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Hi, my name is Maria Baradell, and I own Leaf & Loaf, a thriving home bakery in Dallas, Texas, selling out weekly of all the sourdough bread and treats I make.

My dream is to have a home baker in every single neighborhood, bringing back the joy we used to know of homemade bread and bakes to our communities. Thank you for joining me in this dream and please receive a warm welcome to the grassroots movement that is "Bringing Bread Back" to America and the world! This movement is a Bread Renaissance, a revival of the age-old tradition of home baking.

In the past, there was a cottage baker in every neighborhood, providing fresh, healthy bread and baked goods. However, this tradition faded with the introduction of commercial yeast and the industrialization of flour milling and bakery processes. While these changes made bread making easier and cheaper, they also sacrificed the health benefits and quality of naturally fermented baked goods, giving bread a really bad reputation.

I am dedicated to bringing home bakeries back by teaching our generation and those to come the art of making naturally fermented bread and baked goods that are nourishing liked they used to be. My goal is to help home bakers streamline their processes, enabling them to balance family obligations while blessing their communities with real, good bread and bakes.

In this guide, you will find advice on how to successfully launch a home bakery and I hope it inspires you to become a part of this Bread Renaissance, bringing delicious, healthy bread and other baked goods back to our communities.

You might be wondering if there is demand for home made baked goods or if there is room for another baker to start up in your area! The answer to both questions is YES!

The sourdough market is expanding at a rate of 9.1% annually and it is expected to go from $2.3 billion in 2023 to $5.15 billion in 2032 (source). This growth is driven by rising consumer demand and the efforts of home bakers who are leveraging online platforms to raise awareness, share their passion, and attract more customers—ultimately fueling even greater demand.

Not only is there demand, but there is more than enough room for you! The beauty of home baking is that no two bakers are the same—your unique style, flavors, and personality make your business stand out. Customers aren’t just looking for bread and bakes; they’re looking for a connection, a story, and something real. As more people seek out wholesome, artisan-made baked goods, the demand will only continue to grow, so we need you!

“But baking is hard work”

I tend to romanticize my job as a home baker, because truth be told: I love it! but it is hard work.

Now, what job isn’t?

• Wasting an hour or more of our lives commuting to and from an office is hard

• Sitting 8 hours behind a desk in hard

• Staring at a screen all day under fluorescent lights is hard

• Answering to a boss who doesn’t appreciate you is hard

• Having little control over your schedule, creativity, or workload is hard

• Missing out on family time because of rigid work hours is hard

• Spending your days doing something you don’t love is hard

If hard work is inevitable, wouldn’t you rather build something of your own? Something that brings you joy, freedom, and connection to your community?

The path ahead might feel overwhelming, but there are 6 key building blocks that make starting your micro bakery manageable and achievable.

Before we dive in, here are some things to remember:

✔ Take it one step at a time, start small, and grow slowly as demand increases.

✔ Success looks different for everyone. Stay true to your purpose and your very unique goals.

✔ Comparison is the killer of joy. Don’t compare your Chapter 1 to someone else’s Chapter 15.

Laying the Foundation

The 6 Building Blocks of Starting Your Micro Bakery

This guide will walk you through the process of launching your micro bakery, breaking it down into clear, doable steps so you can move forward with confidence.

Here’s what you need to focus on to get started:

1. Choose what to sell – Start with what excites you and build a menu.

2. Set up legally & financially – Lay a solid foundation of operations.

3. Choose a sales model – Find what works for you.

4. Choose a fulfillment method – Get your bakes to customers.

5. Brand your business – Make it uniquely yours and memorable.

6. Launch! – Take the leap with confidence and launch successfully

Building Block #1: Choose What to Sell

The first step in starting your micro bakery is deciding what to sell. This isn’t just about what you love to bake—it’s about finding the right mix of products that excite you, meet customer demand, and make financial sense.

Start with a Hero Product

Your hero product is the star of your menu—the item you become known for. It should be something you can make consistently well, that has strong demand, and that keeps customers coming back.

Add Complementary Products

Once you have your hero product, think about complementary items that pair well with it.

Boost Your Profits with Add-Ons

Not everything you sell needs to be a full bake. Profit boosters are small, easy-to-make items that increase your order value without much extra work.

Building Block #2: Set up legally & financially

Before you start selling, it’s important to understand the rules, price your products for profit, and keep your finances organized. Let’s break it down.

Know Your Cottage Food Laws

If you’re selling from home, you’ll need to follow cottage food laws—these are local rules that allow you to sell homemade food legally without needing a commercial kitchen.

The laws vary by state, province, or country, so look up your region’s specific requirements online. Some common regulations include:

✔ Where you can sell (home pickups, farmers’ markets, online sales, etc.)

✔ What foods are allowed (some regions limit items that require refrigeration)

✔ Labeling requirements (some areas require specific disclaimers)

Here are a couple of resources you can visit to learn about the cottage food laws in your state:

https://cottagefoodlaws.com/

https://www.pickyourown.org/CottageFoodLawsByState.htm

Acquiring the necessary licenses and permits is a critical step in legally operating your home bakery. Knowing the rules upfront keeps your business legal and running smoothly from day one.

Price for Profit

Your pricing should align with the offer and demand in your area for the type of products you are providing and should reflect more than just the cost of ingredients, packaging and overhead. Your pricing should be:

The price of a similar baked good in a store

+

The true value of what you offer, including:

Don’t be afraid to price your products accordingly!

• Aim for 70-90% profit margins if you’re not paying yourself an hourly wage.

• If you’re factoring in your time, 20-50% profit is typical in the home bakery industry.

Keep Your Finances Organized

💰 A separate bank account for your home bakery.

📲 A dedicated Venmo, PayPal, or Zelle account to track transactions.

📝 A spreadsheet or bookkeeping system to manage income and expenses.

Building Block #3: Choose a Sales Model

There are two main sales models for home bakeries:

Sales Model #1: Pre-Orders (Best for Predictability & Less Waste)

With pre-orders, customers order in advance, so you only bake exactly what’s needed—reducing waste and maximizing efficiency.

There are two ways to approach this:

✔ On-Demand Pre-Orders: Customers order anytime, and you bake as orders come in (great if you have a flexible schedule).

✔ Scheduled Drops: You announce a set menu on specific days, customers place orders by a deadline, and you bake everything at once (ideal for batch efficiency and time management).

Best for: Bakers who want to minimize waste, streamline production, and balance their baking with other commitments.

Sales Model #2: Bake-to-Sell (Best for Flexibility & Markets)

With this model, you bake first and sell later, either from a home bakery stand, pop-up, farmers’ market, or porch pickup.

✔ More risk, but more flexibility – Since you don’t have pre-orders, there’s always a chance of unsold inventory, but you have the freedom to bake what you want, when you want. This gives you the ability to adjust based on your schedule, and the chance to offer last-minute sales or impulse purchases without being tied to advance orders.

✔ Great for building a local customer base – Customers love the convenience of instant availability instead of waiting to order.

Best for: Bakers who sell at markets, want flexibility in what they bake, or have a high-demand customer base.

Which model is right for you?

Both models work, and you can even combine them! Choose the model that fits your lifestyle, schedule, and baking capacity best.

Building Block #4: Choose a Fulfillment Method

How will your bread and bakes be made available to your customers? Here are the most common options with their pros and cons:

• Pickup – Customers collect their orders from your home, farm stand, or a set location. This is cost-effective and convenient for you, but if hosting pickups from home, sharing your address may be necessary.

• Delivery – You bring orders directly to customers, expanding your reach beyond local pickups. While this is a premium service that customers love, it adds costs for gas, time, and vehicle upkeep.

• Wholesale – Selling in bulk to retailers, cafés, hotels or businesses offers steady income and visibility, but profit margins are lower, and consistency in production is key. Cottage food laws in some states limit wholesale activities.

• Farmers Markets & Pop-Up Events – These provide instant exposure, customer interactions, and high-volume sales, but require time for setup, transport, and vendor fees. Sales can also depend on weather and foot traffic.

• Farm or Bread Stands – Self-serve stands offer a low-maintenance, trust-based system, allowing sales outside set hours. However, there’s a risk of theft, underpayment, or unpredictable sales.

Which method works best for your home?

🏡 Country Home / Farm → Ideal for pickups, farm stands, wholesale, delivery, and market sales.

🏘 Home in an HOA → Best suited for carefully coordinated pickups, deliveries, and farmers markets.

🏢 Apartment or Townhouse → Limited on-site pickup, but delivery, wholesale, and pop-ups work well.

Every fulfillment method has its trade-offs, choose what fits your lifestyle and baking capacity best!

Building Block #5: Brand Your Business

A strong brand makes you recognizable, memorable, and trustworthy. Here’s how to build yours:

Pick the Perfect Name

Your bakery name should be:

✔ Easy to spell and pronounce (so people can find you!)

✔ Unique (to avoid confusion with other businesses)

✔ Meaningful (reflecting your story, style, or product)

🚫 Avoid: Generic names, overused words (“artisan,” “homemade”), or anything too long.

Before finalizing, check domain availability (for a website) and search Instagram & Facebook to secure your URL and matching social media handles.

Design Your Visual Identity

A cohesive look makes your brand feel polished and professional. Consider:

• Logo – Keep it simple, readable, and adaptable for different uses.

• Colors & Fonts – Pick 2-3 colors and 1-2 fonts to use consistently.

• Photography Style – Decide on a look (bright & airy, dark & moody, rustic, etc.).

Create a branding guide outlining these choices so everything looks cohesive!

Craft Your Brand Story

Your brand story is what makes you stand out. Customers connect with why you bake, not just what you bake. Answer these:

✔ What inspired you to start?

✔ What makes your baked goods special?

✔ Who do you bake for?

Share this story on your website, social media, and packaging to create a deeper connection with your customers. Branding is what makes you unforgettable—so make it count!

Building Block #6: Launch

This is such an exciting time—your bakery journey is beginning! You don’t need perfection to start, just the courage to take the first step. Your community is ready to enjoy your amazing bakes!

• Pick a launch date, start posting behind-the-scenes content, and create excitement with sneak peeks and a countdown.

• Launch with an event like a pop-up at home or at a nearby cafe, or make it an online event. Send invites in advance.

• Make ordering simple and clear, and consider a launch special like a small discount or bonus item to attract first-time customers.

• Once orders start coming in, gather feedback, refine your process, and stay consistent.

Ready, Set, Bake!

If you want to learn more on how to Launch and Grow and Home Bakery, check out the resources I have available in the Home Bakery Community.

FREE Home Bakery Community

Home Bakery Academy Courses

If you love my content, please consider sharing it with friends and family. Every share helps spread this movement — and as a thank you, you’ll unlock even more exclusive recipes and behind-the-scenes content.

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If you're a home baker producing in bulk, choosing the right mixer is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. A great mixer doesn’t just save time—it improves dough development, increases consistency, and allows you to scale up without overworking yourself.

I created a comparison chart with the elements that actually matter when comparing mixers. The chart -and my ultimate recommendation- is at the end of this post.

This guide explains how to understand each aspect of the chart, so you can pick the best mixer for your needs. Let me know in the comments if you have other questions, so I can improve this guide to cover everything.

Understanding the Different Mixer Types In The Chart

🌍 Planetary Mixers (KitchenAid, Bosch, Hobart)

• The attachment (hook, paddle, or whisk) rotates around a stationary bowl—just like a planet orbiting the sun.

• These mixers are versatile because they can mix everything from bread dough to cake batter and cookies.

• They are a better all-around choice if you bake a variety of items.

• Typically the bowls are detachable, making them easier to clean.

🌀 Spiral Mixers (Vevor, Estella)

• The bowl spins while the dough hook stays in place, stretching and kneading the dough gently.

• This mimics hand-kneading, making it ideal for bread dough, especially high-hydration doughs like sourdough.

• If bread is your main focus, and gluten development is really important to you during the mixing stage, then a spiral mixer is the best option for large batches.

• Typically the bowls are not detachable, making them harder to clean.

⚙️ Unique Bowl-Driven Mixer (Ankarsrum Assistent)

• The bowl rotates while a roller and scraper knead the dough, making it a little different from planetary and spiral mixers.

• It has a learning curve because it functions differently. I do not own this one, but I have heard the learning curve is quite… curvy.

• This mixer is versatile but leans towards softer dough. In the videos I have watched, the roller seems to struggle with tougher doughs.

Motor Power – Why Watts Aren’t Everything

It’s easy to assume that a higher wattage means a stronger mixer, but that’s not always the case.

Here’s what actually matters:

• Watts measure power consumption, not necessarily the efficiency or torque of the motor.

• A well-engineered lower-watt motor (like Hobart’s 960W motor) can outperform a higher-wattage motor because of better internal gearing and torque.

• Torque is key for bread dough—a mixer with high torque and strong gears will knead dough better than one with just a high wattage rating.

👉 Takeaway: A lower-wattage motor on a commercial-grade mixer will often last longer and perform better than a higher-wattage consumer mixer with cheaper parts.

Capacity – More Than Just Bowl Size

You might think a bigger bowl = more capacity, but it’s not just about the bowl size. The real mixing capacity is determined by:

• Bowl shape – Taller, narrower bowls (like in planetary mixers) can limit how much dough is effectively mixed.

• Hooks, paddles, whisks, etc – attachments are designed differently across mixers. Some perform well with small batches, while others require the bowl to be at least half full for optimal mixing.

• Motor power & design – A weak motor might struggle with a full bowl of stiff dough, even if the bowl is large.

👉 Takeaway: Don’t just look at quart size—consider the mixer's actual capacity based on the number of loaves or cookies it can mix. Don’t believe everything the manufacturer says. You have to ask real bakers and that’s what this guide is for.

Warranty – A Reflection of Quality

The length of a warranty tells you a lot about the company’s confidence in its product.

• Shorter warranties (1 year) → Common on lower-end or budget mixers, meaning they may not last as long under heavy use.

• Longer warranties (3-7 years) → Typically found on high-end mixers, showing a commitment to durability and customer support.

• Hobart only offers 1-year on commercial models because they assume heavy use, but their mixers often last decades without issues.

👉 Takeaway: A longer warranty suggests better build quality, but Hobart’s 1-year warranty doesn’t mean it’s a low-quality mixer—it’s just built for commercial use.

Where Mixers Are Made & Why It Matters

The place of origin affects build quality, materials, and parts sourcing.

• USA-made mixers (Hobart, KitchenAid) – Good quality standards, but some KitchenAid parts are sourced globally.

• European-made mixers (Ankarsrum, Bosch) – Typically very well-engineered, designed for longevity.

• China-made mixers (Vevor, Estella) – More affordable but vary in quality—some perform well, others may have lower-grade components.

👉 Takeaway: Country of manufacture can impact long-term reliability, but brand reputation and engineering matter just as much.

Price – Why It Varies & What to Expect

• Build quality & materials – Commercial-grade metal parts cost more than plastic components.

• Motor strength & durability – Higher-end models have better motors that last longer under heavy use.

• Brand reputation – Established brands like Hobart, Bosch, and Ankarsrum command higher prices due to reliability.

⚠️ Prices and specifications are subject to change. Always verify details with retailers before purchasing.

Understanding Larger Mixers

• Larger mixers follow a pretty proportional increase in capacity.

• A Estella 30qt can hold 22 loaves of 900 grams (I have mixed up to 25, but the flour starts flying everywhere)

• I am still researching the real capacity of larger machines like a 60qt mixer, I will update later.

Final Thoughts – Which Mixer Should You Get?

Your ideal mixer depends on:

• What you bake most (bread → spiral, variety → planetary).

• How much you bake (small batches → KitchenAid/Bosch, bulk → Estella/Hobart).

• Your budget (affordable → Vevor, premium → Ankarsrum, Hobart).

No matter which mixer you choose, having the right tool makes baking easier, faster, and more enjoyable. I hope this guide helps you make the best decision for your home bakery!

My recommendation

For the typical home baker making no more than 60 loaves of sourdough per week (or the equivalent in other bakes), I highly recommend the Bosch Universal Plus Mixer. It’s European-made, built to high-quality standards, and has been a trusted choice for generations of bakers. The Bosch is known for its versatility, effortlessly handling smaller batches (1-2 loaves) and larger batches (5-6 loaves) with consistent results. It has outstanding reviews, a strong motor, and an efficient dough-mixing system that makes it an excellent investment for most home bakeries.

However, if your home bakery is already producing over 60 loaves per week, has sustained this demand for a while, and you’re sure you want to scale further, then I would recommend upgrading to a 30-quart Estella spiral mixer to increase your efficiency and capacity.

Affiliate Links Disclosure

Some links in this guide may be affiliate links, meaning I earn a small commission at no cost to you if you make a purchase. This helps support the research, testing, and effort that went into creating this one-of-a-kind comparison chart for home bakers. I appreciate your support! ❤️

Mixer Comparison Chart

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Wondering how to bake sourdough bread at home without a Dutch oven? Even better—do you want to learn how to bake multiple loaves at once without needing to cover them?

Open baking is the solution! This guide explores the best techniques to successfully open bake sourdough while ensuring a beautifully risen, crusty loaf.

First, Let’s Chat About Steam

Steam plays a vital role in the process of baking sourdough bread. It enables the dough to expand fully and achieve the desired "oven spring" by maintaining moisture on the outer crust during the initial baking phase. This prevents premature setting, resulting in a better crumb structure and a larger loaf compared to baking without steam.

Essentially, steam provides the necessary time for the dough to rise adequately before the crust forms.

• Maximizes oven spring: Steam creates a humid environment that prevents rapid surface drying of the dough, allowing for significant rising before the crust hardens.

• Improves crumb structure: Proper steam distribution facilitates even expansion of the dough, resulting in a more open and airy crumb.

• Enhances crust appearance: Steam aids in sugar gelatinization on the dough's surface, leading to a shiny, crisp, and well-browned crust.

• Improves scoring: The presence of steam enables the scored cuts on the dough to expand and open up effectively during the baking process.

Traditional Methods of Adding Steam

• Professional Bread Ovens: Bakery ovens come equipped with steam injection systems that introduce controlled moisture to enhance oven spring and crust development.

• Covered Vessels: Dutch ovens, cast iron pots, cloches or the two-pan method, trap steam released from the dough itself, creating a perfect mini-oven environment for better rise and crust formation.

What Is Open Baking?

Open baking refers to baking bread directly on a baking surface without enclosing it in a covered vessel like a Dutch oven, cloche, or lidded loaf pan. This method mimics commercial deck ovens by allowing full exposure to the oven’s heat and steam.

To open bake you will need to ensure there is enough steam in the oven to allow the loaves to rise protected from the intense heat. And you will need to remove the source of steam mid bake to allow the crust to set and develop.

While open baking requires additional steps to create steam and manage heat exposure, it can facilitate the baking process, especially when baking in bulk, as it allows multiple loaves to be baked at once without the need for individual covered vessels.

Benefits of Open Baking

Open baking has several advantages that make it a preferred method for many home bakers:

• Easier Batch Baking: Unlike using a Dutch oven, multiple loaves can be baked simultaneously, making it ideal for larger baking sessions using your home oven.

• Less Equipment Needed: No need for heavy cast iron cookware, or extra loaf pans to be used as lids, making it accessible for more home bakers.

• Faster Baking Time: Bread tends to bake quicker, reducing overall bake times.

Potential Downsides of Open Baking

While open baking has many advantages, it also comes with a few challenges that bakers should be aware of:

• Requires More Hands-On Monitoring – Unlike a Dutch oven that traps steam naturally, open baking requires extra effort to introduce and maintain steam, remove steam mid bake, adjust temperatures, and rotate the loaves for even baking.

• Uneven Baking – Some home ovens have hot spots, which can cause uneven browning or inconsistent results.

• Crust Sealing Too Soon – Because of the exposure to the intense heat, the crust may set before the loaf has fully risen, leading to denser bread.

• Browning Too Soon – The intense heat exposure can cause loaves to brown before the interior is fully baked, requiring careful monitoring and possible temperature adjustments.

Can Everyone Open Bake?

While open baking is a great technique, it may not be suitable for every home oven setup or baker:

• Gas Ovens: Ovens: Their design, made to vent heat and steam out to prevent the buildup of moisture and maintain proper combustion, makes it difficult to retain the steam and high heat required for sourdough baking, resulting in loaves that struggle to achieve proper oven spring or a well-developed crust. Some gas ovens vent moisture more aggressively than others, so open baking can still be attempted.

• Uneven Heat Distribution: If your oven has hot spots or inconsistent heating, it may require extra adjustments, such as rotating the loaves midway.

• Confidence with Baking Adjustments: Open baking requires monitoring and fine-tuning elements like steam, temperature, and baking surface choices. If you're new to sourdough baking, starting with a Dutch oven may be easier before transitioning to open baking.

Choosing the Right Surface/Container for Open Baking

Any heat-resistant pan, pot, stone, or baking tray can work to hold the loaves, depending on the type of bread, but here are 2 common and recommended:

• Loaf Pans: Cost effective and they save you the cost and extra step of proofing baskets (bannetons). Loaf Pans provide structure for artisan breads, sandwich loaves and enriched doughs while ensuring even baking. They help maintain shape, making them great for high-hydration doughs that might spread on a flat surface.

• Baking Steel: Retains and radiates intense heat, mimicking the effect of a professional bread oven. Ideal for round/boules or free-form loaves.

Ways to add steam

Main Sources of Steam:

These methods create a steady release of steam to maintain a humid baking environment during the crucial first phase of baking.

• Pan with Water: Placing a shallow pan filled with boiling water on the lower rack helps generate consistent steam.

• Tray with Towels: Soaking rolled-up kitchen towels in boiling water and placed in a tray on the lower rack releases steam gradually. This is not my recommended method because once the towels dry out, they can become a fire hazard. Since they are exposed to high temperatures for an extended period, there is a risk of them scorching or even catching fire if they are not carefully monitored and continuously rehydrated.

• Pan with Lava Rocks: Preheating a stainless steel pan or cast iron pan filled with porous lava rocks and adding boiling water just before baking creates an intense burst of steam that lasts longer. This is my recommended method because lava rocks retain heat exceptionally well and release steam more gradually and consistently.

Additional Sources of Steam:

• Spritzing the Loaves: Lightly misting the dough with water right before placing it in the oven keeps the surface moist so it can expand.

• Spraying the Oven: A few quick sprays of water on the oven walls right after loading the loaves helps create instant steam.

• Ice Cubes (Rapid Steam Release): Tossing about a cup of ice cubes into a preheated pan or on the bottom of the oven produces an immediate burst of steam to aid that initial oven spring.

Using a combination of main and additional steam sources can help improve oven spring, crust development, and overall bake quality when open baking.

Important Considerations When Open Baking in a Home Oven

1. Oven Rack, Steam and Loaves Placement

Proper positioning is essential for ensuring even baking, maximizing the effects of steam, and avoiding unwanted sogginess. The goal is to place the loaves close enough to the steam source for maximum benefit without exposing them to excess moisture that could result in a gummy crust.

• Steam Source Placement: The main steam source, such as a pan with lava rocks and boiling water, should be placed on the bottom of the oven to allow rising steam to envelop the loaves without oversaturating them.

• Loaf Positioning: Arrange up to 4 loaves on the middle rack, or if attempting to open bake 6 to 8 at once, on two racks—one near the top and one in the middle. This setup ensures each loaf benefits from the heat and steam while trying to avoid direct exposure to hotspots.

• Avoiding Hot Spots: Home ovens can have uneven heat distribution, often resulting in some areas baking faster than others. Rotating the loaves midway through baking ensures even crust color and consistent oven spring.

• Preventing Sogginess: While steam is crucial in the early stages, too much prolonged exposure can lead to a dense or gummy crust. This is why removing the steam source midway through baking is essential to achieve proper caramelization and a crisp exterior.

2. Heat and Timing

Controlling temperature and timing is key to achieving optimal oven spring, crust formation, and even baking across multiple loaves. Here is my recommended method:

• Preheating:

  • Turn the oven on to 500°F with the baking steels in place—one on the middle rack and one on the top rack. If baking in loaf pans, do not use baking steels.

  • Place a pan filled with porous lava rocks on the bottom of the oven to act as the main steam source. They should preheat with the oven.

  • Wait until the oven reaches 500°F. Once it does, let it preheat for at least 30 minutes.

  • Meanwhile, boil water in a tea kettle.

• Loading & Initial Bake with Steam:

  • Score and mist the loaves with water using a spray bottle

  • Load the loaves—four on the top rack, four on the middle rack.

  • Add boiling water to the pan with lava rocks to generate steam.

    • You can also spray the walls of the oven with water using a sprayer and add a cup of ice cubes if you deem it necessary.

  • Immediately reduce the oven temperature to 435°F.

  • Bake for approximately 20 minutes with steam.

    After 15 minutes, if you are worried about over browning (especially when baking so many at once and getting so close to the heating elements) you can put foil over those in the top rack. It shouldn’t be an issue if you reduce the temperature, as I stated above, but I forgot to do that here, so they were browning too fast.

• Steam Removal & Loaf Rotation:

  • Carefully remove the pan with lava rocks and boiling water from the oven.

    Or like in the picture above, I just covered them. This is a smart move so I am not moving boiling water around.

  • Rotate the loaves to ensure even baking:

    • Take the loaves on the top rack out momentarily.

    • Move the middle rack loaves up to the top rack, switching positions so that those in the back now face the front.

• Place the previously removed top rack loaves onto the middle rack, also switching their front-to-back positioning.

• Final Bake & Browning:

  • Increase the oven temperature to 450°F. This is because venting the steam will make the oven temperature drop, so you want to bring it back up.

  • Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the loaves turn golden brown and reach an internal temperature of 205°F.

  • If the loaves are browning too quickly, loosely cover them with foil to prevent over-darkening while allowing them to finish baking properly.

  • Once baked, remove the loaves from the oven and place them on a cooling rack to allow air circulation and prevent the bottom crust from becoming soggy.

List of Recommended Supplies

• Oven Thermometer

• Baking Steels or Stainless Steel Loaf Pans

• Parchment Paper – for baking steels or for the loaf pans

• Wooden Peels (1 or 2) – Essential for smoothly loading dough onto baking steels without disturbing the shape. I recommend you get 2 if you are baking in 2 baking steels.

• Pizza Peel – Helps rotate and remove loaves from oven.

• Silicone Gloves

• USA Pan 9x13 (light weight, durable)

• Narrow stainless steel pan

• Porous Lava Rocks

• Electric Tea Kettle

• Bread Thermometer

• Water Sprayer

• Aluminum Foil

Mastering the art of open baking bread at home is a skill that takes time and careful attention to details like steam, heat, and positioning to achieve the best results.

Throughout this guide, we’ve explored why steam is crucial, the benefits and challenges of open baking, the best baking surfaces, different steam sources, oven rack positioning, and heat and timing adjustments—all of which contribute to successful bakes.

But here’s the most important takeaway: every home oven is different. What works perfectly in one setup might need adjustments in another. Test different methods, experiment with steam sources, adjust your timing, and pay close attention to how your bread reacts in your oven. Over time, you’ll develop a method that consistently produces beautifully risen, well-caramelized loaves with the perfect crust and crumb.

And like all things in baking, practice is key. The more you bake, the more you’ll refine your technique, understand your oven, and gain confidence in open baking. Keep testing, keep tweaking, and most importantly—enjoy the process!

Questions of recipe requests?

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