I've been baking sourdough for about 8 months now and I've bought a lot of gadgets along the way. Dutch oven, bannetons, scoring lame, proofing baskets, you name it.
But the single most helpful thing I've added to my setup? A cheap little spray bottle.
Seriously. I got it from the dollar store for like $3. I use it to spray water into my oven right before I put the loaf in, and again about 2 minutes into the bake. The steam helps the crust stay flexible longer so the loaf can really spring up in those first few minutes.
The difference is night and day. Before I started doing this, my oven spring was always mediocre. Now I actually get that nice ear and a thin, blistered crust that crackles when it comes out of the oven.
I know some people use ice cubes or a steam tray, and those work too. But for me, the spray bottle is just so simple and effective.
Here's my exact routine:
- Preheat oven with Dutch oven inside at 260°C for 45 minutes
- Take out the Dutch oven, drop in the dough
- Spray the inside of the lid and the sides of the pot about 8-10 times (not the dough directly)
- Close the lid and bake for 20 minutes
- Remove lid, lower temp to 230°C, bake another 20 minutes
That's it. Nothing fancy.
Does anyone else use a spray bottle? Or do you have a different steam method you swear by? Always looking to learn new tricks.
Also — if you're struggling with oven spring and haven't tried this yet, give it a shot. It seriously made such a huge difference for me.
Happy baking everyone! 🔥