Loading Baguettes on Stone
Hello you Bakers,
I have been enjoying reading this forum for a long time, and learnt a lot.
Recently I have been struggling with baguettes. I am loading five baguettes at a time, using a large peel covered with parchment paper. My preferred recipe calls for an oven temp of 550 degrees for 20 minutes. . I use steaming towels, above and under the baking stone ( actually quarry tiles), for 8 minutes. the parchment and the bottom of the baguettes end up burnt. the stone is in lower third of the oven.
Well, my questions:
1. I wonder if the paper burns first and that causes the bread to burn?, if not, what do you recommend that I change?
2. any suggestion for loading without parchment paper. can you load multiple baguettes on s flour-coated peal?
I look forward to your responses,
David
550 for 20 minutes seems a bit too high. I would suggest dropping the temperature immediately after loading to at least 500F.
Lower the temp to 450 -475 and forget the parchment. Dust the peel with semolina.
It should tell you the maximum temperature at which it is safe to use. I believe it is generally around 440 dF.
If your oven thermostat is working, and you are really baking baguettes at 550 dF for 20 minutes, I would expect you to have charred loaves.
David
I am grateful for your quick response. I know you all have made great baguettes. David, I have much relied on your recipe for Ficelle, from 2008.
do you guys have any other comments on my procedure?
How do you load multiple baguettes to the stone?
mille grazie
David