Steam-Baked Sourdough Boule for Precision Oven 2.0

NOTE: This recipe is optimized for the Precision Oven 2.0. It will work in a Precision Oven 1.0, but you will need to open the oven door for 5 to 10 seconds in between the steamy and dry bake stages to vent steam. If you'd like to use the original version of the recipe, search for Steam-Baked Sourdough Boule. There's a reason professional bread bakers use steam in their ovens. Steam does magic things to bread. It delays the crust formation so the bread can expand with an open, airy crumb, and it delivers heat to the loaf more quickly. Because steam is so important, you'll see plenty of hacks for home cooks to deliver steam to their bread in a home oven. But with the Anova Precision Oven, you don't have to go to resort to throwing ice cubes into a hot pan or drop a proofed loaf into a hot Dutch oven in order to get a steamy bake. Simply turn on full steam and you'll finally get the oven spring and rich, dark brown crust you've been chasing. Start with your favorite high-hydration sourdough or no-knead recipe with these oven settings for the best bread you've ever baked at home.