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Warning: stop guessing oven temp for bread crust
I used to just toss loaves in at whatever temp felt right and got pale sad crusts every time. Now I bake at 475F for the first 20 minutes with steam and the difference is night and day. Anyone else fight with getting a good dark crust?
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margaret3041mo ago
Huh, I was totally skeptical at first but you're right, that high heat makes all the difference.
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sage_dixon15d ago
Oh sure, blame the pan for not being hot enough when really it's just my impatience getting in the way of a good sear. Preheating in the oven sounds like a whole extra step I don't have time for honestly, but I bet it works like a charm if you're actually organized. I just crank the burner to max and let my smoke alarm do the preheating dance for me. Maybe if I set the oven to 500 and forget about it for 20 minutes, I'll finally get that perfect crust without setting off the fire department. Until then, I'll keep blaming my cast iron like everyone else does.
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paigep201mo ago
Did I read somewhere that preheating your pan in the oven helps trap more steam for that deep brown color?
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