From Scratch

Notice I did not say bread “making” although of course they go hand-in-hand. No, I’m talking only about the baking of that wonderful magic we call yeast bread.

I started making bread soon after college. I could barely boil an egg back then, but I’d grown up watching one of my grandmothers make bread, so I wasn’t intimidated by it. When my (first) Jewish boyfriend asked if I could make challah, I said I would learn. And the next time I make it I’ll share it with you.

But right now I’m sifting through bread recipes, trying to decide which to make and remembering all the tips, techniques and suggestions I’ve read and heard over the years for achieving the shattering crusts of artisan breads from bakeries. I tried them all: baking stones, spraying water on the loaves at intervals, even tossing ice cubes onto the hot oven floor.

Several years ago I had an opportunity to see behind-the-scenes at an artisan bakery. I couldn’t wait to get some tips, but the most valuable information wasn’t told to me. It was what I observed. The temperature of the oven — brick-lined – hovered around 550 degrees F, both unachievable at home. The real magic, though, was the many blasts of steam, injected into the closed oven by pushing a button. Really, can a handful of ice cubes mimic that?

Since then I’ve stopped all those “tricks” for getting that bakery crust at home because I know I can’t. Crumb, yes. Taste, definitely and often superior. Crust, no. Sometimes I will spray a loaf before it goes into the oven or give it a wash when it comes out to keep the crust soft, which is desirable sometimes.

When I want to hear a crust “sing” — that is, to hear it crackling soon out of the oven — I use bread making techniques. Even that doesn’t always work, but it’s so liberating to be done with ice cubes and all the rest. For a loaf with a truly shattering crust, I go to a bakery.

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