The Best Temperature to Bake Bread: Nail the Perfect Homemade Loaf (2022)

Is there a one-number-fit-all as the best temperature to bake bread? The answer is no. The perfect baking bread time and temp differ according to the bread type you’re baking. Read on to know more about how can you get the perfect temperature for you baked goodies.

The Best Temperature to Bake Bread for Each Type of Bread

best temperature to bake bread
Source: Getty Images

The recipes in Bread Baking for Beginners call for a baking temperature of 475 degrees Fahrenheit (245 degrees Celsius) for bread, and the baking time is 40-45 minutes. The first 25 minutes of baking are done with the lid on, and the remaining time is done with the lid off. The pot is also preheated without the lid. All breads, including batard bread, are baked in this manner.

The temperature to bake bread at for recipes that use a loaf pan is 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes.

Focaccia is baked for 20 to 25 minutes at 475 degrees Fahrenheit.

The baguettes in Paul Hollywoods Bread are baked at 390 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius) for 25 minutes, followed by another 10 minutes at 355 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).

A baking stone is used in The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. The baking stone is preheated at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 to 30 minutes (230 degrees Celsius).

For 30 to 35 minutes, bake bread temp on a pizza stone at 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Baguettes are baked for about 25 minutes at the same temperature.

Sourdough Bread Baking Temperature

Source: Getty Images

Flour Water Salt Yeast is one of the best books on sourdough breads. It’s wonderful, but you must be very enthusiastic about making sourdough bread.

The author, who is also a well-known baker, bakes the loaves in a Dutch oven. If you want to learn more about these incredible pots, check out my post on the best Dutch oven for bread.

Because a Dutch oven is involved, it is necessary to preheat the empty pot with the lid on.

Preheat for 30 minutes at 475 degrees Fahrenheit (245 degrees Celsius).

According to this book, the ideal temperature for baking sourdough bread is 475 degrees Fahrenheit (245 degrees Celsius).

For example, the Saturday white bread recipe calls for making the dough first thing in the morning, shaping it into two loaves 5 hours later, and baking it in the late afternoon, after about 1 hour 15 minutes.

The baking takes place in a preheated Dutch oven. This sourdough bread should be baked at 475 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s baked for 30 minutes with the lid on and another 20 minutes without.

Tartine Bread is another fantastic book about sourdough bread.

In that book, the Dutch oven is preheated for 20 minutes at 500 degrees Fahrenheit with the lid on. They bake sourdough bread at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes with the lid on and another 20-25 minutes with the lid off until the crust is the color of deeply caramelized.

Temperature at which bread should be baked

The standard baking temperature for bread is between 220C (430F) and 230C. (450F). Whole wheat bread and loaves with seeds or toppings become less appealing when heavily colored and are best baked at 210-220 degrees Celsius (410-430F). White bread and sourdough are baked at 230°C (450F).

The baking temperatures for some of the most popular homemade breads are as follows:

How to Make Sure Your Oven Is at the Right Temperature

best temperature to bake bread
Source: Getty Images

Oven temperatures are not always as precise as you think. Bakers are frequently surprised to discover that their ovens are operating 10-20 degrees above the temperature they have set. You should get an oven thermometer to ensure that you are baking at the correct temperature. These thermometers will be placed in your oven to give you an accurate temperature reading.

Baking stones take some time to heat up completely. When your oven’s heating light goes out, even if the temperature is high enough, the core of the stone will take longer to heat through. Depending on the thickness of the stone, this could take up to an hour. Not allowing the baking to properly preheat makes it less effective at conducting heat into the bread, lowering the oven spring. To ensure that the desired temperature of the stone has been reached, use an infrared thermometer.

The Final Note

In a set-it-and-forget-it mode, we frequently set the oven temperature to 350°F (176.6°C) when baking. Or perhaps it was obvious to you that different types of bread require different oven temperatures; either way, learning the complexities of baking bread, as well as the variety of desirable results, can’t hurt, right? We all want our bread to turn out perfectly, and understanding the subtle differences between different types of bread can make all the difference.

The oven temperature is critical during the baking stage, and understanding how it all works is clearly a step in the right direction.

If you want to be consistent and accurate, and achieve great baking results that you can repeat, I highly recommend investing in two inexpensive tools that can improve your baking process. I’m referring to dough and oven thermometers. There are numerous reasons to employ them. They can be of great assistance and ensure that you do not have a baking disaster. If you want to learn more, simply click here and read all about it.

Lastly..

The oven temperature will, of course, vary depending on the type of bread you’re baking. Knowing how your oven works, following the recipe, and, as previously mentioned, owning a digital thermometer are all important when pursuing the perfect baked loaf of bread.

Scroll to Top