How to Bake a Crusty Hearth Bread

Two elements create that thick crust that we love on great European hearth breads: Steam and a high temperature.  The steam creates a thicker crust and the high temperature drives the moisture from the loaf. 

Place a large, shallow, metal pan in the oven on the lowest shelf.  You will pour hot water in this pan to create steam in the oven.  High heat is hard on pans so don't use one of your better pans.  An old sheet pan is ideal.  Fill a spray bottle with water.  You will use this to spray water into the oven to create more steam. 

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  When the oven is hot and the bread is fully risen and is soft and puffy--being very careful not to burn yourself with the rising steam and with a mitted hand--pour two cups of very hot water in the pan in the oven.  Quickly close the oven door to capture the steam.   With spray bottle in hand, open the door and quickly spray the oven walls and close the door.

Gently invert the loaf or loaves onto a slightly greased non-insulated baking sheet on which a little cornmeal has been dusted.  With your sharpest knife, quickly make two or three slashes 1/4-inch deep across the top of each loaf.   This will vent the steam in the bread and allow the bread to expand properly.  Immediately put the bread in the steamy oven.  After a few moments, open the door and spray the walls again to recharge the steam.  Do this twice more during the first fifteen minutes of baking.  This steamy environment will create the chewy crust prized in artisan breads. 

After the bread is in the oven, turn the temperature down to 400 degrees and set the timer for about forty minutes.  Check on the bread ten minutes before the baking should be complete.  If the top is browning too quickly, tent the loaf with aluminum foil for the last while to keep it from burning.  The bread is done when the crust turns a dark golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 210 degrees.   It is important that the bread is well-baked to drive moisture from the loaf.  If the bread is under baked, the excess moisture will migrate to the crust and you will no longer have the dry chewy crust of a great artisan loaf. 

If you would like to bake crusty bread from a mix, check out this old-style focaccia.