Hi Sonia, great question! Steam is almost always a benefit when baking bread, except for breads that have an egg wash, which serves the same purpose as steam by keeping the surface of the loaf moist and adding shine. You wouldn't want to steam a bread like Challah because it gets an egg wash and also because steam can cause the strands to meld together and not allow the loaf to open up properly. Breads baked at a lower temperature expand more easily because the crust doesn't set as early in the process, but keeping the baking chamber moist during the oven spring period can certainly be helpful. Barb

• Reply