Baking delicious crusty breads is a remarkably rewarding experience, and one that is made easier when you can do both the proofing and baking in your steam oven.

In this recipe the bread dough is proofed using the proof mode in the steam oven then baked in the combination Convection Steam mode. When proofing in a convection or steam oven, the bowl does not have to be covered. Keep an eye on the timing to avoid over proofing the dough until you have a sense of how dough’s respond in your oven. 

When the formed loaves are removed from the oven after the second proofing, the oven mode is changed and the temperature increased. Steam ovens heat fairly quickly, so once you have scored the loaves place the pan back into the oven while it is heating to the baking temperature. 

These baguettes can be baked in a perforated form designed for baking baguettes or directly on a rimmed baking tray lined with parchment paper. Since the steam will be generated by the oven it is not necessary to use the cast iron pan pan method for baking in a steam oven.

INGREDIENTS

¼ cup warm water

 1 ½ tsp active dry yeast

¼ tsp granulated sugar

16 oz bread flour

2 tsp kosher salt

1 cup cool water

PREPARATION

Place the warm water in a small bowl and sprinkle the yeast and sugar over the water.  Place the bowl in the steam oven and let it rest for 10 minutes or so until it is foamy. 

Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl, make a well in the center and stir in the foamy yeast mixture with a fork. Dribble some of the cool water into the dough as you are stirring with the fork a little at a time to form a ragged dough (You may not need all the water.) Cover the bowl with a flour sack towel and set it aside to rest for 30 minutes.

Select the Proof mode in the steam oven.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently press it into a rectangle. Fold the rectangle into thirds, turn it 90 degrees and repeat the process. Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and place it, uncovered into the steam oven. Proof for 1 - 1 ½ hours or until doubled in size.

Learn more about baking bread in the steam oven

Remove the bowl from the oven and turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rectangle and roll the rectangle up tightly lengthwise.  Pinch the seam together with your fingers and shape each roll into a 15” long loaf, about 1 ½ “ inches wide, tapering the ends slightly to form a narrow point.

Place the loaves seam side down into the lightly greased baguette baking pan and slide the pan into the oven. Proof the formed loaves for 1 - 1 ½ hours or until doubled in size.

Remove the pan from the oven and heat the oven in the combination Convection Steam mode to 450 degrees. If your oven has variable steam settings choose 30% or the mode recommended by the oven manufacturer.

Lightly dust the loaves with a sprinkle of flour and score each loaf with a lame or very sharp knife with three diagonal strokes. 

Slide the pan back into the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped on the bottom.

Makes 3 petite loaves

You might want to try this recipe with your baguettes