Baking stone alternatives
I've never made baguettes and was thinking about giving them a try; however, I usually bake my loaves in a pot, which will not fit a baguette. While I'm willing to get a baking stone if I decide to make baguettes regularly, I would rather not commit to storing one until I know for sure that I will use it regularly.
Q1: In the meantime, are there good make-shift alternatives to baking stones?
I thought a stack of a few preheated aluminum sheet pans might somehow act like a baking steel? Or if I put a single thin sheet pan on top of a couple of preheated upside-down cast iron frying pans?
Using a pot means that steam generation is also not usually a concern of mine. Given that I don't have ready access to lava rocks, I was going to use either a cast iron pan with ice or Sylvia's wet towel method.
Q2: Is the amount of steam generated by these methods noticably different? Also any other suggestions for steam generation are welcome.
Thank you!