Where does this come from, and can I check it?

Moist air delays the crust setting, letting the bread expand further. The figure is taken from Encyclopaedia Britannica, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

Is this really a food fact?

Yes. It sits on the Food shelf, one of 1,090 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.

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The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.

Mondo Knows Facts

Steam in the oven keeps a crust thin while the loaf rises

Moist air delays the crust setting, letting the bread expand further

Professional bread ovens inject steam for the first part of the bake. Water in the air keeps the surface of the dough flexible, so the loaf can keep expanding before the crust hardens, and it helps starch gelatinise into a glossy finish. The steam is then vented so the crust can dry and brown in the final minutes.

Where this comes from

Encyclopaedia Britannica

Facts that can change over time are reviewed and updated. If something here looks wrong, Mondo would rather know than be confidently incorrect.

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Tags: bread, baking, steam

Steam in the oven keeps a crust thin while the loaf rises: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: Moist air delays the crust setting, letting the bread expand further. The figure is taken from Encyclopaedia Britannica, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a food fact?: Yes. It sits on the Food shelf, one of 1,090 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.