Puffier crusts with steam

[davtrent]

I've learned from the Bread Baker's Apprentice that many professional bakers introduce steam during the first minutes of the baking process to allow the dough to spring to loftier heights (steam delays the onset of gelatinization-- the "setting-up" of dough).

I use a plant mister to spray the back walls of my gas oven just after sliding my pie from peel to baking stone.  I immediately shut the door and wait about 40 seconds, then repeat the spraying.  

A word of caution:  Be careful not to let water hit your oven light!  This happened to me last night.  I had just slid in my pizza and sprayed the back wall when I heard the loud pop of a light bulb imploding.  A beautifully prepared pizza suddenly had an additional, unwelcome topping-- shards of broken glass.  The pie was thrown away.

I will continue spraying my oven walls but am considering  not replacing the oven bulb, as it was only marginally useful anyway.

[Steve]

Hmmm... how about putting a small aluminum foil pan in the bottom of your oven and add some hot water? The heat in the oven should keep the water steaming during the cooking phase.

[Pierre]

that works, I've done that when trying to make french bread.

You can also just spray the floor of your oven. I've also used a large syringe I had over from some Inkjet kit. Just squirt some water onto the oven floor. Make sure not to hit your stone, it may split from the temperature shock.

[davtrent]

As an alternative means of introducing steam, Peter Reinhart recommends placing a heavy duty pan  onto the top or bottom shelf of the oven as it heats up.

When the pizza is placed in the oven, very hot water is then poured into the preheated dry pan and produces a burst of steam.   The goal is instant steam, not simmering water.  

The timing of the steam introduction is critical.  Reinhart says,   "Its value is only realized during the first half of the baking process.  After that the bread needs a dry environment in which to develop its crisp crust properly.  For this reason, all of the steam is generated during the first few seconds of the bake, with its lingering effects fading out as the bread continues to bake.  There is no advantage to steaming late in the process, nor even after the first few minutes, once the crust has set."

[Steve]

Good info!! Thanks!!  

[Randy]

I would have ask why the spray when a puffy crust on a pizza is so easy to come by without the water spray?

Randy

[jkandell]

I would have ask why the spray when a puffy crust on a pizza is so easy to come by without the water spray?

I echo that.  Pizza and bread have different desiderata.  I use steam on my breads to get oven spring, but mostly to get a nice golden shiny crunchy crust.  Pizza dough is so thin that the burst of heat from the stone is almost guaranteed to puff the dough, even if you only bake at 450F.  The thing home pizza bakers need is char from hot oven temperature, not a golden crust!  About the only thing that can prevent puff is over proofing.  Davtrent, how would you describe your steamed pizzas in relation to ordinary ones?

[dms]

that works, I've done that when trying to make french bread.

You can also just spray the floor of your oven. I've also used a large syringe I had over from some Inkjet kit. Just squirt some water onto the oven floor. Make sure not to hit your stone, it may split from the temperature shock.

I don't bother for pizza, but for bread, what I typically do is put a heavy pan (I use a 12" cast iron skillet)  in the oven, and toss a couple ice cubes in the pan just before I close the door.  You need a heavy pan, both so it won't warp (I preheat the oven to 550 for french bread, even though it's baked at 450.), and to hold enough heat to flash the ice to steam quickly.  The advantage of the ice method over liquid water is that there's a slight delay in when the steam starts forming.  You get the door closed before the steam is formed, so you don't lose much.  It's also impossible to break your light, and you're much less likely to burn yourself.

[Bryan S]

I don't bother for pizza, but for bread, what I typically do is put a heavy pan (I use a 12" cast iron skillet)  in the oven, and toss a couple ice cubes in the pan just before I close the door.  You need a heavy pan, both so it won't warp (I preheat the oven to 550 for french bread, even though it's baked at 450.), and to hold enough heat to flash the ice to steam quickly.  The advantage of the ice method over liquid water is that there's a slight delay in when the steam starts forming.  You get the door closed before the steam is formed, so you don't lose much.  It's also impossible to break your light, and you're much less likely to burn yourself.

Brilliant! 

[Goodgulf]

I have to agree with dms:
I have a flea market cast skillet with the handle removed that lives in the bottom of my oven. I pour a cup or so of boiling water into it with my tea kettle for a fine steam cloud. Works great.

[Tampa]

I found this great thread on steam after initiating several experiments myself.  For those tempted to inject steam into the baking process, one more forum member's experience is that it doesn't help much, if any.  The opinions above are still true and good, IMO.

As you can see from the picture, I used a teapot and copper tube to shoot steam directly onto the pizza crust.  You might remember that I use a rotisserie motor to turn the pizza stone, so the entire rim of the crust is exposed to a shot of steam on a revolving basis.  I also use a hood over the stone to capture the heat from the burner below and the heat from the IR side-burner and cook nominally at 700F.  (A post called rotisserie pizza grill shows the picture details.)

The test group consisted of four folks with an embarrassing amount of pie-eating experience.  We cooked two identical pies, one with steam and the other with no steam, everything else was the same (throw temperature, cook time, etc).  The consensus was that there was no significant difference.  Only one panel member (me) thought there could be a tiny bit more crisp on the steamed crust – but I don’t trust that guy’s opinion as I know he has been wrong in the past.

So even though steam works well for bread baking, and even though steam has the potential to cook faster than a non-steam environment, and even though steam should puff the dough a little more, the difference in my tests is negligible.  Don’t bother.

Dave

[Jackie Tran]

Dave your experiments and the contraptions you build are always so COOL! and you are hilarious to top it off.   

[norma427]

Dave,

Thanks for doing that experiment and posting your results.  I found your experiment interesting. 

Norma

[Tampa]

Thanks Y'all.

[IndyRob]

My wife bought a hand held steam cleaner for it's intended purpose, but I've found it's great for injecting steam into an oven.  But my pizzas don't have much crust exposed, so I limit its use to baguettes.