This is the only sourdough bread recipe you need | King Arthur Baking
This killer recipe for Pain de Campagne (Country Bread). Here's what makes it great: It can be made with unfed sourdough discard directly from your fridge.
Baking bread with steam
Hi Lisa! Adding ice cubes or water to your oven can really help with crust development (especially when baking sourdoughs!). While it is not absolutely necessary, it can help create a beautiful loaf. Here is a bit more information on the process: <anchor>Baking bread with steam</anchor> Happy Baking!
Baking bread with steam | King Arthur Baking
Baking bread with steam \| King Arthur Baking [Skip to main content](#main-content)

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1. [Blog](/blog)
2. [Tips and Techniques](/blog/category/tips-and-techniques)

# Baking bread with steam

## How steam can transform your bread from dull to dazzling.

Author


[Barb Alpern](/author/barb-alpern)

Employee-owner since 2014

Date

February 28, 2017

[Comments\
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162](#block-articlecommentsonly)

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![Loaf of artisan bread](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_image/public/2023-10/baking-bread-with-steam.jpg?itok=FA1t9nyj)

Have you ever loaded your perfectly risen artisan bread into the oven, only to discover a dull, constricted loaf at the end of the bake? How do artisan bakeries achieve that lovely golden, crisp, shiny crust? Baking bread with steam is the key.

#### Why it's important to bake bread with steam

Steam is critical for achieving crusty loaves of bread, for reasons both functional and aesthetic. If you bake bread in a dry oven, the crust quickly sets and dries, impeding the ability of the dough to expand to its full potential, leading to loaves with a denser crumb. But if you were to bake an identical loaf, introducing steam at the start of the bake, the crust remains moist, and the loaf is able to stretch and expand before the crust sets, resulting in a better crumb structure. Additionally, even if you score your bread properly, those cuts will not expand in a dry oven; you need steam for that.

Besides functionality, there are aesthetic reasons to add steam to the oven when baking. Steam helps gelatinize sugars on the exterior of the loaf, resulting in better browning, and a shinier (and also thinner and crispier) crust.

#### How can we get results like this at home?

Bakeries have steam-injected ovens that handle this easily; in a home oven, it's not so simple, requiring a more DIY approach.

Today we're going to test different home methods of adding steam in bread baking. Our test bread is the [Pain Au Levain](/recipes/pain-au-levain-recipe) recipe used in our [Baking School](/baking-school/). This lovely sourdough bread has a mild flavor and a wonderfully open crumb.

Pain Au Levain is the perfect guinea pig for our steam tests. We can first admire the loaves baked in class, utilizing a professional steam injection oven. Next, we'll use the same recipe at home to test various baking and steaming methods. Which home steaming method will bring us closest to professional oven results?

![Steam in bread baking via @kingarthurflour](/sites/default/files/blog-images/2016/11/Steam-in-bread-baking-63.jpg)

Here's a beautiful loaf straight from the school's steam-injected oven. See what we're aiming for here?

If you want to follow along with our tests and bake the Pain Au Levain bread, you can find the [recipe and directions](/recipes/pain-au-levain-recipe) here. If not, these steaming methods will work with any artisan bread recipe.

#### Time to bake

We'll bake this bread at 450°F for 35 to 40 minutes. If you plan to use a [baking stone](https://shop.kingarthurbaking.com/items/king-arthur-bread-and-pizza-stone?_gl=1*q92u2e*_ga*MTQ4ODAyMzcwNC4xNjk2ODY1NjI3*_ga_1ZJWCQGS21*MTY5NzExOTE0MS4xNS4xLjE2OTcxMzI3MzguMjIuMC4w) and a cast iron frying pan (for steam), preheat both of these for 60 minutes before baking.

**A brief note about scoring (aka "slashing")**

Before we get too steamy, let's take a moment to consider the importance of [scoring your bread](https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2017/08/04/scoring-bread-dough) before baking. Those cuts in your bread aren't just decorative! Scoring the loaf provides a strategic vent to release fermentation gases during baking. Good scoring, along with proper steaming, allows your loaf to open up fully. Without scoring your loaf is likely to burst open at weak spots and end up oddly shaped and constricted.

![Steam in bread baking via @kingarthurflour](/sites/default/files/blog-images/2016/11/Steam-in-bread-baking-33.jpg)

The Pain Au Levain bread requires one long "ear" or "lip" cut down the center of the loaf. Notice how the blade is angled, and only one corner of the blade touches the loaf.

For more tips on scoring, check out this [blog post](/blog/2015/10/15/artisan-sourdough-bread-tips-part-3/) and [helpful video](https://www.kingarthurflour.com/videos/baking-skills/how-to-slash-a-baguette).

#### Ways to bake bread with steam at home

Before we get started, please remember to suit yourself up with [good oven mitts](https://shop.kingarthurbaking.com/items/heavy-duty-oven-mitt?_gl=1*14zqbx6*_ga*MTQ4ODAyMzcwNC4xNjk2ODY1NjI3*_ga_1ZJWCQGS21*MTY5NzA0Nzc0NC4xMy4xLjE2OTcwNDkxOTIuMzQuMC4w) whenever you're working with steam!

![Steam in bread baking via @kingarthurflour](/sites/default/files/blog-images/2016/11/Steam-in-bread-baking-68.jpg)

#### Method \#1: Baking bread with steam using a spray bottle

The simplest method of adding steam to your oven is to spray the loaf with warm water prior to putting it into the oven. Spray the oven once the bread is loaded, and then again about 5 minutes into the bake.

Unfortunately, this method doesn’t offer much moisture, and the effects on the bread are minimal.

![Steam in bread baking via @kingarthurflour](/sites/default/files/blog-images/2016/11/Steam-in-bread-baking-21.jpg)

#### Method \#2: Baking bread with steam using a cast iron pan

In class, our instructor illustrated method #2. She loaded the loaf onto the preheated stone and then poured about 1 cup of boiling water into a preheated cast iron frying pan on the shelf below. This method works quite well, as you can see from the resulting loaf on the right, above.

(I tried the same method at home with the addition of preheated lava rocks in the frying pan, and my loaf looked great, too.)

![Steam in bread baking via @kingarthurflour](/sites/default/files/blog-images/2016/11/Steam-in-bread-baking-70.jpg)

#### Method \#3: Baking bread with steam using a metal bowl

If you want to enhance the effect of method #2, a large metal bowl can be placed over the loaf to trap the steam and keep it close to the surface of the bread during the oven-spring period.

This is part of the reason steam injection ovens get such great results; the individual "decks" of the oven aren't very high, keeping the steam where it's needed — on the surface of the loaf.

Load your loaf onto the preheated stone and then place the bowl over the loaf, with the front of the bowl overhanging the stone and leaving a gap that lines up with the preheated cast iron frying pan below.

Pour about 1/2 cup boiling water into the frying pan and shut the door. Remove the bowl 15 minutes later and allow the bread to finish baking in a dry oven. A butter knife comes in handy to lift the hot bowl, which will be hard to grab with oven mitts.

#### If steam is so great, why finish in a dry oven?

Steam is vital during the oven-spring period so that the surface of the loaf remains moist and expands easily. However, once the yeast has died and the loaf is set, moisture is no longer a friend to your bread. Too much moisture throughout the bake can lead to a thick, rubbery crust.

![Steam in bread baking via @kingarthurflour](/sites/default/files/blog-images/2016/11/Steam-in-bread-baking-69-e1478191980411.jpg)

#### Method \#4: Baking bread with steam using a Dutch oven

A [Dutch oven](https://shop.kingarthurbaking.com/items/sublime-dutch-oven?_gl=1*18qx1py*_ga*MTQ4ODAyMzcwNC4xNjk2ODY1NjI3*_ga_1ZJWCQGS21*MTY5NzA0Nzc0NC4xMy4xLjE2OTcwNDk1ODAuNjAuMC4w) or [cloche](/shop/items/cloche-bread-baker-with-handle) also works to keep the moisture given off by the bread during baking close to the surface of the loaf, allowing for the same kind of expansion and shiny, golden crust.

Although we don't generally recommend preheating empty any of the baking pots we sell (a method popularized by Jim Lahey and Mark Bittman about a decade ago), [Emile Henry's 4.2-quart Dutch oven](/shop/items/42-quart-artisan-bread-baking-crock-and-dutch-oven-red) can be preheated empty, as can their [potato and bread pot](https://shop.kingarthurbaking.com/items/bread-and-potato-pot-red). These pots heat up more quickly than cast iron, so 30 minutes of preheating should be sufficient. Remove the lid after 20 minutes of baking.

Never fear, though, if you don't have a pot suitable for preheating empty (or don't like messing with a very hot pot), you can still get great results baking in your Dutch oven. In the photos above, I put the Staub Dutch oven with its cargo of risen bread into a preheated oven; but if you prefer a cold start, that works great too. Again, it’s important to remove the lid and allow the bread to continue baking in a dry oven after the loaf is set (remove the lid after 25 minutes in a preheated oven, after 30 minutes when baking from a cold start). Overall baking time will be a little longer when baking from a cold start.

See more here: [Bread baking in a Dutch oven](https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2017/02/21/bread-baking-dutch-oven)

![Steam in bread baking via @kingarthurflour](/sites/default/files/blog-images/2016/11/Steam-in-bread-baking-40.jpg)

#### Let's compare our results

The loaf on the left was steamed with method #1 (spray bottle). This loaf failed to open properly where I scored it, and the crust is dull in color. Notice how the crumb structure is relatively dense, in comparison with the other loaves? It will still be a delicious loaf of bread, but more steam would have made it even better.

The loaf in the center was steamed with method #2 (cast iron pan). It opened up beautifully and has a lovely brown crust, although not quite as shiny as loaf #3.

The last loaf was baked with method #3 (cast iron pan + metal bowl). See how shiny and blistery the crust is, and how open the crumb?

Both this loaf and the loaf baked in the Dutch oven were refrigerated overnight in their shaped form before being baked the next day. This added step contributes to a more blistery crust, as well as more sour flavor.

#### What happens when you over-proof your bread?

Have you ever wondered what effect allowing your dough to rise too long in the shaped form has on the final outcome of your bread?

![Steam in bread baking via @kingarthurflour](/sites/default/files/blog-images/2016/11/Steam-in-bread-baking-41.jpg)

Notice there are lots of large gas bubbles right under the surface of the loaf above. This is a sign that the loaf has been allowed to rise too long before going into the oven. I deliberately over-proofed this loaf as an added experiment, and baked it using the bowl method of steaming (#3).

![Steam in bread baking via @kingarthurflour](/sites/default/files/blog-images/2016/11/Steam-in-bread-baking-44.jpg)

The loaf on the right is my over-proofed loaf, and the loaf on the left is loaf #3. While my over-proofed loaf didn't open up quite as much as loaf #3 and has a slightly denser crumb structure, it still rose well and colored up nicely.

#### Steam saves the day!

If we compare the crumb of my over-proofed loaf (right) to the relatively closed crumb of loaf #1 (left), we can see how even an over-proofed loaf will fare better with steam than a loaf that doesn't get enough steam.

Keep in mind that not all breads will endure as well as this one did when allowed to rise too long. Have you ever scored your loaf, only to see it deflate like a poked balloon? Or has your lofty loaf collapsed in the oven? These are sure signs that you've let your bread rise too much before baking.

I hope you'll give our Pain Au Levain recipe a try and test out some of these steaming methods as well. Steam really does make the difference!

You can view the [Pain Au Levain recipe here](/recipes/pain-au-levain-recipe).

_Big thanks go out to Lee Clark for taking these beautiful photos during class, so I could get down and dirty with the dough._

_And if you ever get a chance to take a class at one of our_ [_baking schools_](/baking-school/) _, I guarantee you'll have a great time, and go home with a wealth of baking knowledge and techniques._

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Recipe in this post

- [Pain au Levain](/recipes/pain-au-levain-recipe)

**Tagged:**

- [sourdough](/blog/tag/sourdough)
- [sourdough bread](/blog/tag/sourdough-bread)
- [artisan bread](/blog/tag/artisan-bread)
- [sourdough tips](/blog/tag/sourdough-tips)

**Filed Under:** [Tips and Techniques](/blog/category/tips-and-techniques)

![Barbara Alpern in her kitchen with loaves of sourdough bread](/sites/default/files/styles/scaled_very_small_250w/public/2022-06/Barbara%20Alpern.jpg?itok=6rvYQJvL)

The Author

#### About Barb Alpern

Barb began baking when she was assigned the job of baker at her co-op house in college. Whole wheat challah and granola were her specialties. This led to two years at Wildflour Bakery, a wholegrain collective bakery that existed in Ann Arbor, Michigan back in the day.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Four sons and a ma...

[View all by Barb Alpern](/author/barb-alpern)

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### Comments

Luz


[March 4, 2024 at 3:16pm](https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2017/02/28/baking-bread-with-steam#comment-648591)

Hi!! I would like to know what kind of lava stones i should buy in order to put steam on the oven and get better sourdough bread!! I would spreciate you in advance!! lucy

- [Reply](/comment/reply/node/26641/field_comments/648591)

Barb at King Arthur


[March 8, 2024 at 10:06am](https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2017/02/28/baking-bread-with-steam#comment-648816)

In reply to [Hi!! I would like to know…](/comment/648591#comment-648591) by Luz (not verified)

Hi Luz, you're looking for the kind of large lava rocks that are used for grilling. You can generally find them at hardware stores.

- [Reply](/comment/reply/node/26641/field_comments/648816)

Tom


[September 28, 2023 at 1:20pm](https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2017/02/28/baking-bread-with-steam#comment-632431)

Adding steam by pouring boiling water into a pan seems to cool the oven temperature significantly for me.

My baking steel dropped from around 420F to 350F after i opened the oven and added boiling water. I probably had the door open 5 to 10 seconds

I know i can get this number down a bit but my oven temp dropped from 450 to 350F !!!!

How do you do this without losing so much heat from the oven

- [Reply](/comment/reply/node/26641/field_comments/632431)

Barb at King Arthur


[September 29, 2023 at 3:45pm](https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2017/02/28/baking-bread-with-steam#comment-632561)

In reply to [Adding steam by pouring…](/comment/632431#comment-632431) by Tom (not verified)

Hi Tom, we generally recommend preheating the stone or steel (along with the cast iron frying pan) for a full hour before baking (although the steel might heat up a little faster than that). To compensate for heat loss, I would preheat at 500°F, and then turn the oven down to 450°F once the bread has been loaded and the steam added.

- [Reply](/comment/reply/node/26641/field_comments/632561)

Jim H


[December 22, 2021 at 10:33am](https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2017/02/28/baking-bread-with-steam#comment-571641)

Hello! I have a Miele Combination Steam Oven, which injects steam into an oven that also provides traditional heat (surround, convection, broil, etc). The oven allows you to control both the % of steam (the humidity level) from 0 to 100% and the amount of time that the steam is present in the oven. I wonder if you have any advice for how to adapt a traditional sourdough boule to this kind of oven, specifically: a) how much steam would you suggest I start with (up to 100%) and for how many minutes (10, 15, etc) before transitioning to a no-steam setting. My loaf is typically fully cooked in about 30 minutes in this oven. Thank you!

- [Reply](/comment/reply/node/26641/field_comments/571641)

Barb at King Arthur


[January 7, 2022 at 9:35am](https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2017/02/28/baking-bread-with-steam#comment-574076)

In reply to [Hello! I have a Miele…](/comment/571641#comment-571641) by Jim H (not verified)

Hi Jim, I don't have any experience baking with the type of oven you have, but generally what you're looking for is a steamy environment for the first 10-15 minutes of baking, and then you'll want to vent the steam and allow the bread to continue baking in a dry oven. In a professional steam injected oven, often the baking chamber is given a burst of steam before the bread is loaded, and then a longer burst of steam once the bread is in the oven. Too much moisture could weigh down the rising loaves, so you'll likely need to experiment to see what the optimum amount of steam is for your oven and and the type of bread you're baking. I suspect YouTube may provide some helpful videos when it comes to using your particular oven for sourdough baking.

- [Reply](/comment/reply/node/26641/field_comments/574076)

Carol M


[February 27, 2022 at 1:52pm](https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2017/02/28/baking-bread-with-steam#comment-582441)

In reply to [Hello! I have a Miele…](/comment/571641#comment-571641) by Jim H (not verified)

I'm getting one of these ovens in my kitchen remodel in a few months. Did you ever work it out? If so, I'd love to hear what worked for you. If not, I would suggest looking at the Anova Precision Oven (which also has a steam function) website. They have a program/recipe that could give you a starting point.

- [Reply](/comment/reply/node/26641/field_comments/582441)

MJ


[January 28, 2023 at 5:52pm](https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2017/02/28/baking-bread-with-steam#comment-612946)

In reply to [I'm getting one of these…](/comment/582441#comment-582441) by Carol M (not verified)

Hi Carol, if you're up for sharing your experience with your oven's steam function, I'd love to hear about it. My oven is nearing the end of its life. The rest of the appliances purchased at the same time all died one by one, and while I hope my stove/oven keeps on trucking for years to come, I've been browsing potential replacements in advance so I can be ready to move on a new one asap when the time comes. I'm curious about how well the built in steam functions work, and if they're worth the upgrade cost from more basic models. Actually, if you have any oven purchasing opinions from a baker's perspective, I'm all ears. Steam is just the one bonus feature that catches my eye, as it would be nice to get the results from adding steam without the extra steps.

- [Reply](/comment/reply/node/26641/field_comments/612946)

Tom M


[June 1, 2023 at 10:17am](https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2017/02/28/baking-bread-with-steam#comment-624401)

In reply to [Hi Carol, if you're up for…](/comment/612946#comment-612946) by MJ (not verified)

I have a Miele combi steam oven and think it’s amazing (much better than the Thermador steam oven that’s in my range). I bake medium-sized sourdough with and without grains, nuts, seeds, etc. at 400 degrees with 85% steam for 28 minutes. I didn’t know until reading this article that stream was important in the first half of making but not the second. The oven is programmable. So I’ll edit my program to do steam in the first half and then dry in the second half. There are a ton of pre-programmed settings to cook other things. Most are useless to me but a few have been helpful to try because cooking in a steam oven is a little different.

- [Reply](/comment/reply/node/26641/field_comments/624401)

Mike Durda


[August 10, 2023 at 9:28pm](https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2017/02/28/baking-bread-with-steam#comment-629521)

In reply to [Hello! I have a Miele…](/comment/571641#comment-571641) by Jim H (not verified)

I have a Miele combi-steam oven, and following is what works best for me. I have pre-programmed these settings into the oven so when I bake, I only touch white bread (my title) and it runs through these per steps automatically. It produces a Perfect loaf of artisan bread.

1\. 104 degrees - 8 minutes - 100% steam

2\. 122 degrees - 4 minutes - 100% steam

3\. 415 degrees - 6 minutes - 50% steam

4\. 400 degrees - 20 minutes - 20% steam

- [Reply](/comment/reply/node/26641/field_comments/629521)

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