Vienna bread

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Vienna bread is a type of bread that is produced from a process developed in Vienna, Austria in the 19th century, that was brought to Denmark by a baker on strike who was visiting Vienna to learn new techniques and then modified it to make it his own, using steam in the baking process.

The dough is placed into the oven under a ceiling of steam or, alternatively, the oven is injected with steam as soon as the loaf is loaded. This adds moisture to the body, the crumb, of the bread and establishes the crust quickly, resulting in a light and airy crumb. When the steam is gone (sometimes today, withdrawn), the dry heat of the oven bakes the crust, producing its characteristically slightly crisp and flaky texture. Vienna bread is typically formed as an oblong loaf, but can be baked in other shapes. As a longer loaf, it may well have been the origin of French bread as bakers there attempted to adopt the steam method to produce their baguettes.