A bakery counter in Portland made me rethink my sourdough routine

I stopped at this tiny shop off SE Hawthorne last Tuesday and watched the baker pull loaves out of a deck oven, not a Dutch oven. He said he never does the steam towel trick or the ice cube thing, just lets the oven's own moisture do the work. I tried his method at home with my cast iron pan on the bottom rack and the crust came out way better than my usual covered pot bake. Anyone else ditch their fancy setups after seeing how a pro actually does it?

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julia_anderson20d ago

Ditched my Dutch oven last week after watching some old bakery videos. Just a plain sheet pan with water underneath and my loaf on a stone. Honestly the crust got that same crackly snap without all the steam fuss. Way less cleanup too, which is a win for my lazy ass. Now I only break out the fancy gear when I'm showing off for guests.