Finally nailed my sourdough crust by switching from a Dutch oven to a baking steel

I've been using my grandma's cast iron Dutch oven for years, but my crust was always a bit soft on the bottom. Last month I bought a basic baking steel and preheated it for an hour at 500 degrees before sliding the dough on, and the difference in that crisp, crackly crust was insane. Anyone have tips for keeping the bottom from getting too dark with the steel?

3 comments

3 Comments

julia_lee2mo ago

Yeah, preheating the steel for a full hour is key. I found putting a sheet pan on the rack below it really helps block some of that direct heat and keeps the bottom from burning.

xena_fox392mo agoMost Upvoted

Honestly, is a slightly soft bottom crust really that big of a deal? It's still bread, and it still tastes good. I get wanting to improve, but an hour of preheating a giant slab of steel just for a bit more crunch seems like a lot of work.

seth2182mo ago

Read a blog post that said putting a layer of cornmeal or semolina flour on your peel before launching creates a tiny insulating layer under the loaf. Tried it last week and it really helped with the bottom getting too dark while still giving that awesome crackle.