If you want to bake bread that has a really good crust, try the following tips.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal live. John 3:16 (NIV)

Bake the bread on a substantial baking or pizza stone. Use a good quality, thick stone that will act like the floor of a real bread oven. Make sure the stone is really hot before putting the bread dough onto it. It's probably best to pre-heat the oven, with the stone in it, for an hour before adding the dough. Use a baking peel so that you don't burn yourself.

Steam the oven. Professional bakers use steam injectors in their ovens. They do this to keep the outside of the loaf moist so that the bread can spring. When the outside of the loaf starts to dry out, it hardens and there is no more spring - that's when the crust starts to form.

Spring is the last bit of rise that happens in the first few minutes after the dough is put into the oven.

To achieve a similar effect at home you can try putting a cast iron frying pan onto the shelf below the baking stone, and heating it up to the same heat as the stone. At the same time that you put the dough onto the stone, pour a large cup full of boiling water into the pan and immediately shut the oven door. This creates steam which helps to create a good crust. You only want steam for ten to fifteen minutes. Too much steam might damage your oven.

Keep your bread crusty with proper storage. Bread begins to go stale as soon as it cools. The crust begins to absorb moisture, making it soft, and the inside of the loaf dries out. To slow down this process, store the bread in a brown paper bag - don't use plastic as this will retain moisture and soften the crust even more.

Slash the top of the loaf. Use a lame (pronounced lahm) to score the top of the dough, three or four times, just before putting it into the oven. The slashes (or ears) helps the dough to expand as it bakes. If the dough isn't slashed, the crust is still likely to split but scoring makes it much more aesthetically pleasing.

You can use a knife or a razor blade, instead of a lame, and you'll still get the same result, with practice.

Make sure the oven is hot enough. If the temperature is too low the structure of the bread will not set properly, the loaf will collapse and the crust won't brown properly. You may want to check the temperature of your oven with an oven thermometer, rather than the gauge on the oven itself.

If you're interested in baking and different types of bread take a look at http://www.bakegreatbread.co.uk

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

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