Bread setup question

avibug

Wanted to try baking bread on my pizza stone.  Last bread I did was in a Lodge DO.  For baking on the pizza stone, I was going to put the stone on the top grid of my AR -- so, effectively raised direct -- no barrier between the fire and the pizz stone on which the bread cooks.  Is that right, or is it better to make it indirect, and put another stone on a spider to have a barrier between the fire and the pizza stone?   Thanks.  

pescadorzih

I would go indirect.  Bread bakes longer than pizza. I think you will burn the bottom going without. 

avibug

Thanks.  

DMW

Yes, indirect. You will also want to get some steam in there for the first 5-10 minutes of baking. Since you have an AR, you might be able to create a setup I'd like to try.

Use the spider with stone for the indirect piece.
Place the baking stone as high as possible.
Place a cast iron pan on the stone while preheating everything.
Add 1 cup of boiling water to the pan right when you put the bread on the stone.

This should create a steamy environment until the water is gone. Should create nice oven spring and get things golden brown.

Here's a few of my bread setups:
http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1159145/new-setup-to-me-for-baking-bread

http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1158050/large-loaf-on-the-xlbge

AlexKeenan

My daughter the bread gremlin and I tend to bake bake bread at egg fests.
We always use a plate setter with feet up then grate.

We have hard pizza stone and softer pizza stone big green egg sells. Both cook differently. The key is how the stone heats, does it have hot spots, cold areas, etc. You can hit your stone with a infrared thermometer to determine how it heats and what temperature you are really cooking at.
I also keep half brick fire bricks that I sometimes use under pizza stones.
Again you get a different temperature profiles.

"In the first few minutes of baking, loaves of bread will rise rapidly as the gases trapped inside expand and the yeast has a final burst of activity (this is called "ovenspring"). Steaming within this time helps keep the crust soft. This allows the bread to continue expanding freely.

The steam that has settled on the surface of the bread also dissolves sugars in the dough. As the bread stops expanding and the steam begins to evaporate, the sugars are left behind to caramelize (yum!) and create a glossy crust.

Steaming is really only useful during the first 5-10 minutes of baking while the yeast is still active and the internal structure hasn't set. After this time, the crust needs its own time to set and dry out".

I like to spray the top of my bread with water before putting in egg to bake on stone.

Some breads you do not want a soft crust! 

If adding  water to the pan right when you put the bread on the stone add only enough to last around 5 to 10 minutes.

If using the caste iron pan to create steam remember this will cause an immediate burst of steam when you add the water.     

RaySMS

I was wondering, I have obviously never done bread in the oven.  I buy my pizza dough at WALMART for 99cents not frozen same day cooking.  So I hear about this book regarding making breads.  I am assuming you are using the Egg as the oven.  Elevating it above the seam line of the egg.  I am trying to figure out if I need to buy anything like a dutch oven for bread?  bread is primarily done in a container not just on the pizza stone????
  Any one done this sort of thing and have pictures of the process that would be great would like to give it a try.

jtcBoynton

"I am trying to figure out if I need to buy anything like a dutch oven for bread?  bread is primarily done in a container not just on the pizza stone????"

Some people like to use a dutch oven for bread. Others like to use loaf pans. Others do not use any.  Some doughs need the support of a pan, others do not.