Counter surface
"Artisan Baking" is probably not the prescribed subcategory for my question, but ultimately it is a question about making great bread at home.
We're planning to remodel the kitchen, and in doing so I will get dedicated counter space for preparing bread. Here's the question: what is the best surface material?
I see pro bakeries about equally divided between butcher block and stainless steel. In our case, the other work surfaces in the kitchen will probably be quartz. Is there any reason that quartz would be inferior to stainless steel or butcher block for our work? If I have a dedicated surface, should I choose wood, steel, or quartz?
Currently, when I shape my loaves or knead a high-hydration dough, I throw a Silpat over our soon-to-be-discarded formica countertop.
Thanks for advice!
Best,
Rodger
Wood looks neater! And it's used for the student work surfaces at King Arthur's Education Center
which is a high density thermo-polymer invented by DuPont some years ago. It's non-porus and easily cleanable. I have no complaints with it being a work surface and they gave us a 12x16 inch cushioned slab that is perfect for working with two loaf doughs (1.4 kg). At the time we had our kitchen remodeled 8 years ago it was less expensive than quartz by a significant amount which was key because we had a fixed budget for the entire job (which included all new appliances). We were able to chose the color that worked best for us.
I've never seen mineral quartz large enough or unfractured enough to shape into a counter top. But perhaps that's just me. Metal is great but a harsh look for a home kitchen and wood wins on looks. However, granite (which is one-third quartz) is the best. It's very hard, and stays cool, making it perfect for dough and pastry. And it has no fractures that can be exposed with time and wear (unlike marble) and is thus very hygienic. Difficult to scratch too.
... is 93% quartz crystals and 7% acrylic resin.
I have quartz counter tops. They are great for shaping bread and handling pastry. They are cool and smooth and, unlike the granite I had previously, don't absorb grease and stain. The only disadvantage is heat; the first week after the kitchen remodel I carefully put a casserole hot from the oven onto a wooden board and put the lid on the counter!
...I'm obviously not up-to-date. But that might be because my granite has not worn out. :)
Thanks, everyone! AlanG is correct: when we talk about "quartz countertops," we're talking about a commercial composite made of resin and stone, not slabs of natural rock (like granite). Plevee, please explain the consequences of putting the hot lid down on the counter--did it leave a mark? AlanG, Corian is certainly in the running, and no final decisions have been made yet.
I have put the query to SFBI, and might as well send it to KA and to Washington State as well, in hopes that one of those institutions has actually run a controlled study. The lack of consensus here tells me that choice of surface doesn't matter all that much to the dough (or the dough handler), and that ultimately it comes down to aesthetic preference and local tradition. This is good.
Thanks,
Rodger
I would use the quartz counters for pastry, if you are into that. For bread, I do prefer wood. I suppose you could have a dedicated area surfaced in butcher block for bread making, but I have an alternative suggestion. Get a bread kneading board that you can put in place when needed and store elsewhere when not being used, thus freeing up the counter space for other uses.
Here is one example;
You can get these through amazon.com, breadtopia.com, Williams-Sonoma and, I'm sure, other sources.
If you have room, another alternative is a commercial, wood top work table, but the good ones are pricey.
David
I have one of these and it is great when some extra work space is needed. It can slide around working bread dough depending on the surface underneath. A strip of grippy draw liner works perfectly for anchoring it while working.
Both stone/granite/quartz and wood have their individual appeal. The first group is easy to care for and easy to clean and keep debris-free. The wood has a certain "grip" to it that makes it superior IMO for dough handling, whereas the stone surfaces may allow the dough to slip and slide more easily across their surfaces - that's a small negative to me. The wood needs more care and insurance of decontamination, and can nick over time.
If you have the interest and inclination, poke your head into a few small bread bakeries and see what they are using - and why.
alan
"The wood has a certain "grip" to it that makes it superior IMO for dough handling, whereas the stone surfaces may allow the dough to slip and slide more easily across their surfaces - that's a small negative to me."
Yes, floured dough will slide around a lot more on a synthetic surface vs a wood surface. My experience with Corian is that flour doesn't adhere at all to the surface where it does to an extent with wood. On a non-floured Corian surface the dough sticks pretty quickly once the surface flour is absorbed. This is good for sealing seams but one needs to be pretty quick when shaping.
thanks to David for pointing out some alternatives with a wood kneading board. Unfortunately the one model that would appeal (Amazon) to me is an inch too wide for my counter top because of a built in soap dispenser. Even so, I'm running out of storage space in the kitchen for more bread baking equipment and my wife will probably strongly question my next purchase.
with a built in warmer? I have granite and I like it for many reasons but it is cold. Shortly after I put it in,I found out that there are counter warmers tha are installed on the underside. Great for keeping dough warm. I know candy makers and a local ice cream franchise use refrigerant coils to chill the counter. This is making it warm to hot. Not sure of the cost but I'm sure it's not low.
As a cheaper alternative, I bought a desk lamp to shine on my granite and warm it. Cheap at a thrift store.
I vote for a close-grained granite.Close-grained granite usually has a finer texture (similar to quartz) and rarely needs sealing. It is also less desirable in colors than is currently fashionable.
You will learn to work with any choice you make. Enjoy!
Mine is right under my work surface and when the drying cycle is on the counter gets quite warm. This is useful in the winter time but not so much in the summer when the room is already warm.
Yes, I have found the same thing to be true! I set my dishwasher to start at around 11 PM, and the cycle lasts around 3 hours. The countertop above it is just perfect for the overnight rise. Gets the dough going, stays just warm until morning when I'm ready for the next step.
Thanks to all for this very interesting discussion. The response from the San Francisco Baking Institute accords with Alfanso's comment, recommending maple wood because it is not smooth like marble or quartz. The instructor said she would prefer quartz to stainless, but would prefer wood over all.
Rodger
Several months have passed since this thread went into suspension. In the meantime, we took the generous advice of instructors at SFBI and installed a maple-topped bread station. Photo below. Thanks to all who participated in this useful discussion.
Beautiful!
Roger, looks nice. Did they use any finish on the maple, or did they put it in raw and suggest you use mineral oil or a beeswax type finish?
Thanks very much, Barry. Indeed I queried my correspondent at SFBI about the best way to finish and maintain the maple. She said that they rub the naked maple with mineral oil once a month, and between treatments they use water to clean it and a towel to dry it. The newish wood is takes up mineral oil greedily, and I suspect it will temper over time.
Best,
Rodger
I have a maple top island and I was told to initially oil it with mineral oil once a day for a week, then once a week for a month and once a month thereafter. I am pretty good at following the schedule once the top has been sanded fown to renew it but I definitely fall down on the once a month maintenance. I need to get better with that.
Roger, thanks for the reply. Your counter looks to be in great shape. Barry.