Baking in a Dutch Oven is great. Except lifting pre-heated cast iron is both arduous and potentially hazardous. As an alternative, I LOVE my Brod & Taylor Baking Shell. But that, combined with their bread steel is $140 which, for many home bakers just starting out, can be a budget stretch.
This thought was on my mind while we were decluttering our kitchen supplies, ahead of our recent move to Chattanooga. My wife had come across an old hotel pan in some dark recess, and was about to add it to the yard sale pile when the idea hit me - "That would surely make a fantastic baking shell!?" It took me a while to test the theory, but I have, and it does! What's more, this 'DIY baking shell hack' will cost you a fraction of that $140 you'd need for the complete set up. Let's start with a shopping list:
WHAT YOU NEED
For the bake
- 1 x Baking stone or baking steel - $20 or FREE if you already have one
For the shell itself
- 1 x Half Hotel Pan, 6" deep, 20-22 gauge steel) - $13-$17
- 1 x Cabinet Handle/Drawer Pull, oven-safe - $3.50
- 1 x #8-32 Machine Screw, half inch - $0.18
- 1 x 1" stainless washer, 1/8 inch hole dia - $0.49
TOOLS
- Electric Drill with a 3/16 inch drill bit that will go through stainless steel (eg. HSS, cobalt)
- A bit of painter's tape (or a Band-aid!)
- Pen or pencil for marking where your hole is going
- Phillips or flathead screwdriver
- Rough grit sandpaper or metal file/rasp
- Tape measure or ruler
- Safety glasses
(Official Sourdough Geeks will find a full How-To video and a downloadable Spec Sheet in the private community.)
LET'S GO!
1. With the hotel pan turned upside down, and one of the smaller ends facing you, place a piece of painter's tape roughly in the center.
2. Measure width and height of that face to find the exact center spot and mark it with your pen/pencil.
3. With your eyes protected from potential flying metal splinters, and holding the pan firm with your spare hand, drill slowly straight forward on your marked spot.
4. Check your hole for rough edges inside and out, and sand or file as needed to create a smooth finish around the hole.
5. Thread the washer on to your 1/2 inch screw and insert the screw into the hole from the inside. Screw the handle onto the screw end with your other hand, and tighten with a screwdriver as needed.
AND THAT'S IT! A baking shell for under $20!
Let us know if you do this DIY in comments below.
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