A chat with my plumber about oven heat changed my sourdough game

My plumber, Frank, was fixing a leak under my sink last week and saw my starter jar on the counter. He said his wife bakes too, and she puts a cast iron pan on the bottom rack while the oven preheats, then pours a cup of hot water into it when she loads the bread. He said it makes steam without a fancy setup. I tried it with my usual boule recipe. The pan was a cheap 9-inch one from a garage sale. The crust got way better, more of that crackle you want. I used to just spray the walls with a bottle, but this gave a steadier steam for the first 15 minutes. Has anyone else tried this cast iron steam trick, or do you have a different method for home oven steam?

2 comments

2 Comments

rivera.jake2d ago

My uncle used a similar trick with a metal loaf pan full of lava rocks. He'd heat them dry, then toss in a handful of ice cubes right before closing the oven door. The sizzle was crazy loud. It made a real thick steam that stuck around. His bread always had that perfect glossy finish.

singh.wren2d ago

Wow, that's a killer trick!