Baking Bread on a Grill

[AZ Prepper]

How to Bake: Bread on the Grill
http://www.preparedpantry.com/howtob...yourgrill.aspx

One of the slickest tricks we know is baking bread on the grill. Once you get to know your grill, it's easy—like baking your favorite recipe in the oven.

We can think of all kinds of reasons to use the grill. You can enjoy fresh baked bread while camping, or at the cabin, or at the next family reunion. Sometimes, it's just nice to get out of the kitchen, enjoy the spring air, and bake outside. (Watch the neighbors turn their noses upwind when the smell of fresh baked bread wafts over the fence.) And in the summertime, you don't have to heat up the kitchen to bake. Finally, if there is ever an extended emergency when the power is off, you may have the only fresh bread in town.



You can bake nearly anything with a covered grill. (If your grill doesn't have a cover, improvise with a large inverted pot.) The heat rises and circulates in the covered area just as it does in your oven. The heat source can be charcoal, gas, or even wood. We prefer gas because it is easier to control and does not impart a smoked taste to the bread. Since it is hottest near the flames, elevate the bread even if you have to improvise. In our grill, there is a secondary shelf for baking potatoes and such. (See picture.)

For this demonstration, we used Old-Fashioned White Bread mixes though any mix or recipe will do. We mixed according to package directions. After it had risen, we formed one batch into oval country loaves, one into hamburger buns, and another into dinner rolls.

The trick to grilling bread perfectly is controlling temperature and time. If your grill comes equipped with a thermometer, you've got it made (though outside temperatures and winds may impact how well your grill retains heat). If you have a thermometer, just heat to the temperature designated on the package or in the recipe. If not, guess. After a few loaves you'll have it perfect and we bet that the first batch off the grill will be just fine.



Rolls and buns will probably bake in 15 to 20 minutes and loaves will take 20 to 30 minutes depending on size and temperature. An occasional peek to see how your bread is doing as it nears completion is okay.

We made twelve giant-sized hamburger buns, just the ticket for that quarter-pounder. (With our Old-Fashioned White bread mix, the buns scaled out at 4 ounces each.) Form the buns as you would dinner rolls then press them flat several times until they look like those in the picture to the left. (The dusting that you can see on the pan is cornmeal.) Cover and let rise.



Just before baking, we washed the buns with an egg white wash (one egg white plus one tablespoon of water). We then sprinkled them with sesame seeds. On our grill, we baked them with the heat turned about two-thirds open for about 18 minutes.

For the dinner rolls, we used a 8 1/2 x 15-inch pan and made 20 rolls scaled at 2.5 ounces each.

We made two country style loaves from one mix. If you look closely you'll see that we forgot to slash the tops to release the steam and consequently ended up with a split on the side of the loaf. Don't do as we did—score two or three quarter-inch deep slashes on the top of the loaf just as you begin baking.



Here are a few more hints to help you along the way:

• Bake the bread before the burgers. The bread can cool while you cook the rest of the food. Burning grease in the bottom of the grill makes the temperature harder to control and the soot can stain the bread.
• If you are letting your bread rise outside where the temperature may be less than indoors or where breezes may swirl around the bread, consider using a large food-grade plastic bag as a greenhouse. Simply slip the bread dough--pan and all--inside the bag, inflate it slightly, and close it. If the day is cool, set the bag and the bread in a sunny warm place to capture a little solar energy.
• Grills tend to not circulate the hot air as well as ovens. To keep the bottom of the bread from burning, place one pan beneath the other and a wire rack between the pans to create space for insulation.
• If your bread is baking faster on one side than the other, turn the pan 180 degrees part way through the baking time.
• The tendency is to burn the bottom of the bread. Place the bread as far away from the flames as you can even if it means elevating the bread.

We hope that you have fun baking bread outside this summer. We do know that you will be the envy of the neighborhood, campground, or RV park.

[AZ Prepper]

Baking Bread on your Grill
Hot, dry heat makes a grill the perfect baking oven

By Derrick Riches, About.com
http://bbq.about.com/od/mealsandmenus/a/aa050199.htm

Yes you can make bread with your grill. Flat breads are a breeze and even raised breads work great. All you need to bake bread is an enclosed space that is heated. For this a grill works perfect. One thing to remember though is that grills can get much hotter than your oven and temperature control is not as precise. Delicate breads that can be a challenge in the oven should be avoided on the grill until you really get the hang of it.

Temperatures: My experience suggests that breads cook faster (sometimes twice as fast) on the grill as they would in the oven. Like I said grills can produce a lot more heat than you traditionally use to bake breads so try to keep a relatively low temperature. Use an oven thermometer placed near the bread to monitor temperatures. Also, because of the natural air flow inside your grill (whether charcoal or gas) you get more convection than you do in your oven. This is why it is important to keep a close eye on breads when you are grilling.

Flat Breads: You can grill tortillas and pizza crusts quickly and easily by using frozen bread dough. Try using the roll dough because it's already divided into nice pieces. Roll out into thin circles and place on a preheated grill. Watch to make sure they don't burn and remove from the grill when they are a nice golden brown. For tortillas remove while they are still pliable. For pizzas let them get a little stiff, top with pizza sauce, cheese, etc. and put back on the grill until the cheese is melted. I recommend doing only a few at a time (maybe one until you get the hang of it) so you don't burn the bottoms.

A few extra tips:

• Pizza stones are great, but before you put any cookware on your grill make sure it is safe to use. Some things do not stand up well to the heat and flame of a grill.

• Although not necessary indirect grilling can help create a more even baking environment for breads. Direct heat can cause the bottom of breads to get burned quickly.
• Flat breads need to be able to hold together on your grill. You can place them right on the grate but if the grate doesn't provide enough support you have trouble. Make breads thicker if you have a wide slotted grate.
• A bakers peel can be very helpful getting bread on and off the grill. These are those wide board tools you see in bakeries. Super Peel is a great tool, well worth the money, that has a conveyor belt that really makes it easy to get bread onto the grill easily, especially pizzas.
• These days many grill makers are touting the versatility of their products. Check with your manufacturers website to see if they have specific accessories to help you bake on your grill.

[AZ Prepper]

Outdoor bread baking, gas grill and attempt #1
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/7875/outdoor-bread-baking-gas-grill-and-attempt-1

I tried my hand at baking bread on the grill this past weekend. With summer upon us, and daily temps at 100 degrees, sometimes higher, it is necessary to forego the kitchen oven and hone my breadbaking skills in a 'cooler' environment.

Since I normally do the grilling, I had an idea of my hotspots ahead of time. I'd researched the web, and the many links of TFL to understand that this was a venture where I shouldn't expect perfection, but as with an bread baking, note that with due time I might surprise myself with the results.

Remember my pizza stone that was unfit for the kitchen? I'd thrown it out into the garden to use as a stepping stone. Oh yes! It's true. I went for that gem, scoured it with a non-suds steel wool pad, doused it with organically compounded dish soap, washed it some more. Returned it to the outdoors to air dry, retrieved it and slathered it with olive oil. Placed this little gem outside to bake in the sun and returned a couple hours later. Rubbed a paper towel over it and placed it on the center rack of the grill, over an old toaster oven rack. (I wanted to build a bit more insulation around the stone and grill rack.) Shut the grill door and fired up all four burners to the low setting. I allowed them to heat for 15 minutes, while back in the kitchen I was proceeding with last minute details for the first loaf: egg white/cream wash, slashing and a covering of sesame seeds. (Next time I will slash first, wash and then apply seeds...the wash made the surface a bit tricky to cut).

Back out to the grill, carrying the loaf (set upon a bit of parchment for easy slide to the stone), and my old stew pot I planned on using as a cover/cloche. Open the grill, slid in the loaf, covered and went inside for a cooler 20 minutes. Back at that time, removing the cloche item, I would find the loaf burnt on the bottom, but a lovely golden brown on the top. (what to do, what to do....surely it can't be done in a mere 20 minutes?). Carried the cover into the kitchen and with furrowed brow set about to panic. Threw caution to the wind and went quickly to retrieve the loaf. Picking it up I discovered how hollow it sounded, and the wonderful camelized smell. I knew I was on to something.

Round two, or, loaf #2. I turned two of the four burners off, leaving only those in the center on low, dusted the crispy-fried remnants of parchement off and allowed the oven to build even heat for about ten minutes. Redux of earlier loaf final prep and I am back to the grill for a second attempt. Slid the loaf onto the heated stone, this time leaving the cover/cloche in the kitchen. Returned the cover on the grill and went to time this prize for 15 minutes. ... tic, tic, tic.....Lift the cover and note that the loaf is NOT burnt, but a beautiful golden color on the bottom, yet the top is far from being browned. Quietly lower the lid on the grill and continue to bake for another 15 minutes. Final result? Not a golden browned loaf atop, but none-the-less an absolute in all other ways. I had an open crumb unlike anything I've ever accomplished in all of my prior baking attempts. With such success I had concluded that I'd never eaten better bread....I truly was a convert to this new way of baking. Today I will be attempting trial #2.

The camera battery is recharging as I type.

[AZ Prepper]

How to Bake: Bread on the Grill
http://www.recipegoldmine.com/articles/breadongrill.html

One of the slickest tricks we know is baking bread on the grill. Once you get to know your grill, it's easy—like baking your favorite recipe in the oven.

We can think of all kinds of reasons to use the grill. You can enjoy fresh baked bread while camping, or at the cabin, or at the next family reunion. Sometimes, it's just nice to get out of the kitchen, enjoy the spring air, and bake outside. (Watch the neighbors turn their noses upwind when the smell of fresh baked bread wafts over the fence.) And in the summertime, you don't have to heat up the kitchen to bake. Finally, if there is ever an extended emergency when the power is off, you may have the only fresh bread in town.

You can bake nearly anything with a covered grill. (If your grill doesn't have a cover, improvise with a large inverted pot.) The heat rises and circulates in the covered area just as it does in your oven. The heat source can be charcoal, gas, or even wood. We prefer gas because it is easier to control and does not impart a smoked taste to the bread. Since it is hottest near the flames, elevate the bread even if you have to improvise. In our grill, there is a secondary shelf for baking potatoes and such.

For this demonstration, we used Old-Fashioned White Bread mixes though any mix or recipe will do. We mixed according to package directions. After it had risen, we formed one batch into oval country loaves, one into hamburger buns, and another into dinner rolls.

The trick to grilling bread perfectly is controlling temperature and time. If your grill comes equipped with a thermometer, you've got it made (though ambient temperatures and winds may impact how well your grill retains heat). If you have a thermometer, just heat to the temperature designated on the package or in the recipe. If not, guess. After a few loaves you'll have it perfect and we bet that the first batch off the grill will be just fine.

Rolls and buns will probably bake in 15 to 20 minutes and loaves will take 20 to 30 minutes depending on size and temperature. An occasional peek to see how your bread is doing as it nears completion is okay.

We made twelve giant-sized hamburger buns, just the ticket for that quarter-pounder. (With our Old-Fashioned White bread mix, the buns scaled out at 4 ounces each.) Form the buns as you would dinner rolls then press them flat several times until they look like those in the picture to the left. (The dusting that you can see on the pan is cornmeal.) Cover and let rise.

Just before baking, we washed the buns with an egg white wash (one egg white plus one tablespoon of water). We then sprinkled them with sesame seeds. On our grill, we baked them with the heat turned about two-thirds open for about 18 minutes.

For the dinner rolls, we used a 8 1/2 x 15-inch pan and made 20 rolls scaled at 2.5 ounces each.

We made two country style loaves from one mix. If you look closely you'll see that we forgot to slash the tops to release the steam and consequently ended up with a split on the side of the loaf. Don't do as we did—score two or three quarter-inch deep slashes on the top of the loaf just as you begin baking.

Here are a few more hints to help you along the way:

• Bake the bread before the burgers. The bread can cool while you cook the rest of the food. Burning grease in the bottom of the grill makes the temperature harder to control and the soot can stain the bread.

• If you are letting your bread rise outside where the temperature may be less than indoors or where breezes may swirl around the bread, consider using a large food-grade plastic bag as a greenhouse. Simply slip the bread dough--pan and all--inside the bag, inflate it slightly, and close it. If the day is cool, set the bag and the bread in a sunny warm place to capture a little solar energy.

• Grills tend to not circulate the hot air as well as ovens. To keep the bottom of the bread from burning, place one pan beneath the other. The second pan will tend to insulate the bottom of the bread and keep it from burning. Sometimes place a wire rack between the pans for even more insulation.

• If your bread is baking faster on one side than the other, turn the pan 180 degrees part way through the baking cycle.

• The tendency is to burn the bottom of the bread. Place the bread as far away from the flames as you can even if it means elevating the bread.

We hope that you have fun baking bread outside this summer. We do know that you will be the envy of the neighborhood, campground, or RV park.

**********
This article was submitted by Dennis Weaver. He is the general manager of The Prepared Pantry, which produces baking mixes that are designed and packaged for both storage and everyday use. You can obtain a free catalog or sign up for a weekly informational newsletter at Prepared Pantry.