TIL a bakery in Portland uses ice cubes in the oven for better crust

I was visiting a bakery in Portland last month and the baker told me they toss ice cubes into a pan at the bottom of the oven to create steam. Got the crispiest bread I've ever made at home after trying it. Has anyone else tried this hack?

3 comments

3 Comments

morgan_king3616d ago

Oh wow, that's basically the same trick people use in saunas to get that intense heat feeling, right? It's funny how small things like steam can totally change a process, from baking bread to just relaxing.

gray87516d ago

Funny how steam is the real MVP in both cases.

jamieb8016d ago

Hold up, "intense heat feeling" - wait, are you saying saunas actually use steam for that? I always thought it was just dry heat in there, like a really hot room with rocks. Totally blew my mind that steam is the secret ingredient for that kind of heat (I guess that's why it feels so different from sitting in a hot car). Man, now I kinda want to try a sauna just to compare the baking vibe, even though I'd probably tap out after two minutes. It's wild how two totally different things can rely on the same little trick.