It’s hard to replicate fresh-from-the bakery baked goods and restaurant quality cuisine if you don’t have the right tools.

The vital technique that experts use for superior results, is the ability to control the water vapour and humidity in their oven.

Restaurants use moisture during roasting to create succulent roast meats, which are juicy on the inside, yet crisp on the outside. Moisture also helps render fat to produce the ultimate, mouth-watering pork belly and roast duck.

Professional bakeries deliver automated bursts of steam into their ovens to achieve crispy croissants, flaky pastries and the ultimate loaf of bread that has crunchy crust and a light fluffy centre.

Miele Culinary Expert, Isobel Dreisenstock, says this culinary perfection can be achieved at home with Miele’s unique oven feature called Moisture Plus. “Once I explain how moisture enhances baking and roasting, most serious cooks consider this feature essential,” says Isobel.

Miele’s Moisture Plus

The technique that commercial kitchens and bakeries use to control water vapour while cooking, is now available to home cooks with Miele’s unique Moisture Plus feature.

Moisture Plus injects a fine mist of water vapour into the oven cavity during cooking, either manually or automatically depending on the oven model.

“Moisture injected into the oven during the early process of baking helps the dough rise and dissolves natural sugars on the dough, which results in the perfect loaf of bread or bread rolls.

“Moisture also prevents roast meats from drying out,” Isobel added.

“Most people don’t know that Moisture Plus is outstanding for producing puff pastries, as a burst of steam into a hot oven separates the layers of pastry and puffs them up and makes them golden.

“It is ideal for sausage rolls, vol au vents and beef wellington.  Reheating lasagne with Moisture Plus also prevents it drying out,” Isobel says.

How to use Moisture Plus

Isabella explains, “You can either administer the shots of steam manually during the cooking process or automatically.

“If you are administering manually – choose the most relevant program and decide on 1, 2 or 3 bursts of steam based on your recipe. You can set a minute minder, to remind you when to administer the steam.

“Alternatively, you can set time-controlled bursts of steam that are dispensed automatically during cooking. Simply specify when you want each burst of steam released before you start cooking.

During the cooking process water is drawn up via a metal tube inside the oven, then pumped into the steam generator and into the oven around your food, creating a moist cooking environment.

Gain first-hand experience

You can see the benefits of Miele’s Moisture Plus oven feature in action and taste the results by attending a free demonstration at a Miele Experience Centre near you.

Isobel’s top Moisture Plus recipes

Below are a few of Isobel’s favourite Moisture Plus recipes:

Gluten-free bread: “You would never know this bread was gluten free.  It uses two shots of steam,” Isobel says. The first burst of steam is released immediately, with the second burst 20 minutes later

Beef Wellington: A succulent, impressive and faultless meal that calls for two bursts of moisture, the first immediately and the second burst 15 minutes later.

Cheesy Scones: These savoury scones will rise magnificently with steam and will taste delicious too.

For further inspiration on baking bread, click here.