I did my first attempt at baking without a dutch oven. I used a cast iron pan with lava rocks and a hotel pan with kitchen towels. I also used a baking steel. I had success however the back of my loaf did not rise as much as the front and I think it's because the pans were too close to the front. Does that make sense to anyone who has used ths method? I assume I should push the pans back more so they are centered under the steel?
No, it does not make sense. Steam is a gas and fills the oven cavity uniformly no matter where steam pan is placed. Unless, unless your oven has a vent. Then all steam will escape through it as it is generated.
Is it a convection oven? If so, you need to do things a bit differently. I've not experienced the problem you describe and I use the towel method with a baking steel for everything. Our oven is a bit too low for me to lift up cast iron baking stuff (when you reach your 70s, you work on preserving your back!). I load loaves directly on parchment and then onto the steel. They are then backed without convection and the steam towels at 460F followed by convection without the steam at 420F. I find this very reliable and the loaves rise uniformly.