Much has been said and asked lately about baking tiles/stones. Mike Avery
posted this note on last week's bread-bakers list:
"As to baking with tiles, I usually leave my tiles in the oven. I've
covered both racks with tiles. The only drawback is it takes the oven
longer to heat up than it does without. I was in a hurry this morning to
make some sourdough blueberry muffins, so the tiles came out. The muffins
also came out ... nicely, that is."
Here's my two-cents worth on the issue, a reply to Mike's letter;
possibly a fresh perspective:
Mike - I've travelled the baking-stone and peel route in the past,
and more than once. Yes, it does impress guests.
But I inevitably arrive at the same conclusion: more hassle than
they're worth, another of those "the secret to success" expectation items.
Big issue to oven stones/tiles is the heating time-delay as you
mention.
I live in Florida where outdoor heat, especially during summer, is
a problem (I'm being kind with words) - keeping the home cool and
comfortable is a concern. Extensive baking adds to the dilemma. Pre-heating
an oven (for the stones' sake, 45-60 minutes) contributes appreciably to
home-interior heat.
Artisan French baguettes is my ongoing pursuit. The very
successful method (trial and error) I've developed would be pure heresy if
mentioned in baking-guru circles, decidedly contrary to virtually all
cookbook advice. And I don't use baking stones, nor peels. To wit:
To minimize heat in the kitchen I bake baguettes from a
"cold-oven" start. The "pros" (and conventional wisdom) would say this is
impossible. I can only say - it not only works, it works very well!
The oven walls, top and bottom, are thoroughly misted/sprayed with
water (in a cold oven this is simple to do, not a bit dangerous... as it is
with a 500 F oven).
My convection oven requires about 12 minutes (from cold) to reach
the 450 F setpoint. The three baguettes (900 grams total weight) bake
for a total of 23 minutes. Sometimes I even shut the oven off the last few
minutes and let it "coast in" (internal temperature drop is negligible).
The above heresy-method doesn't eliminate heat sent back into the
kitchen - but it does greatly reduce the problem compared to the 45-60
minute preheat method "at the oven maximum" of 500+ degrees... as is often
advised. All this absorbed thermal energy now gets dumped back into the
kitchen - demands that the air-conditioning system run longer to offset the
extra heat.
I find that the cold-start method works very well; the
"conversion" factor is roughly a 15% longer baking time than whatever the
formula's suggested time. Popovers, as an example: 380 F for 40
minutes changes to 380 F for 48 - results are identical. Baguettes change
from 450 F and 18 minutes... to 450 F and 23 minutes.
I experience considerable success with otherwise
notoriously-difficult French baguette baking. And my kitchen and home stay
a bit cooler, less electricity used.
I suspect your mornings' stoneless success with sourdough
blueberry muffins - demonstrates the very same principle.
In a commercial continuous-duty baking production line, stones do
provide value... but not in a home environment. We as consumers are simply
looking for "the magic answer," that "secret to success."
Various stores offer (if not hype) these products to, well... fill
consumer demand. We consumers are gullible lot.
- Ed Okie