The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Steam innovation

Choconutty's picture
Choconutty

Steam innovation

Sight impaired,older,  not nimble baker.  I love to make sour dough bread but the various methods of steam in the home oven are too difficult for me.  I recently started to put a heavy towel in a shallow pan made very wet with hot water in the oven as it heated to 450.  I see the steam rise.  I have had good fortune with this but I bake in loaf pans yes, rye and varying sourdough with fruit and nuts.  Just wondered if anyone else had used this method.  Bread has a good crust.  

drogon's picture
drogon

and many other factors... The cheap domestic fan oven (UK style) I have, has a big baking tray on the bottom and I throw a cup of water into it before I close the door - breads come out great - tins, baking mat (Silpain) or pizza stones. It has hardly any ventilation though - that might help it a lot.

However your wet towel method does seem popular here - I've read quite a few people using it - rolled up small towels in a tin at the bottom, etc. so if that works for you, keep doing it!

Happy bread making,

-Gordon

Lechem's picture
Lechem (not verified)

"... The cheap domestic fan oven (UK style) I have, has a big baking tray on the bottom and I throw a cup of water into it before I close the door - breads come out great"

I've just discovered this is the most effective way for the oven I have. And if you can toggle the heating elements separately then after preheating the oven on full throttle, switch the fan and the top coil off so just the bottom coil, under the drop tray, is on. The drip tray will be super heated and the tray with water between the coil and bread should stop it from burning. This way the fan and the top coil doesn't dry out the dough and the intense heat under the tray causes great steam. After 20 minutes when the oven spring is done and the water has evaporated then turn the fan and top coil back on for a lovely crust.

drogon's picture
drogon

A UK fan oven typically has a circular element round the fan at the rear of the oven. Some have a top element for making toast with (or other grilling, "broiling" in US terms), but quite often don't have a bottom element. I never use the top element in my oven (mostly because it's burnt-out after a long pizza-making session!)

-Gordon

Skibum's picture
Skibum

I place a cotton kitchen towel folded into a tin oven container heated with the oven and baking stone and add 11/2 cups boiling water 5 minutes before bake. My glasses get steamed up when I open the oven door. Works great!

Happy baking! Ski

OldWoodenSpoon's picture
OldWoodenSpoon

but the earliest post I could find on the "wet towels" steaming method goes back to sylviah's post back on October 10, 2010 (just over 6 years ago!  My goodness how time flies).  At the time of her post it was considered very innovative and many here on TFL moved immediately to using it.  This is a great way to steam, and many bakers still use it today, myself included.  I congratulate you on your creativity for coming up with this on your own.  You are spot on!

Happy Baking!
OldWoodenSpoon

Choconutty's picture
Choconutty

Still giggling about my egotism thinking I had invented this method.  Nothing new under the sun.  How kind you all are to each other.  Bakers known for sending virtual flours,,(flowers) Sorry, old and not so punny.  This is one of the best places on the internet.  

Ju-Ju-Beads's picture
Ju-Ju-Beads

You may not have been the first person to think of it, but you did. Just because others invented it also does not lessen your achievement. Pat yourself on the back; you had a brilliant idea.