Pizza Stone Bread: Some Background

Stones and Steam

If you are like us, you have probably wondered how great bakeries can convert the same flour that we can buy into wonderful, crusty, chewy, flavorful bread. It always seems no matter how hard you tried, whether it was special recipes, hand kneading, or special pans, we could never make a real baguette.

We knew that it has something to do with “steam” and a “stone”, but it never really sunk in.

Then, we bought a Pizza Stone. Initially, it was used the for making, well, pizza. And we have had a great time making crisp pizza stone pizza. We have made great pizza on charcoal BBQs, gas BBQs, and in just about every type of oven. The pizza stone extracts moisture from the pizza dough and quickly converts it into steam that gives the pizza crust its crispy crust.

It was time to take the plunge and see if steam and a pizza stone would really work for crusty bread. Our lingering fear was that we would invest a great deal of time and effort, and really only end up making mediocre bread that no one would really want to eat. Or worse, that the bread was mediocre, and everyone would tell us how good it was. Luckily, we were wrong.

After a great deal of trial and error, we can say with confidence that the pizza stone really does work; that it is not that difficult to master, and that the results are truly worth the effort. In fact, let’s  say it another way. Trying to make artisan bread without using steam and without using a stone of some form is a waste of time. You will be disappointed with the results, and will eventually give up. But with the right tools and a little practice, you can do it.

It’s time to get started.