Damaeus wrote:
>
> In news:rec.food.cooking, "Pete C." > posted on Thu,
> 25 Nov 2010 19:48:55 -0600 the following:
>
> > Water bath??? For a cheesecake??? I've never heard of that in any
> > cheesecake recipe, even the screwy ones that use a crust. Are you baking
> > cheesecake or a creme brulee???
>
> Does a creme brulee have a crust?

I've certainly never heard of a creme brulee with a crust, normally it
is cooked and served in a ramekin and of course had the caramelized
sugar crust added to the top before serving.

> I've never had a cheesecake without a
> crust, or I'd call it cheesecake pudding.

I'm not sure why you'd call it that, pretty much any cheesecake recipe
has a relatively firm texture, vs. puddings which have a very soft
texture.

> And I'm not talking about some
> Keebler pie crust in a pan. I'm talking about the layer of graham cracker
> crumbs and butter that is pressed into the bottom of the springform pan
> that gives the cheesecake some kind of base to sit on.

Cheesecake doesn't need a base to sit on, it has a firm enough texture
to stand on it's own.

> I would probably
> like a cheesecake without a crust,

I expect you would, it lets you focus on the flavor of the cheesecake
without a crust to distract.

> however, but just because the one I
> made has a crust, I don't consider it screwy, bad, wrong, evil or sinful.

I do

>
> The cheesecake I baked for Thanksgiving was my second using this recipe.
> It didn't call for a water bath, but some of the comments under the recipe
> did call for one. Plus a discussion I had over instant messaging has
> become clearer now. A water bath will keep the sides of the springform
> pan from exceeding 212 degrees. That will result in a cheesecake which
> has the same creaminess on the sides as it has in the center.

That would be the theory for a water bath, and is why one is used for
creme brulee.

> And while
> the cheesecake I brought to dinner made everyone moan in ecstasy like no
> other food that was on the table, I noticed a difference in texture as I
> ate toward the outside edge of the cheesecake. The center was so creamy
> that it had no texture at all that my tongue could detect, but the outside
> edge did have a texture.

It sounds like it didn't quite get evenly done. What was the oven temp,
and what temp was the water bath? Usually you use boiling or close to
boiling water to start the water bath, possibly you could have used a
bit cooler water to delay the outside cooking to give the center a
chance to catch up.

> It wasn't gross or inedible or anything, but
> there *was* a texture and I didn't like the mouth feel of the outside inch
> of cheesecake as much as the center.

The cheesecake I bake has a definite texture and "crumb" to it since it
contains ricotta cheese. That texture is one of the features I like
about the recipe vs. something like NY style which I find is often
rather "gluey".

Since I don't use a water bath, the outside gets a bit more done which
intensifies the "crumb" and flavor, something I find very appealing.

> A water bath is supposed to keep the
> outside edge as creamy as the center where it was absolutely perfect.

Sounds like you just need to adjust the balance between water bath
starting temp and oven temp to find the point where everything is baked
to the same point when it's done.