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Steam keeps the loaf's surface soft for about the first 20 minutes, so it can rise and the score can open; it also gives a glossy, crackly crust. The easiest way is a covered pot. On a steel or stone, pour boiling water into a preheated tray, or cover the loaf with an upturned roasting pan.
Easiest: bake covered (Dutch oven, cloche, or a roasting pan over the loaf). On a steel: a cup of boiling water into a preheated tray below. Then: remove the steam after about 20 minutes to brown the crust (King Arthur).
For most bakers, covering the loaf beats every open-oven method. See the Dutch oven guide, or steaming on a steel.
| Method | How | Works for |
|---|---|---|
| Dutch oven or cloche | Bake covered 20 min, then uncover | Round and oval loaves |
| Upturned roasting pan | Cover the loaf on the steel or sheet for 20 min | Any loaf that fits under it |
| Tray of boiling water | Preheat a metal tray on the lowest rack; pour in about 1 cup when the loaf goes in | Baguettes, several loaves |
| Lava rocks or chain in the tray | More surface makes more steam from the same water | Baguettes, batches |
| Ice cubes | A handful into the hot tray | Slower, gentler steam |
| Spray bottle | Mist the oven walls | Weak; lets heat out |
Wear oven gloves and keep your face back when you pour water into a hot tray: the steam burst is instant. Cover the oven door glass with a towel while you pour, and remove the towel before closing: cold water on hot glass can crack it. Never use a glass dish as the steam tray.
After about 20 minutes, as King Arthur advises, take off the lid or cover, or remove the tray, and bake on until the crust is deep brown and the center reaches about 205 to 210°F (thermometer guide).
It keeps the crust soft long enough for the loaf to rise fully and the score to open, and it gives a glossy, crisp crust.
No. The lid traps the loaf's own steam.
Keep what you own when it does the job. These are the other exact models we profile.
The lid also works as a handled pan, so one set fills more than one cooking role.
A quarter-inch carbon-steel surface for an oven with room for its full footprint.
