been positive, for a couple reasons:

  1. It tends to char rather than flame. I once pulled a loaf halfway off my baking stone with a temperature probe, and wound up with the parchment paper hanging near the heating element. Although I was very afraid, for some reason (stupidity?) I just kept going and baked the bread for the full time anyway. The part of the parchment paper that was hanging loose turned all black and got crispy, but it never burst into flame, and didn't impart any funny flavors to the bread (unlike what would have happened with the "wax paper" I remember my mother using).
  2. If you trim the parchment paper quite close to the loaf (a half inch?) all around, it can go well over 450F. The interface between the baking loaf and the baking stone is substantially cooler than the oven over all. (Maybe it helps to think of it this way: the crumb of the loaf isn't much above boiling water, so something so close to it probably isn't either.) Also, there's no air/oxygen there in the "sandwich" with baking stone on one side, baking bread on the other side, and parchment paper in the middle. A loose flap several inches long of parchment paper with a sharp corner sticking out into the oven or over the edge of the baking stone is inviting trouble  ...but by trimming the paper first it's easy to remove such lightning rods.
HeidiH's picture
HeidiH
Aug 30 2011 - 10:00am

I use uncoated, unbleached parchment and have yet to have it catch fire and since it is not coated, it doesn't off-gas at high temperatures.  I have had it scorch a little.  The brands of uncoated parchment I've used are "Beyond Gourmet" and "If You Care."  They can be gotten via Amazon.

mrfrost's picture
mrfrost
Aug 30 2011 - 10:32am

For the record, "If You Care" brand is coated with silicone. It is unbleached though. That is unless they have introduced a new parchment paper recently. Don't know about Beyond Gourmet.

By the way, nothing wrong with silicone coated parchment. Quilon coated parchment may be a different story.

See, you've used silicone and didn't even know it. Still alive, yes?

HeidiH's picture
HeidiH
Aug 30 2011 - 11:16am

I had gotten away from the silicone and now I guess I'm back until I go through the four rolls I just bought.

Chuck's picture
Chuck
Aug 30 2011 - 7:31pm

Well I'm not a chemist, but it seems to me that silicone is not much of an issue. It's fairly inert and unreactive (in other words it doesn't easily join up with anything else to make a new substance). It has low toxicity. And in my oven (that's only up to about 550F) no "outgassing" has ever been either visible as some sort of wisp of smoke or cloud or tastable anywhere in the bread or bread crust. There are lots of other things in my kitchen I worry a whole lot more about.

Parchment paper for baking is coated with a "release", either silicone or Quilion. If completely uncoated parchment paper were obtained, it seems to me that it would stick so badly it would work just as well to not to use anything at all.

jcking's picture
jcking
Aug 30 2011 - 10:17am

Pain,

I've baked Pizza on my outdoor grill at 650°F on a cheap round pizza stone. If you trim the parch very close to the rim of the pizza it's no problem. Parchment makes it much easier to load. I enjoy the near burnt crust; 5 mins for a 10" pie.

Jim

Pain Partout's picture
Pain Partout
Aug 30 2011 - 7:31pm

Thanks, for the comments on trimming the parchment close to the dough, Chuck and Jim.   Gives me more confidence, Jim, that you have used your parchment on your grill at 650 degrees.  Thanks also for the timing on your pizza, as this is all new territory for moi (me).

Thanks mrfrost  and HeidiH for noting particular brands of parchment with silicone coating, or ones that you have been happy with.  I would guess that the silicone coated stuff  should go pretty high?      

I don't remember what brand my parchment is, or whether it is silicone or quilon coated.  I bought a several thousand "loose" full pan sheets from Bridge Kitchenware over six years ago, and I am still using it.  Down to the bitter end though. 

Great comments......all.