When baking bread, what do I need to do to get a thick crunchy crust? (no baking tin used)?!
This will give your bread a crunchy crust.
Answers: Place a small pan of very hot water on the bottom rack of your oven and also spritz your oven with a water filled sray bottle right before putting the bread in.
This will give your bread a crunchy crust.
You burn it!
there is a couple of techniques that people do... some increase the amount of fat that the bread recipe has... and some controll the temperature of the oven... you could start of high, then finish it up low... you could also brush the bread with egg wash for extra crispiness... but it really depends on what bread you are making... adding eggwash sometimes play around with the color of the bread...
FRENCH STYLE BREAD
1 1/2 pkgs. dry yeast
2 c. warm water
5 to 6 c. flour
1 tbsp. egg white mixed with 1 tbsp. cold water
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp. shortening
3 to 4 tbsp corn meal
Combine yeast with sugar and warm water and allow to proof. Add shortening just before adding flour Mix the salt with the flour and add to yeast mixture a cup at a time until you have a stiff dough. Knead until no longer sticky. Cover and let rise until double in bulk.
Punch down dough, turn onto floured board and shape into two French bread style loaves. Place on baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Brush loaves with warm water using a soft pastry brush.Place bread in a warm draft free place for about 15 minutes. whisk the 1 tbsp.egg and 1 tbsp.water togeather Slash tops of loaves and brush with egg wash. Put back in a warm place for 15 minutes. put bread into a pre heated oven at 400*F degrees and bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove bread from pan to a cooling rack.
bebe --- you will know you are going to have a crisp crust when you can hear the
crinkle and pop of the crust as it starts to cool. I hope I have been of some help.
jim b