Spritzing Oven
Some recipes say to spritz the inside of the oven a couple times during baking for better crust. I am afraid of breaking my stone if water hits it.
I am also puzzled about pictures I've seen of the steam pan placed on the top rack of the oven with the bread on the lower rack. I thought the bottom of the oven was best for steam...steam rises, right?
I saw pictures in BBA, pages 92 and 93. They are showing baguettes going into an oven with the steam pan on the rack above the breads. Then it shows him spritzing the oven right over the stone. Isn't there a risk of breaking the stone when the water hits it? I have a broken pizza stone because a pizza with too much saucy toppings dripped onto it and it broke in the oven with a loud and sudden crack sound. My son had one he had washed and the moisture left in it caused it, too, to break in the oven. I am afraid of getting my stone wet with direct water.
Another photo (page 86 in Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads), showed protecting the glass oven door with a towel, but sprtizing the oven without concern for the stone. That one, also had the water pan above the bread.
So my questions are:
Do you all spritz without fear of breaking your stones?
Why would the steam pan be put on the top rack?
Catherine