Steam Injection

[azpizzanut]

Re: Steam Injection

Hi All,

I'm curious about the amount of water needed, say for example, a 36" Pompeii type oven. And, how long does the steam need to be present? Is it a one time procedure at the start of the baking? A few squeezes of the trigger on a garden sprayer?

I like the idea of a cast iron pan in the oven and the water dripping into it via a copper tube to provide steam.

By the way, I know if one plays with fire they will eventually get burned. Steam is no different? Please be safe.

Is there a proven, recommended, way to get steam safely into our backyard ovens? What did bakers from ages ago use to crust their breads? Is that method useful today?

Cheers,

[texassourdough]

Re: Steam Injection

All you have to do to get great crust from a WFO is fully load the oven but that will mean 12 to 15 pounds of dough - minimum in a 1 meter oven. Then you don't need steam though it doesn't hurt to spray a bit of water in. It also doesn't hurt to have some ciabatta in the loaded dough for its high hydration is a good source of steam. If you make a sinlge 1.5 pound loaf I don't think you can put enough steam in to give a great crust - you will simply cool the oven.

I believe the humidity issue is most critical in the first few minutes and then slowly declines in importance out to say 15 to 20 minutes. Humidity is best maintained by keeping the oven SEALED. Using a cloche the lid is removed after 15 to 20 minutes so the bread will dry and brown. In a WFO you simply leave it sealed. Leakage will let enough moisture out that the bread will brown but likely not as much as in a conventional oven.

[Lburou]

Steam Injection - Look beyond steam

Revised: I have since read that the water immediately goes to steam in a 700F oven and my original point was wrong. My bad. Good luck in any case, I'll go over in a corner and listen a little more

Thanks MAVANO

[MAVANO]

Re: Steam Injection

All wfo bread bakers know to remove all ashes and wet mop the deck,--- lbrou---a garden spayer is sufficient to steam the wfo,--all kitchen ovens are built to vent out steam, lacloche is a good bread baking to steam your loaf in a kitchen oven ,or a pizza stone and a heat proof lid to cover the loaf for 15-20 min, and uncover to brown

[david s]

Re: Steam Injection

I usually only cook one loaf in my oven. How much bread can you eat? Used to place a small pie tin half filled with water and placed it at the same time as the bread. I now throw in about 4 cubes of ice. It is the steam at the beginning of the bake that is important and this method achieves is very simply. If your oven were fully loaded with bread then you don't need the steam because the moisture from all the bread is enough.

[azpizzanut]

Re: Steam Injection

Hi All,

Hmmmm, interesting comments. I'm learning from them.

Here's my latest effort to bake no-knead bread. (First attempts were only so-so even though I was following instructions from the book). I didn't think messing with bread in a hot Dutch oven, in our kitchen stove, would be any more successful, but then...... my wife came home with an enameled iron Dutch oven. So, I tried it. WOW, artisan bread. It is wonderful and exactly like shown in the You Tube videos. Author and cook Mark Bittman and Bakery owner Jim Lahey show how to make no-knead bread and bake it in a hot Dutch oven. YouTube - Making No-Knead Bread The idea might work for a single loaf in a wfo without having to mop or spray water, so that's why I mention it. Watch a second video by Bittman too.

Cheers,

[C5dad]

Re: Steam Injection

Alton Brown had an episode where he did the same no kneed with a dutch oven - and a 19+ hour rise. Worked beautifully for me.

Tonights sourdough with home ground whole wheat did not rise enough - lack of gluten and the whole wheat cutting the bubbles. Flavor was great and the crumb was good as well - just not the big air bubbles.

Started the sponge for tomorrows - 8 loaves with regular bread flour - for the family New Years Party.

I also ordered Peter's Artisinal Breads book - $18 incl shipping via ebay.

Happy new Years to all