Originally Posted by
notsosmart
I'm all for making bread at home, but... if you want truly excellent bread, you need a professional (read: hot) oven. No getting around it.
:
Errr .....
notsosmart (

)..... what temperature do you think that bread bakes at exactly? I actually started to write a lengthy reply to this but it's obvious I'd be arguing with someone who fairly clearly hasn't made any bread and doesn't know how to. It is really quite easy - particularly if you have a mixer with dough hook - and an ordinary domestic oven is perfectly adequate. Some other odds and sods make it easier and pleasurable but not absolutely required.
The majority of breads are cooked at around 220 c 'ish. All domestic ovens reach that easilly. Baking bread higher will burn it with a raw inside. I'm trying to work out where your confusion comes from and perhaps you're confusing the idea of using steam for some breads - particularly baguettes - for the first 10 minutes of baking. This is relatively easy to replicate at home. Basically - I mean this nicely - what you have said is simply incorrect
Now .... if you thought you
could make superb bread at home ...... would you try it?