Here's a followup undertaken by a fellow bread-baker to the "oven
cold-start" topic I posted last week on the bread-list. The opening portion
of my original text said:
"Pre-heat the oven!" "Crank-it-up a gazillion-degrees!" "Pre-heat for an
hour!"
It's an admonishment heard time and again. Oft-repeated, almost absolute
"truth."
Hog-wash, I say.
A cold-start oven not only works - it works very well, and is far
simpler, plus safer. A perfect example of the KISS formula: Keep It Simple,
Stupid!
To wit: I virtually always use a cold-start oven when baking bread, even
the persnickety French baguette. And heaven-forbid, I don't even use a
baking stone, nor a peel..."
****
Another baking guru took up the challenge and tested the
cold-start/hot-start method in his kitchen. One dough batch was mixed that
endured 2 rises across several hours in a cool room, thereafter divided in
half, shaped into individual loaves and proofed for 1 1/2 hours.
One half was baked using a cold-start oven, no baking stone, with water
misted onto the oven's cold floor just before inserting the bread.
The second half was baked in the pre-heated oven using a hot baking stone,
boiling water tossed into a pan, etc.
Both trials used the same oven temperature of 230C (446F), and breads were
baked to identical internal temperatures of 96C (205F). The cold-start
extended baking time to 28 minutes (+8 minutes to the recipe's stated time).
The baking-guru said (and also included pictures): "Interesting results
- just about identical!
Better cut definition (slash area) on the hot, color slightly better on
hot, no difference in expansion/oven spring. Bread interiors (texture) were
equally close and even on both.
Taste - couldn't tell them apart blind."
****
Additional correspondence between us suggested that equal browning to the
exterior for the cold-start method might be achieved if the temperature was
set slightly higher, say 235C (455F).
In summary: the baking methods, cold start or hot start, produced virtually
equal breads!
The cold-start required significantly less oven heating time (28 minutes
versus 1 1/2 hours), was far safer (no boiling water tossed into a hot
oven, nor repeated mistings and door openings), eliminated problems often
encountered with using a peel. Overall, a far simpler and easier method of
baking.
Ed Okie