The Fresh Loaf

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Baking Bread in a European Fan Oven

albacore's picture
albacore

Baking Bread in a European Fan Oven

I am the owner of a typical European domestic fan oven, made by Bosch. There are several heating elements in the oven and a rotary switch gives the following heating options:

  • Fan only
  • Bottom heat
  • Top heat (=grill/broiler)
  • Top and bottom heat

There doesn't seem to be much info available on the best way to use this type of oven for baking bread.

I've tried various heating options in the past and never really been happy with the bread produced. It seems difficult to produce good ears and if using the fan, I think it can dry out the loaf too much, leading to excessive weight loss and early staling.

I've recently been having a play with a new heating regime, which is giving promising results. I will describe it in case it assists bakers with similar ovens.

For starters I have a good quality baking stone, 19mm thick (it's actually a kiln shelf). This sits low in the oven on the first shelf up from the bottom.

Then I have a "steam volume enhancer". This comprises two 150mm square terracotta tiles that sit in the grill pan, placed in the top shelf of the oven. Note that these are very porous rustic tiles, NOT quarry tiles, which wouldn't work.

Here's a picture of the setup:

  • now turn the oven on to fan, set thermostat to 275C and heat up for 1 hour or more
  • boil a kettle of water
  • switch fan off and bottom heat on. Turn stat to 250C
  • put loaf in and shut door
  • set your timer going for 15 mins, but straight away do the next step:
  • get your kettle of boiling water and put an oven glove on your other hand
  • pour a good splash of water onto the terracotta tiles and shut the door pdq with your gloved hand. Watch the steam doesn't get you in the face. There will be plenty of it!
  • when the 15 mins is up, take out the grill pan with the tiles
  • change oven function to top and bottom heat
  • set timer for 10 mins
  • 800g loaves should be done after this 10 mins or longer as required or if darker loaves preferred. I always check loaf temp with a thin probe thermom (95C +)

Here's one of the first loaves that came out of my new setup - much better than anything previous:

 

Lance

 

Danni3ll3's picture
Danni3ll3

Why are you not steaming the loaf for the first 15 minutes? That is when the steam is needed to stop the top of the loaf from becoming too hard as it cooks. The steam keeps it soft and gives the loaf a better chance at getting a good oven spring rather than the loaf hardening right away and the loaf blowing out the side which can happen when the top cooks too quickly. 

albacore's picture
albacore

Post edited to clarify timing.

Lance

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

with my oven by purchasing two flat bottomed woks with big flat rims and removed the handles.  That makes a baking steam trapping capsule to bake in.  I use the fan with upper and lower heat and blast the cold baking capsule sometimes in a preheated oven. 250°C in 15 minutes when cold.   No stone, no steam pan.  Remove the top wok after 20 min and turn off the fan which automatically lowers the heat.  Removed when browned enough.  

albacore's picture
albacore

That sounds like another good way to do it.

I guess I am trying to emulate a commercial oven as closely as possible and also to be able to easily slide in a loaf of any any shape or size, within reason. I can get two bâtardes in side by side, as well.

Lance

Bob S.'s picture
Bob S.

Convection ovens require lower temperatures than conventional ovens. When using your oven with the blower on, try reducing the thermostat setting. This may help with your dry loaves.

Bob