By now, I’m not just baking the occasional loaf—I’m managing an entire production. This batch, loaves 11 through 14, marks a turning point. Baking one or two loaves at a time felt manageable, but four? That’s a different game. Suddenly, space in my oven is limited, heat distribution matters more, and steam—so essential for a crisp crust—becomes trickier to maintain.
This bake forced me to think differently about my setup. Could I actually fit four loaves in my small home oven without compromising quality? Would they brown evenly? Would they bake through properly? These were the challenges I had to figure out, and honestly, it took some experimenting.
Making Room: The Art of Oven Tetris
My oven, like most standard home ovens, has two racks. When I was baking just one or two loaves, I always used my trusty Dutch oven—it locks in steam and gives me that perfect crust. But with four loaves, I had to switch things up.
Here’s how I made it work:
- Two on the bottom rack, two on the top. I placed them diagonally so heat could circulate better.
- Rotate halfway through. The top loaves browned faster, so I swapped them with the bottom ones midway.
- Leave space between loaves. They expand more than expected, and too much crowding can mess with heat flow.
Steam: The Balancing Act
Steam is everything when it comes to a great crust, but with four loaves, I needed more of it. When I was baking in a Dutch oven, steam was trapped naturally, but now I had to get creative.
I tried three different approaches:
- A tray of boiling water. This worked okay but lost steam quickly.
- Throwing ice cubes onto a preheated cast iron pan. The rapid steam burst was more effective.
- Misting the oven walls with water right before loading. This gave a quick humidity boost.
In the end, I combined the second and third methods—ice cubes in a hot pan at the start, plus a few sprays of water after loading the loaves. It made a noticeable difference in crust development.
Heat Management: Keeping Things Even
Four loaves take up more oven space, which means heat doesn’t distribute as evenly as with just one or two. My first mistake? Not preheating hot enough. The oven cooled down too much when I loaded all four loaves, and they didn’t get the strong initial rise I was used to.
The fix?
- Preheat to 500°F (260°C) instead of 475°F (245°C). Once the loaves were in, I dropped it to 450°F (230°C).
- Use a baking stone. I preheated a thick baking stone for extra heat retention.
- Extend bake time slightly. My loaves needed an extra 5-10 minutes compared to smaller batches.
Juggling Four Loaves: Timing & Workflow
This bake also forced me to rethink my timing. I couldn’t just shape, proof, and bake at the same pace I had been using for single loaves. Instead, I staggered things a bit:
- Final proofing in stages. I let two loaves proof slightly longer while the first two baked. This way, I had time to score and load them properly.
- Scoring quickly. With four loaves to handle, I had to be efficient—no time for indecision!
- Parchment paper for easy transfers. I used parchment to slide the loaves onto the baking stone smoothly.
Lessons Learned from My First Four-Loaf Bake
Not everything went perfectly—far from it.
✅ The crusts came out beautifully, better than I expected. The extra steam trick really helped.
✅ The crumb was solid, with an even rise in all four loaves.
❌ The bottom loaves baked slower than the top ones. Next time, I’ll swap them earlier.
❌ Overcrowding was an issue—I might stick to three loaves per batch unless I get a second oven.
This was a major milestone in my baking journey. Scaling up isn’t just about making more bread—it’s about adjusting to new challenges and fine-tuning every step of the process.
Would I do four loaves again? Absolutely. But with a few more tweaks.
Have you tried baking multiple loaves in a small home oven? How did it go for you? Let me know! 🍞🔥