My baguettes went from okay to great after I started using ice cubes

I have been baking baguettes for about three years now, and they were always fine but never had that crackly crust you get from a bakery. About six months ago I read about throwing a handful of ice cubes into a preheated sheet pan at the bottom of the oven right when you load the bread. I tried it and the steam made a HUGE difference. The crust got way more blistered and audible out of the oven. Now I keep a bag of ice in my freezer just for baking. Has anyone else tried this method or do you use a spray bottle instead?

2 comments

2 Comments

reese_lane2910d ago

That audible crust" is exactly what I noticed too. I used to think steam was steam, like just tossing a little water in the pan would do the same thing. But nope, the ice really changed my mind after I tried it. The extra burst of steam from the ice melting made a much louder crackle and gave the baguettes that blistering I was missing. I still spray the walls a bit too, but the ice cubes are now my go-to for sure.

richard_roberts8010d ago

The ice cube trick is one of those things where the obvious answer isn't always the best one. It's like how people swear by room temperature eggs for baking when you can just use cold ones if you're in a rush. The science is there but so is the stubbornness of "this is how my grandma did it." Small adjustments that make a big difference are everywhere once you start looking.