October 28, 2010 - 12:53pm
Convection Vs Normal Baking
Does it matter if I bake my Sourdough with a convection setting or a Normal setting? Will the convection dry out the crust more making it more crunchy. Looking for a couple opinions here.
Share
Does it matter if I bake my Sourdough with a convection setting or a Normal setting? Will the convection dry out the crust more making it more crunchy. Looking for a couple opinions here.
I preheat, at 500°F, in Convection mode--I reason this heats the oven and baking stone evenly.
During the last ten minutes of preheat, I pre-steam the oven. (I use a sheet pan, containing wetted towels.)
I load the proofed and slashed loaves, and immediately reset the oven on Conventional "Bake", at 450°F or 440°F (depending on the loaves size, and shapes). This stops the convection fan, which I have determined, in my oven, dries out the dough's surface.
After 15 minutes I remove the steam-pan, and reset the oven to 450°F/440F in Convection mode, and complete the bake.
Generally, when the loaves are done, I turn off the oven, crack the oven door open, and leave the loaves another 5 minutes. This dries the crust, leaving it crunchy.
I store loaves in plastic bags, and freeze them which results in softening the crust. However, 7 or 8 minutes in a 375°F oven restores a loaf to near "just-out-of-the-oven" condition.
David G