Loading the Ovens

Hearth breads. To load the ovens, place the proofed units on a peel that is well dusted with cornmeal. Slide the peel into the oven. Then, with a quick snap, remove the peel, leaving the loaves or rolls in place. To remove baked items, quickly slide the peel under them and pull them out. The illustration shows a peel in use.

Pan breads and rolls. Freestanding items may be baked on sheet pans instead of on the hearth. Bakers generally refer to such breads and rolls as hearth breads even if they are not baked directly on the bottom of the oven. Sprinkle the pans with cornmeal to keep the units from sticking and to simulate the appearance of hearth-baked items. Pans may also be lined with silicone paper. Perforated sheet pans or screens are also available. These allow better air circulation and therefore permit more even browning.

Sandwich loaves and other pan breads are, of course, baked in loaf pans or other appropriate pans. Details are given in the makeup section of chapter 8.