Update: I saw a baker in Portland use a spray bottle for his sourdough loaves

He misted the oven walls every 30 seconds for the first 5 minutes of the bake, and the crust was the best I've ever seen, so now I'm doing it too, but does anyone know if this can damage a home oven's heating element?

3 comments

3 Comments

sanchez.lucas28d ago

Yeah, I do this all the time. The trick is to aim for the walls, not the element itself. A quick mist is fine, you're not trying to flood the oven. Just avoid spraying directly onto the hot coil or the light bulb. I've been doing it for years with no problems. The steam evaporates almost instantly.

richard_sanchez4328d ago

That's a great trick, I've been doing something similar for a while. I mean, I just give a few quick sprays right when the bread goes in, and it really does make a huge difference with the crust. Idk about the heating element though, maybe it's fine if you don't soak it?

the_wyatt11d ago

My old oven manual actually said to add a cup of water to a pan on the bottom rack for steam. I just use a spray bottle now because it's easier. Three or four quick mists toward the back wall gives me that perfect crackly crust every time. Never had an issue with the element, it just sizzles off fast.