I finally nailed my sourdough crust after switching my baking vessel

For the past year, I've been baking my loaves on a regular sheet pan with a pan of water below for steam. Last week, I borrowed my friend's cast iron Dutch oven from her garage sale and tried it. The crust came out way darker and crispier, with those big bubbles I always wanted. I think the heavy lid trapped the steam way better than my old setup. What's your go-to method for getting a good crust at home?

3 comments

3 Comments

max9631mo ago

Lol so you were basically doing sourdough parkour with that sheet pan and water setup. I'm just picturing you doing all that work while your friend's magic pot sat in her garage collecting dust. My go-to is also a Dutch oven, but mine's so old and crusty it probably counts as a flavor ingredient at this point.

shane_perry291mo ago

That old crusty Dutch oven is the real deal. My mom's looks like it went through a house fire, but nothing bakes the same. All that baked-on stuff just makes the crust better somehow. It's like the pot remembers every good loaf you ever made.

pat_perry2d ago

Why not just work on your technique instead of relying on some beat up pot? A good steam pan setup gives you way more control over the oven spring. You can spritz the loaf right before it goes in, adjust the water amount, even crack the door for the last ten minutes. @shane_perry29's mom's pot might look like a war relic, but that baked on gunk could just be uneven heat spots. I get better color and crunch with a plain baking stone and a spray bottle.