Bear's way of making bread.
Chef Crumb and A Little Bird Crust
Bread Making of Chief Crumb and A Little Bird Crust
Let’s bake it!
If you are going to bake lean bread in a household oven, preheat your oven at a little higher temperature than what it should be with the oven tray inside. As soon as you insert the dough into the oven on the preheated tray, give it plenty of steam, and then lower the temperature as it should be.
Look at Chef Crumb. He seems to be proud of his large stone hearth.
Is steam important?
No, steam is not important for pan bread because you paint an egg glaze on the bread, but definitely yes for a lean bread like a baguette.
The water layer on the crust, created by a steamy mist, evaporates from the sudden heat in the oven. This allows the crusts to become dry, crispy and shiny.
Little Bird Crust loves this crispiness.