How do I get better crust on my homemade french bread?

Question

I like to bake french bread, but I can never seem to get a really crusty crust like in bread restaurants (e.g. Panera) I've tried spritzing with water, and basting with an egg milk mixture, but not getting the crust I want. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

Okay. This is going to sound crazy. But this is how we learned at culinary school, and this is how many restaurants bake their bread.....

preheat your oven to 450.
place bread on center rack
using a plastic spray bottle full of water, spritz the oven walls liberally with water and quickly shut the oven door.
bake three minutes and repeat once.
then bake as you normally would.

The steam from the water does it's little trick. It's similar to how bagels are boiled before baking to give them a crust.

I also suggest picking up a pizza stone. They are awesome for baking bread. They help draw moisture from the bottom of the bread, helping it "crust up"

Hope that helps!

Answer 2

The trick is steam. Steam helps the outside of the bread develop faster. A trick is to put an empty sheet pan on the bottom of the oven, while the oven is preheating, when it is hot and the oven is ready, put the bread on the middle rack. Close the door and wait about 2 minutes then toss a couple ice cubes onto the hot sheet pan to produce steam! shut the door right away. That should do the trick. Enjoy

Answer 3

What I usually do when I want a
a.) crusty pizza
b.) crusty rolls

I increase the heat to 400 degree and let it bake five minutes longer. It usually helps get a crust. But you could also base the top with some oil and put it back in.

Answer 4

Are you giving it a long enough rising time on the first cycle? This could be the cause. The longer rising time gives french bread that crustyness.

Answer 5

I spray it with Pam (or similar product) cooking spray and then sprinkle with corn meal before popping in the oven. I also use one of those glass tubes made for baking bread, then it comes out nice and round and long.

Answer 6

ethier buy a different brand of bread or leave it in longer