May 19, 2015 - 1:44pm
Steaming before baking
Did anyone ever tried steaming loaves in a steamer prior to baking them? I would except to get a result very similar to baking in a very well steamed oven. I'm slightly worried that a crust might form without the bread rising to it's full potential due to the low heat during steaming. I guess it's somewhat like boiling bagels, which are known for being dense due to this... Any thoughts?
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...the idea of using steam - as I understand it - is to get moisture deposited on the surface of the loaf the moment it is placed in the oven and also that the oven should be humid so that, as the intense oven heat instantaneously gets to work, the loaf can expand quickly creating a good spring with better grigne, colour and volume.
Par-boiling the loaves in a steamer could easily toughen up their skin, preventing all the benefits you'd get from more conventional methods.
Why not spritz your loaves with a water spray? It's a much simpler method and works very well for small batches.
Let us all know how the steamer works out if you try it.
Good luck.