Steam the Oven for the Best Bread Baking
Professional bakers use a double boiler to keep the bread from losing too much moisture during the first few minutes of baking. You can get a similar effect at home with a baking sheet and spray bottle.
I can’t seem to let a guest stay on Lifehacker without at least one baking tip . When you ferment and test your bread before baking, that’s when the yeast and bacteria in your dough extract the flavors from the wheat and create structure in your dough. When you put the loaves in the oven, the heat gives the yeast a final kick in the first few minutes. The loaf will rise even more, which we call proofing in the oven or spring in the oven.
The steam helps to keep the crust soft for the first five or ten minutes to allow the bread to fully expand. It also helps dissolve the sugar on the surface of the dough, which caramelizes during baking and gives it a glossy crunchy crust. You can get pretty close to the steamer effect at home.
When you preheat the oven, heat it about 25 degrees higher than the recipe requires, and place the baking sheet on the bottom wire rack to keep it nice and hot. When you add the bread, pour about half a glass of water onto the baking sheet. You must do this without pulling out the wire rack, because you want the steam to remain in the oven, so be careful. Using a spray bottle, spray the walls of the oven with water several times and close the door. Wait about 30 seconds and spray the sides again. Wait another 30 seconds and do this again, then turn off the oven to the recommended temperature and bake as usual.
Happy baking!
Image of Rebecca Siegel .