12/08/2026
You “score” ( the incision on top with a blade ) the bread so that the steam and gases expanding within the dough during baking have a controlled outlet to escape, instead of tearing the crumb randomly.
The steam outside — we already had a pan of boiling water inside the oven — plus a generous splash of spray water, created a very high-steam environment.
We were trying to achieve maximum “oven spring” and a thin crust.
How does it work?
The steam keeps the surface of the dough from setting too quickly. It keeps the crust soft and flexible for longer, allowing the dough and crumb to keep expanding outward and achieve maximum puffiness.
By the time the crust finally starts forming, most of that expansion has already happened. That’s the “oven spring”
Once the crust sets, you have a thin, crisp layer formed through the browning of sugars and proteins. And that’s exactly what we’re trying to achieve — that beautiful, musical “crackle” that bakers live for, followed by a flaky bite that cuts straight into the soft, airy crumb.
