Lesson 2 of the Home Baker's Guide to Oven Setup and Steam is live in the Classroom.

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This one covers enclosed baking environments, and it's where a lot of the "why does my bread look like that" questions actually get answered.

The core concept is the closed loop. Your dough already has the moisture it needs to create its own steam environment. You don't need to fill your oven. You just need to trap it. A covered vessel does exactly that, and once you understand why it works, you'll stop guessing and start making deliberate choices every time you bake.

Here's what's in the lesson:

The closed loop explained: why enclosed baking produces better crust and oven spring Dutch oven: preheated vs. cold start, and why both are legitimate The 7-minute uncover trick for better ear development on tighter doughs Ice cubes inside the pot for a steam boost on low-hydration loaves

Alternatives when you don't have a Dutch oven: double loaf pan, foil tent, metal bowl cover, bread cloche When enclosed baking is actually the wrong choice

Watch it here: https://youtu.be/Hic3fcLNp_M

Or find it directly in the Classroom under the Oven Setup and Steam course.

Drop your questions below. If you've been getting inconsistent results from your Dutch oven, this is a good place to start troubleshooting.

Perfection is not required. Progress is.

Henry ⭐🔥

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