What temperature for baking bread?

The temperature dictates the crust

Bread baking temperature directly controls crust development: - Low (325-350°F): soft thin crust, evenly browned interior. Sandwich bread, brioche, quick breads. - Medium (375-425°F): moderate crust, balanced rise. Most home bread recipes. - High (450-500°F): thick crispy crust, dramatic oven spring. Sourdough, baguettes, artisan styles. - Very high (500-550°F): very thick blistered crust. Pizza, focaccia, some Italian breads.

Temperature chart by bread type

Why preheat to higher temperature, then drop

Many artisan bread methods (Forkish, Robertson) call for preheating oven + Dutch oven to 500°F, putting bread in, then dropping to 450°F. Logic: the HIGH initial heat creates massive steam burst → rapid oven spring + maximum crust crackle. The drop to 450°F prevents over-browning during the remaining bake. This is the canonical artisan method.

The Dutch-oven method

For maximum crust + oven spring on artisan loaves: 1. Preheat oven WITH empty Dutch oven inside to 500°F (260°C). Takes 45-60 min. 2. Carefully transfer dough into HOT Dutch oven (parchment helps). 3. Cover with lid (traps steam). 4. Bake 20 minutes covered. 5. Remove lid; reduce to 450°F (232°C). 6. Bake 20-25 more minutes until internal 200-210°F. 7. Total time: 40-45 minutes.

This trap-the-steam-then-let-out method is what produces those dramatic artisan crusts.

The internal-temperature test

The most reliable doneness test is internal temperature, not appearance: - 190°F (88°C): sandwich bread done - 200°F (93°C): standard artisan bread done - 205-210°F (96-99°C): crusty European-style done - Below 185°F: under-baked; gummy interior

Insert thermometer through bottom OR side of loaf (not through the crusty top — risks burst). 3 seconds for stable reading.

Steam injection (the home-baker secret)

European bakers achieve dramatic crust with high-humidity ovens. Home methods to replicate: - Dutch oven method: traps natural steam from dough - Boiling water in tray below: add cup of boiling water to a tray on the floor of the oven when bread enters - Spray bottle: spritz oven walls 3x during first 5 minutes - Lava-stone method: place rocks on a tray, pour boiling water in to flash-steam

Steam delays crust formation, allowing dough to expand maximum before sealing — produces "oven spring."

Common rookie mistakes

• Opening oven door early: loses crucial steam + heat; bread collapses or stunts rise. Wait until 15+ minutes in.
• No preheat OR rushed preheat: stone needs 45-60 min to fully heat. Cold stone = poor crust formation.
• Cooking too low: 325°F bread is dense + pale. Use 350°F minimum for any bread.
• Cooking too long without checking: crust burns before interior cooks. Use a thermometer.
• Not allowing rest after baking: bread continues cooking + steam migrates; cutting hot bread compresses crumb.

Cross-reference: see /pages/how-long-does/sourdough-rise for sourdough timing + /pages/how-to-convert/celsius-to-fahrenheit for EU recipe conversions + /pages/what-ratio-of/water-to-flour-bread for hydration math.