Getting a good crust on homemade bread

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From my Joy of Cooking page-a-day calendar. Thought this might be helpful, considering that there seems to be lots of bread bakers here...

"A thick, brown crust may be achieved in glass, darkened tin, black steel, silicone-coated, stoneware, and dull aluminum pans. Glass pans require a slightly lower temperature, because the conduct heat more efficiently. Milk, either in the dough or brushed on at the end of the baking period, gives crusts a good brown color through caramelization of the milk's sugars. Cream or butter may also be brushed on for color up to 10 minutes before baking is done. Introducing steam into the oven during the first few minutes of baking or brushing partially baked loaves with salted water also helps produce nice crusts."

― Vermont Girl (Vermont Girl), Thursday, 14 October 2004 11:45 (twenty-one years ago)

Of course, those are all considered "cheating" by the purists.

Milk, cream, butter, and egg washes all leave slightly different colors on bread.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 14 October 2004 18:45 (twenty-one years ago)

I find the easiest way to get a good crust is to toss a 1/2c. of water into the oven about 10 minutes from the end of cooking. It works magically, as long as you don't extinguish the flame.

― Remy (x Jeremy), Friday, 15 October 2004 01:28 (twenty-one years ago)

You literally throw water into the oven?

― Vermont Girl (Vermont Girl), Friday, 15 October 2004 12:01 (twenty-one years ago)

I might be remembering this wrong. Certainly most people add water at the beginning of the cooking. I think it is to keep the crust moist so that it can keep expanding during the initial expansion of the bread (due to the water and alcohol inside the bread converting into gas and thus expanding), resulting in a less dense loaf. I think this somehow also allows for a thicker crust, but I can't remember the science behind that off the top of my head.

Anyway, usually you put a saucepan or cookie tray (with four lips) in the bottom of the oven (or on a rack on the topmost level) and put the water in that. (Have the tray heat up with the bread stone.)

There's a lot of debate about whether you want to add ice cubes or hot water or just spritz the oven with an atomizer. Hot water seems to be winning.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Friday, 15 October 2004 16:18 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, I use a custard cup filled with water at the beginning. And 10-15 minutes from the end I add 2-3 ice cubes or refill the custard cup.

― Remy (x Jeremy), Friday, 15 October 2004 22:33 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm not sure it does anything at the end, though. At least, none of the bread books I've read mention having steam at the end.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Saturday, 16 October 2004 03:54 (twenty-one years ago)

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