tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3787762088895101828.post5754990893916281743..comments2012-02-22T13:38:15.085-05:00Bob delGrossohttps://profiles.google.com/117901925720508264226noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3787762088895101828.post-71645289421460743702012-02-22T13:38:15.085-05:002012-02-22T13:38:15.085-05:00JB, <br />Great question. I&#39;ve been baking at home for about 30 years and over the course of that time have tried and abandoned the following methods for creating humidity during the initial phase of baking hearth bread<br />1) spraying with a water <br />2) soaking the baking stone/ bricks <br />3) Placing a tray of water on the oven floor<br />4) putting wet rags in a tray<br />5) ice cubes in a tray<br />Nowadays I put a sheet pan on the top rack and let it heat up with the stone to 550 deg F. Then, after I slide the bread onto the stone I pour 12 ounces of hot tap water onto the pan and shut the door. After the water is gone (about 12-15 minutes), oven spring is done and the starch in the crust is gelled, I back the oven down to 350 to finish baking. <br /><br />It&#39;s not perfect, but it gives the best results of any of the other methods I&#39;ve tried. BTW, the WORST method is spraying the water because it causes the oven walls to warp.Bob delGrossohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04836391227499190970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3787762088895101828.post-46752239646618958722012-02-22T13:20:49.192-05:002012-02-22T13:20:49.192-05:00For a hobby baker with a gas oven, can you please talk about how you keep the oven nice and humid during baking? Bake in a dutch oven, ice cubes, cover the vents? What do you recommend?<br /><br />Thanks!JBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16896552573020368506noreply@blogger.com