Steam in the oven

[SethG]

If I'm not mistaken, in both Crust & Crumb and in BBA you advise bakers to create steam in the oven by doing two things right after the loaf goes in: (1) pour hot water into a pre-heated pan on the floor of the oven; and, after that, (2) spray the oven with a mister three times, at thirty second intervals.

I followed your method for a long time, but one day I realized that when I open the door to spray with the mister in step 2, I'm letting out a ton of steam that was created when I poured the water in step 1! So I just pour now, I don't spray.

Can't you do more harm than good by opening the oven door so soon after you pour the water in? Or am I missing something?

Thanks again.

[Peter Reinhart]

If I'm not mistaken, in both Crust & Crumb and in BBA you advise bakers to create steam in the oven by doing two things right after the loaf goes in:  (1) pour hot water into a pre-heated pan on the floor of the oven; and, after that, (2) spray the oven with a mister three times, at thirty second intervals. 

I followed your method for a long time, but one day I realized that when I open the door to spray with the mister in step 2, I'm letting out a ton of steam that was created when I poured the water in step 1!  So I just pour now, I don't spray. 

Can't you do more harm than good by opening the oven door so soon after you pour the water in?  Or am I missing something?

Thanks again.

←

Good point. The reason I do both is because in a home oven it never seems like enough steam, regardless. So I've taken to cranking the oven up to 550, using both methods, then turning the oven down to 450 at the end of the last spray. Usually the oven settles in at this temperature (450) after being opened during the spritzes. That said, I think this is a personal choice and if your breads do better with just the water pan, stay with that. I think I just love the sound of the hissing steam and moist warmth on my face when I open the door. It's part of the bread drama experience for me but, realistically, the better insulated your oven the less you will need to do the additional spritzes.

[andiesenji]

I would like to add that if you have a convection oven you want to avoid opening the door at all, because that steam does not just drift out but is propelled out the open door by the convection fan.

I happen to have an oven which has the steam function built into it and I do not open the doors when the steam function is on during the first few minutes of baking. I did it once, which was enough to convince me not to do it. I have a large red U which I hang onto the door handle when I have set it for steam. This reminds me not to pull the doors open even though I have forgotten to do something. Better to have a less than perfect product than a blistered face and neck.

[Peter Reinhart]

Yes, I too have a red U, but's its seared into my eyebrows from the time I made the very mistake you are warning us about. Only had to do it once to learn my lesson (it was 1986).