Pizza Stone Bread Recipe

[james]

I have posted a series of web pages on a method for making bread with a bread machine and a pizza stone. I've been using it for years to make bread when I am not firing a pizza oven. Through trial and error, I've tried to come up with shortcuts for things like pre-fermenting, shaping, etc. It's a casual approach -- not like Jim's excellent Wood-Fired Bread e-Book.

The pages start here; let me know what you think:

http://www.fornobravo.com/brick_oven...betterway.html

They are a follow-on to my not-so-serious Bread, Pizza and Coffee Economics page. That's the one where I show how you can send your kids to college for a year by installing a pizza oven. That page is here:

http://www.fornobravo.com/pizza_oven...ven_logic.html

Let me know what you think.
James

[maver]

Re: Pizza Stone Bread Recipe

James, did you miss the part of the instructions where you indicated how to get steam in the oven? I see discussion of the importance, but not the method. I use a spray bottle, but with your ingredient list you mention a heavy roasting pan - do you invert a roasting pan over the loaves to create a steamy environment?

Nice write up - there's a lot of flexibility in home bread. I'm still playing with variations on the no knead recipe. I don't really knead my bread at all, just spoon mix and give it a long slow rise. I've taught my daughter (age 11) and it's very simple and the gluten development is still superb.

Marc

[CanuckJim]

Re: Pizza Stone Bread Recipe

James,

I think you've done a fine job writing up a non-daunting intro to making bread at home on a pizza stone. A lot of us started that way, I think, and I certainly did years ago. You can get steam into the oven using a spray bottle (preferred) or a pan of water just below the stone, but the pan will be a write off pretty quickly.

Keep up the good work.

Jim