Drawn to its outside size
16 × 14 in takes a large loaf or two small ones; a quarter inch of steel holds enough heat for bread and pizza.
Baking steel for bread: which size and thickness
A baking steel is a slab of steel that sits on the oven rack and pushes heat into the bottom of the loaf faster than a stone. Pick the largest size that leaves about an inch of air on each side of your rack, and a thickness you can lift: a quarter-inch 16 × 14 in steel weighs 15 lb.
Most ovens: the Baking Steel Original, 16 × 14 × 1/4 in, 15 lb. Light and easy to move: the Brod & Taylor Bread Steel, 14 × 14 in, 5.6 lb. Enter your oven below to check the fit.
Baking Steel OriginalCheck price on Amazon
Keep a surface that already fits.
Check the rack space and the weight before changing thickness or material. Leave a box blank if you haven't measured it; we don't assume oven gaps or a rack weight limit.
Add your oven's rack weight limit →Our picks
Drawn to its outside size
Drawn to its outside size
0.1 in thick and 5.6 lb, so you can take it out after every bake. It holds less heat than a quarter-inch steel.
Drawn to its outside size
20 × 15 in for several loaves or baguettes, if your rack is wide enough. 22 lb.
Drawn to its outside size
3/8 in thick and 16 × 16 in; at 27 lb it is one to leave in the oven.
How we know: weights and sizes are the makers' published figures, linked from each product page, and a dough range marked “our estimate” is our arithmetic on them. We do not perform hands-on testing. How we compare.
Size: measure the rack, not the oven door
Measure the rack's inside width and depth with the door closed in your mind: the steel must clear the door and leave about an inch on each side for air to move. Most full-size US ovens take a 16 × 14 in steel; a 24 in range often fits 20 × 15 in. Use the oven fit checker with your measurements.
| Steel | Size | Thickness | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brod & Taylor Bread Steel | 14 × 14 in | 0.1 in | 5.6 lb |
| Baking Steel Original | 16 × 14 in | 0.25 in | 15 lb |
| Baking Steel Pro | 16 × 16 in | 0.375 in | 27 lb |
| Baking Steel Plus | 20 × 15 in | 0.25 in | 22 lb |
Weight: lift it once, or every time?
A steel is heaviest cold, when you take it out for storage or cleaning. If it can live on the bottom rack, a heavier steel is fine and stores more heat. If it has to come out for every roast, choose a thinner one you can lift comfortably at arm's length. Your oven manual may list a rack weight limit: count the steel, the loaves and any steam pan together.
Steam: what the pot did for you
On a steel the loaf is open to the oven, so it needs steam for about the first 20 minutes to rise fully. Put a metal tray on the rack below while the oven preheats and pour in a cup of boiling water when the loaf goes in, or cover the loaf with a large upturned roasting pan or a baking shell. Then remove the steam or cover, as King Arthur does at about 20 minutes, and bake on to brown the crust.
Preheat and care
Baking Steel suggests preheating at 500 to 550°F for 45 to 60 minutes. Load the loaf from a peel dusted with semolina, or on parchment only if its box rates it for that heat. After baking, let it cool in the oven, scrape off anything stuck, wipe it dry and rub on a thin film of oil if it looks dull or shows rust spots.
Loading the loaf
Turn the proofed loaf onto a peel or an upturned baking sheet dusted with semolina, or onto parchment rated for the oven temperature, score it, and slide it onto the hot steel. See scoring and loading.
Questions bakers ask
What thickness baking steel is best for bread?
A quarter inch suits most home bakers: it holds enough heat for a loaf and weighs about 15 lb at 16 × 14 in. Thicker steels hold more heat but are hard to move.
Does a baking steel need steam for bread?
Yes. Without a lid, the loaf needs steam or a cover for about the first 20 minutes, or the crust sets before it can rise.
Can a baking steel crack?
No. Unlike a stone, steel does not crack from sudden heat or cold.