STEAM IN THE OVEN: What does it mean to bake with steam?

In professional baking, when baking bread, steam is used to prevent the crust from forming too early, which can hinder the bread's rise in the oven. Specialized ovens have a system that injects steam into the baking chamber.

At home, you can manually introduce steam by lightly spraying water onto the bread just before placing it in the oven, using a regular sprayer, like the ones used for cleaning plant leaves.

Alternatively, you can throw about a quarter of a glass of water onto the oven's floor or walls just as you place the bread inside.

In both cases, the action should be done quickly, closing the oven door right away to trap the steam and maintain the internal oven temperature. A small amount of steam also helps give the bread a glossy crust. If a rustic crust is desired, this steaming step can be skipped.