Steam Oven
Calling all bakers! Has anyone has experience using one of these steam convection oven (picture attached)? My understanding is that it is able to switch between steam function straight to convection oven bake with the touch of a button. Oven temperature hits up to 230 Celcius (446F) maximum, which is sufficient for Tartine & FWSY types of recipes.
My question is, do you think this oven alone is sufficient to replace all of the Dutch Ovens/Combo Cooker method to generate good crust? I'm thinking a combination of 20-30min steam and then another 20min convection baking for browning.
Here's a link to the sample oven:
https://www.panasonic.com/my/consumer/kitchen-appliances/microwave-oven/convection/nu-sc100w.html
The immediate advantage is that this is a small cubic design oven, it is almost a perfect fit for the usual one boule loaf size.
So what do you think?
I have a Whirlpool steam oven but the steam function only works up to 100 degrees Celsius so you don't get steam when it's in oven mode...
if you check Perfect Sourdough the Facebook bakers forum there was someone a week ago , maybe less, that posted her boule baked in that exact oven. It looked great ! I would think for a small baking experiment in the home if would be perfect. From her picture the loaf she produced was lovely . Hope you have fun with it. I wish I could link to the post but can't remember who/what day. Perhaps do a search on their site and see if you get it. c
Nicole, I did not see a product manual for download. I have a full size combination oven - which means it cooks by convection, steam , or a combination of both. In theory is should be proper replacement of a dutch oven, though frankly, I have not played enough with it to see. The 100% steam mode is limited to 100C, and as you set the oven above that, it is steam plus convection, and I don't know a way to quantify the amount of steam or how long you would want it to duplicate the combo cooker. The other issue for me is what to bake it on. One option is to preheat your stone or baking steel in the steam setting, but in general, the dough will stick to it when it is loaded onto a moist steel or stone ( much worse with the steel ) I have had some success preheating a baking steel on a cooktop burner, then preheating the oven at 100 % steam, then loading the dough onto the steel, and using oven mitts, loading the steel and dough into the oven. Again, I think you will have to play around with the timing for how long you want the steam on to allow for the best oven spring, but also allow proper browning.