Steam
Steam is important during the initial phase of baking most hearth breads. It facilitates oven-spring by preventing the crust from setting too rapidly, and enhances crust color. Breads baked without steam can taste fine, but the crust is likely to be a dull, pale grayish color rather than the rich brown most of us are after. Ready for a photo quiz? Hint: the top thing is not a peanut on steroids.
I have spent way more time than I should have scouring books and online articles and discussion groups looking for the perfect way to introduce steam to my baking loaves. I’ve spent hours and hours, and more than a little money, trying just about everything. But in the end, it’s come down to two methods that work for me.
The first is a home-made version of a La Cloche Brick Oven, made for a fraction of the cost. I got the idea from a contributor to The Fresh Loaf. The materials (one unglazed 10-inch terra cotta flower pot, one eye bolt, two washers, two hex nuts) were under $15. You can buy a lead-testing kit if you want to make sure the pot is lead-free.
Two of these fit in my oven, and each can cover a 2-pound boule or small batard. I preheat them in the oven along with the baking stone. Then when the proofed loaves are loaded onto the hot stone, I immediately cover them with the preheated cloches. The moisture in the dough itself provides the steam; no spraying or other addition of water is necessary. The cloche simulates a brick oven, holding the steam close to the bread. The cloche is removed after the first 10-15 minutes to give the crust a chance to brown. This is my method of choice when I’m baking one or two loaves that fit comfortably under the cloches.
Woman cannot live by boules alone, though. For those times when I can’t use the cloches, here’s what works: I place a shallow pan filled with lava rocks (the kind used for barbecue grills) on the bottom rack and allow it to preheat with the oven. It is as far forward and to one side as possible, with the baking stone a couple of racks above it. Two or three minutes before loading the proofed loaves, I throw a damp dishtowel into the oven and remove it just prior to loading the bread (tongs are good for this). This pre-humidifies the oven chamber. (I can’t absolutely swear that this does any good, but I think it helps.) Once the bread is in the oven I quickly pour about 3/4 cup hot water into the stone-filled pan and shut the door. An oven mitt is essential to keep my pouring hand from getting a steam burn, and a long-spouted watering can is a good idea too. After the first 10-15 minutes I remove the steam pan from the oven; although all the water may have evaporated, opening the door to vent the moisture is important.
If I make any radical new steam discoveries, I’ll pass them on. For now, though, I’m pretty satisfied with these methods, until I can figure out a way to install a professional steam-injection oven in my house.
Kippercat July 9 2007 at 10:23 am 1
Hi Susan,
I’m enjoying your blog. While your description of the lava rocks on the freshloaf was just fine, it’s always nice to see the picture. I definitely want a set of these!
~ Liz
Susan July 9 2007 at 05:19 pm 2
Kippercat,
Thank you for visiting! I’m glad you liked the photo. I think the lava rocks work very well.
Susan
ejm July 10 2007 at 08:40 am 3
The lava rocks idea is brilliant!
Just before preheating the oven, I used to fill a broiling pan with water and place it below my stone.
But I have become lazy and now I liberally spray the risen loaf with water just before putting it into the oven. It ruins any flour pattern but the bread still looks fabulous when it comes out of the oven.
I’m also very intrigued by the flower pot method. (I’m so relieved that you mentioned using a lead testing kit…)
-Elizabeth
Susan July 10 2007 at 11:06 pm 4
The lava rocks idea is not my own; I got it from an artisan bread DVD by King Arthur Flour. I have tried spraying the loaves, but for me the burst of steam provided by the pan of rocks works a little better for getting a nice opening on the slashes. I have heard of people cracking the glass in their oven doors by spilling water on them, though, and steam burns are really nasty, so be careful!
Ibán July 11 2007 at 11:48 am 5
Hi,
…I’ll come over for a slice regularly!
Many thanks for the generous explanation and the lovely pics and breads
ejm July 11 2007 at 12:15 pm 6
Aha. That would explain why my slashes have been less than successful. I have pretty much stopped slashing and find the unslashed bread to be much more pleasing to look at. It tastes just as wonderful…
I too have heard of the breaking glass and so always spray the loaves on the counter just before putting them in the oven.
I also wonder if spraying in the oven might not crack a bread stone in pieces - not that the cracking makes the stone unusable. My stone is in three pieces now because of an unfortunate storage accident a few years ago. (Don’t ask)
-Elizabeth
Susan July 11 2007 at 01:42 pm 7
Ibán , muchas gracias y mucho gusto. (I hope I got that right!)
ejm, keeping water away from the oven is definitely safer. What can I say, I like to live dangerously! (I do pour pretty carefully, though.)
norma johnson July 13 2007 at 07:57 pm 8
Hi…I have posted this info on the BBGA website several times with no responses. After trying several ways of getting steam into my (at home) oven, the following method gives me consistent results…the color and texture of my crust are always “perfect.”
I use a Chapin garden sprayer with a metal wand that works by pressure (you pump the air out of the tank by hand) Model 2121 which is really too big (1 gallon) but at the time the smallest they made. Before loading my oven I spray spray spray, then twice or three times again in the first 5 mins. You will get lots of steam and beautiful golden crusts every time.
Susan July 13 2007 at 11:06 pm 9
Hi Norma, Thanks for the tip! I’m glad you’ve found something that works for you. I’ve tried spraying, but only with a spritz bottle, and that did not work too well for me. I’m guessing a garden sprayer would really generate some big-time steam.
ejm July 15 2007 at 06:31 am 10
The only difficulties (aside from fear of being scalded) I have with spraying into the oven or pouring water into a broiling pan is loss of oven heat. Every time the door of the oven opens, it loses at least 25F. And if the door is kept open for longer, wouldn’t it lose even more heat?
-Elizabeth
Ira September 18 2007 at 01:28 pm 11
Hi Susan,
I like your site. My first Pain au Levain is rising as I write and thought I’d ask if you’ve tried the steamer that’s used for steam cleaning? There have been infomercials for them and are also sold on EBAY for about $30.00. Also Rose is big on this system that incorporates a cloche and steamer. Kinda pricey, a little over $200.00.
Ira
Susan September 18 2007 at 10:43 pm 12
Ira, I have tried a few of those steamers and have not had good luck with them. The “steam” seems more like a fine mist of water. I’ve also tried the Steam Maker Bread Baker that Rose (Levy Beranbaum) likes, but I found I had to keep the oven door open so wide and for so long to do the steaming that I was worried the oven was cooling down too much, and I’ve had just as good results with the methods I described. Simple but effective for me.
I hope your Pain au Levain turned out wonderfully!
Jonathan Kandell September 26 2007 at 03:55 pm 13
I too made a flower pot cloche which I use sometimes. I find it awkward to lift a hot pot though. Most of the time, I don’t use the cloche; but I’m even lazier than the other poster, I don’t even ‘brush’ the loaves with water, I just dip my hand in water and rub them! As you say, it doesn’t work with slashes, but otherwise it’s easier than risking a steam burn.
Susan September 27 2007 at 08:30 am 14
Jonathan, I can imagine that your hand-dipped method works well if the loaves are not dusted with flour. I will try it. As for the cloches, very heavy oven mitts are definitely essential!
Daniel December 2 2007 at 06:39 am 15
I usually take a standard drinking glass and fill it about half to 3 quarters full of large ice cubes. Right before I put the dough in the oven I throw the ice on the bottom of the oven (wihtout the drinking glass, of course). If after 8 minutes I have too much steam in the oven I open the door a bit. This allows the steam to escape faster.
Daniel December 2 2007 at 06:39 am 16
Great blog, by the way!!!
Susan December 2 2007 at 04:54 pm 17
Daniel, thanks for the suggestion. My only concern with using ice is that I was afraid it would lower the oven temperature too much. I suppose preheating to a higher temperature could compensate for that, though.
Daniel December 4 2007 at 04:57 am 18
Sorry, forgot to mention that. I actually preheat the oven to 480F. I have checked the temperature and it really doesn’t change much. A degree at the most. Since I am not using a large amount of ice, it melts rapidly.
Karen February 24 2008 at 06:48 am 19
I just found your blog and I love it!
You have inspired me to pull my starter out of deep storage in the refrigerator and to get busy reviving it.
The cloche idea is brilliant; I can’t wait to try it.
len June 6 2008 at 12:07 am 20
should i use the bottom element only or both top and bottom? i though perhaps it’s best to use the bottom element as that would receive the water sprays which generate the steam.
this website is such a revelation to me and i give thanks to all.
Susan June 6 2008 at 07:33 am 21
len, the way I use steam the water does not hit the element, just the rocks in the pan. My oven uses both the top and bottom elements in bake mode. Experiment and find what works best for you, as all ovens are different. Thanks for reading!
len June 9 2008 at 02:19 am 22
i baked over the weekend and the result was fabulous. i’ve never steamed before and now i know i’d always steam.
i used just a caste iron roasting pan and no lava rocks as i live in nairobi and lava rocks are not available in the shops. also i used an all-steel thermos to decant already boiled water into the roasting pan when the pan is hot.
this website is public service, pure and simple!
joe June 21 2008 at 09:48 am 23
IMO, Susan is a one of a kind master baker. Not only does she make a wide variety of great breads, but she has the smoothest way of explaining how she has done them. She is one rare person. Do you know the old saying? “Some teach but can’t ‘do’; others ‘do’ but can’t teach.” Susan does both extremely well. One need look no further for a better site to learn, grow, and hone your own baking skills.