Pondering French Loaves

Lee2 · February 2000

A loaf of true French bread baked as the French bakers make them is baked in a steam injected brick oven. The injection of steam during the first few minutes of baking gives extra loft to the bread and also helps create that nice crunchy crust.
This technique can be simulated in a home oven with a pan of boiling water, a red-hot metal object thrown into the pan of water at the same time the loaf goes into the oven and a few subsiquent squirts of water with a squirt bottle during the first 5 minutes of baking.
Now...my question is this: Do you experienced Eggers think that squirting a few mists of water into a heated up BGE would damage it? I'd hate to ruin my Egg all for a loaf of French bread.

Nature Boy · February 2000

Lee2,
I doubt it. I have spilled 1/4 cup of marinade on a hot egg with no ill effects. So what do I do, squirt water on the thing??

Lee2 · February 2000

Nature Boy,
When you put your loaf into the oven or BGE crack open the lid just a tad and give the cooking chamber 2 or 3 quick squirts with a plant mister type squirt bottle. Do this 2 or 3 times during the first 5 minutes of baking. After that, there's no need to squirt anymore because the crust has already begun to form.

Nature Boy · February 2000

Lee2,
Sounds like a plan. Wow. This is exciting.
I might even come out with something we can eat!![p]Thanks

Char-Woody · February 2000

Lee2, hya Lee2 and welcome aboard..Your fielding a question that I am sure several here will give you straight stuff. MaryB is one of our guru's I say one..because there are some aces in the deck here.[p]I agree with ya on the water pan or spraying. I wouldn't worry too much about harming the BGE..They have factory tested it running super hot and squirting it with a garden hose to check thermal qualities. No harm.[p]So I don't think a bitty mister bottle is going to do it :-)[p]Here is a two fold question..If your going to mist, why open the dome?? [p]Can you not get the same affect by removing the top cap (if its used since we are at 400 to 500 temps) and give a couple of puffs with already preheated water in the mister?
It should vaporize rather fast!
C~W[p]

Tim M · February 2000

Char-Woody,[p]Your idea is sound except for one thing, tring to mist into the outrushing hot air of the chimney will be tough. You may want to squirt the water in there in more of a stream rather than a mist. A thought only.[p]Tim

Char-Woody · February 2000

Tim M, I agree..I think the hot water in a pan with steaming would be close enuff.

Pondering French Loaves

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