Brod & Taylor Ultralight Baking Shell for Sourdough Bread (Batard) – No Preheating Needed for Crispy Crust and Even Baking

I’ve had this Brod & Taylor Ultralight Baking Shell (Boule version) for about three months now, and honestly, it hasn’t gotten the attention or praise it truly deserves; this product and the company behind it are game-changers. This has given me by far the best and most consistent sourdough baking experience of my life. Before this, I spent money on two different Dutch ovens, tried every technique out there— I was even seriously considering buying a whole new oven because nothing was giving me the crispy crust, oven spring, and airy crumb I wanted reliably. Then I discovered this Baking Shell. I paired it with their base tray/steel, and if I hadn’t, I doubt I’d ever have achieved such killer loaves at home. No preheating the cover, super lightweight, easy to handle, traps steam perfectly, and the results look and taste professional — crackly crust, beautiful ear, open crumb. It’s honestly unmatched. Huge thank you to Brod & Taylor for creating something this brilliant and practically unrivaled in the home sourdough world. If you’re tired of heavy Dutch ovens and inconsistent results, do yourself a favor and get this — you won’t regret it!

New to baking bread and didn’t want the heavy cast iron Dutch ovens often used. I have a pizza steel in my oven and put the Brod & Taylor lite shell over my loaf and it worked great! No preheating and really easy to use. Very high quality, now going to purchase their sourdough home starter kit.

The Brod & Taylor Ultralight Baking Shell has been a game-changer for my steam oven baking. It is impressively lightweight, making it easy to insert and remove even when hot, yet it feels very durable and solid. The flat, smooth surface ensures even heat distribution, which gives consistent browning and a nice crisp crust on bread, pizza, and pastries. I also appreciate that the edges are slightly raised, helping to keep dough or batter in place without spilling. Cleanup is simple since nothing sticks, and the non-reactive surface maintains its quality over time. The shell is slightly larger than I expected, so storage requires a bit of planning, but the quality, performance, and versatility make it an excellent tool for any serious home baker.

This is a useful, well-designed, lightweight addition to my bread baking equipment. Definitely functions as expected and makes baking bread with a nice crust easy. Love that it is so lightweight and doesn't need preheating. Taking one star off for the price which fits seem too high for an aluminum product.

Awesome. Made two Batard loaf's this weekend and didn't have to worry about adding any water to a preheated cast iron skillet. Slide the bread onto the preheated baking steel and covered with the baking shell. Easy to remove after the first 20-25min, nice and light. Bread turned out beautiful

Perfect! Excellent results, so much easier than a heavy dutch.

My bread is turning out great and didn't have to buy a Dutch oven. I did buy the Boule shell as well and I probably could have gotten away with that one because it fits the Batard as well.

Seems expensive for what it is. The knob on the front is odd versus being on top like a lid. It is lightweight so easy to lift off.