January 22, 2017 - 5:06pm
Some type of simple mechanical water delivery system?
Is it worth the bother to perhaps pour or inject some water on to an oven temp metal plate to create periodic flashes of steam? Or is a pan of water inside the oven just as good? If you are a pan fan, please shareyour reasoning for this method?
If I didn't use a pan of water, how often should I add moisture to the interior of the oven. How much water each time for two loaves? [ 8 cups of flower more or less]
And thanks to you all for your help. So much experience here......
Ron
Share
You really only need steam the first 15 minutes or so of baking. I find the easiest way to go is to cover the loaf first 15 minutes or so. I put a metal bowl over the loaf, just big enough to cover it, and give it a light misting of water. After 20 minutes, when I remove it, I gotta remember to stand back so the steam doesn't hit me. There's plenty of it. Makes for beautiful blisters on the crust. Also doesn't hurt to give the top of the loaf a couple squirts.
A search of this site on "steam" will provide a plethora of suggestions and methods.
My first method was a cast iron pan on the bottom rack and a pizza stone on the upper rack. I'd bring everything up to 500 F and keep some water boiling on the stove top. Moments after placing my bread on the stone I'd pour a cup of boiling water into the cast iron pan and this would provide steam for about 10 minutes.
If you want steam when you introduce the bread to the oven your water source needs to be hot. Cold water introduced to a hot pan will take a minute or two to come up to the temperature needed to produce steam and that time alone may be enough to defeat the purpose of the steam.