Subject: Re: How do I get a hard crust?
From: [email-masked] (Michael Niemann)
Date: 15 Sep 1994 12:46:05 GMT
Newsgroups: rec.food.sourdough

> What can I do to get that crunchy crust found in San Francisco baguettes?

I believe that steam is part of the trick to get a hard crust.  The
"Secrets of a Jewish Baker" cookbook suggests to put an empty pan in the
bottom of the oven as you are preheating it.  When you are ready to put
the bread into the oven, pour a cup of boiling water into the pan, put
the bread in and close the door quickly.  Be careful, the water kind of
spatters a bit.  I've tried it and it seems to work.  You can also try to
brush the loaf with water before you put it in the oven, but that doesn't
work as well.

Michael Niemann
From: [email-masked] (Nartker)
Newsgroups: rec.food.sourdough
Subject: Re: How do I get a hard crust?
Date: 15 Sep 1994 21:23:05 -0400

The Question of Crusting a bread has Been Discussed.

When I've baked large quatities of Bread Commercially, I've almost always
had an oven with a steam injector.  However, in a pinch,  I've done the
following:

Preheat the Oven to a temperature that is about 50 dgrs higher thn the
proper baking temperature.

Using a heavy rock, make sure it is granite not a limestone or other
sedementary rock.  Plase it in the Oven, beneath the baking rack, close to
the door., as the oven heats..

When the Bread is formed and the oven and rock are hot,  Plase the Bread
in the oven, and mist the rock with a plant mister,  to create a lot of
Steam in the very early stages of the Baking proccess.  Do this several
times in the first 3 to 5 minutes.  

Then, after the oven cavety has recovered to the correct Baking
temperature turn the thermostat down to about 325 to 375 degrees.

Proceed as usual.

In conclusion, lots of steam in the very early stages of the process is
the secret.

Nartker @ AOL.com

From: [email-masked] (Dan Masi)
Newsgroups: rec.food.sourdough
Subject: Re: How do I get a hard crust?
Date: 16 Sep 1994 15:15:22 GMT

An easy way to do it is to toss a couple of ice cubes onto the oven floor
when you put the bread in.  I sometimes use a cast-iron pan for this purpose,
and preheat it along with the oven; it holds a lot of heat for generating
steam.
---
Dan Masi
Mentor Graphics Corp.
[email-masked]

From: [email-masked] (John Lounsbery)
Newsgroups: rec.food.sourdough
Subject: Re: How do I get a hard crust?
Date: Fri, 16 Sep 1994 14:51:00 +0500

Two techniques I use not already mentioned are: brush the crust before
baking with a beaten egg, or take out the bread 5 minutes before it is
done baking, brush it with melted butter and put it back in without it's
pan for the remainder (this will give a dark crust). The most important
thing, however, is steam, the method I use is to put a broiling pan in the
bottom of the oven when you start to preheat about 60 seconds before
putting the bread in pour 1 cup of tap water in to steam the oven. The
only way to get a really good bottom crust is the bake the bread in a
stone oven, or use a baking stone (typically sold for pizza making).

John Lounsbery
[email-masked]