I finally figured out why my sourdough crusts were always too thick

I was baking a loaf last Thursday and my friend, who runs a cafe, stopped by. He watched me slash the dough and just said, 'You're not spraying the top before it goes in, are you?' I never did, because my old recipe from a class in Denver didn't mention it. I tried a light mist of water on the next loaf and the crust was perfectly crisp, not tough and chewy. Anyone have other simple tricks for better oven spring?

3 comments

3 Comments

kellyj231mo agoMost Upvoted

Oh man, the ice cube pan disaster is a classic. My first attempt at steam involved a cookie sheet and a cup of water, which just made my oven look like a sad, soggy sauna.

elliot_harris2510d ago

The exploding glass trick is a rite of passage, I swear. At least your kitchen survived. Mine still has a tiny shard embedded in the baseboard from my "ice cube avalanche." The cleanup is the real punishment for trying to be fancy. Now I just throw a spoonful of water in and hope for the best. Steam be damned.

garcia.miles1mo ago

Forget the water spray, you need a full on steam room. My first few loaves looked like they were wearing football helmets. Tried putting a pan of ice cubes in the bottom of the oven once. Worked great, then I spent an hour cleaning the exploded glass dish off the floor.