Baking bread using 4,500 year old yeast from Ancient Egyptian pottery (2019)

Re:Baking bread using 4,500 year old yeast from Ancient Egyp... by OJFord on Thursday November 04, 2021 @02:47AM (#29104139)

> Commercial ovens inject steam for the same purpose, but you can't do that at home. Dutch oven apparently simulates the same effect.

At least in the UK, consumer ovens are available (starting at the low-mid end) with water reservoirs and a steam function.

But you don't need that, if you don't have a casserole (aka 'Dutch oven') you can put a tray over the bread, and a container of water underneath. Remove them when you'd remove the casserole lid.

I bake a loaf slightly more often than weekly, and do this occasionally because my casserole isn't large enough, and usually squashes the top flat.

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Re:Baking bread using 4,500 year old yeast from Ancient Egyp... by kwhitefoot on Thursday November 04, 2021 @07:40AM (#29105814)

> in the UK, consumer ovens are available (starting at the low-mid end) with water reservoirs and a steam function.

Same here in Norway so I suspect that they must be available all over Europe as they are made by companies like AEG, Miele, and so on. They aren't even desperately expensive any more.

But I bake a loaf in a cast iron casserole at 250 C in a conventional oven. Lid on for the first half hour, take off the lid and bake for a further 15 minutes. Makes a nice crust.

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Re:Baking bread using 4,500 year old yeast from Ancient Egyp... by OJFord on Thursday November 04, 2021 @08:18AM (#29106177)

Yep I do the same. Though I've been erring shorter with the lid on (and experimenting with a tray of water as I mentioned) trying to save it from being squashed.. really I should just buy a bigger casserole! (And a bigger kitchen with space for it when not in use..)

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