First loaf from a new oven

12 July 2026

The new oven arrived with a confident digital display. An oven thermometer on the middle rack disagreed with it by about fifteen degrees, which explains the pale crust on the first loaf.

What helped:

• Preheating for a full forty-five minutes, with the cast-iron pot inside.
• Setting the dial to 260 °C to actually get 245 °C.
• A tray of ice cubes on the bottom shelf for steam when baking without the pot.

Loaf number two had a proper ear and a dark, crackling crust. The oven and I are on speaking terms now.