On Wed, 01 Oct 2003 00:23:43 GMT, Dick Adams > wrote:
> "Steve W" > wrote in message ...
>
>> On Tue, 23 Sep 2003 14:06:20 GMT, Dick Adams
>> > wrote:
>
>> > OK, here's my suggestion. Forget the "stone" and the "steam"
>> > altogether.
>
>> I disagree completely. See below.
>
>> ... don't most gas ovens have the flame located below and
>> outside the oven?
>
> Below yes, but, chez moi, the burner exhaust passes through
> the oven interior.
>
>> ... you have not tried hard enough.
>
> You are not giving me credit enough. Please see for instance:
>

You are right, you certainly have made an effort. My guess is that your
problem stems from the fact that you can not close your oven vent and
run the oven at the same time. My understanding is that pro ovens have
dampers that can be closed to retain steam during the initial bake and
then opened to dump steam for final browning. That is the process I
have attempted to replicate, rather successfully I think.

To get adequate steam in a vented oven may require external steam
generation as in Kenneth's pressure cooker setup.

>
>> My experience is that baking with adequate steam is easily
>> the most important part of "artisan" style technique.
>
> I think that the quick way to bake artisanal bread is to start
> with an artisanal oven. In a home oven, you simply cannot easily
> get the same quality of steam as is possible with a masonry or
> deck oven.
>
>> It is not just a matter of thickness or chewiness. Most of the
>> flavor of a great loaf comes from the crust.
>
> It seems to me that the flavor from the crust depends on the
> heat, not on the humidity.
>

No. I can't explain the chemistry involved but I beleive D. Wing did a
good job. See Wing & Scott "The Bread Builders" pp 93-97. Perhaps the
humidity enhances the Maillard reations? All I know is that the taste
is *much* improved.

>> There is simply no comparison between the flavor of my loaves
>> baked with and without steam. And yes, I have tried both!
>
> There is a good spot to link some comparative graphics, unless
> your comment has to do with loaf flavor only and not on crust quality.
>

Where?

>> Given my equipment, generating adequate steam is very easy, I just
>> close the vent and spray the oven walls when the loaves are first
>> loaded. Open vent to dump steam after 10 minutes.
>
> Probably works better in your electric- than in my gas oven. But you
> just ain't gonna get that artisanal steam.

Perhaps. But enough to make a huge improvement and that is what counts.

>> My crust is pretty much the same thickness and color all the way
>> around. As you can see in my "Steve W's 40/40/10":
>
>> http://samartha.net/SD/file-corner/g...ctures/BYDATE/
>
> Yep -- there's the "with steam" but where's the "without steam"? (If
> you are just talking about flavor, no purpose to show a picture, inasmuch
> as a picture has no taste.)

Flavor is my main concern. And I am not claiming that steam enhances
the coloring of the crust. I think the stone is mainly responsible for
that. No, I am NOT going to bake one without the stone for comparison.
I think the result is obvious.

>
> BTW, the crusts in my photo were quite evenly brown, except for coups.
> You apparently misinterpreted some shadows.

I was referring to the cross-section shot. The lower edges appear
nearly white. How would shadows create such an effect?

--
Steve W
s (dot) wal (at) verizon (dot) net