When I bought my first Miele oven with Moisture Plus, I knew I wanted to cook with steam.

At the time, I couldn’t have explained exactly why. I understood that steam helped bread and baking, but I certainly didn’t appreciate how much it would influence the way I cooked over the years. Looking back now, buying that oven probably started me on the path that eventually led to owning a dedicated steam oven. If there’s one appliance I’d still love to add one day, it would be a full combi steam oven. To me, that’s the natural evolution.

What I’ve learnt is that Moisture Plus isn’t simply about adding moisture. It’s about choosing exactly when moisture is introduced during cooking. That timing changes everything. I often explain it like this. I’d rather walk across the tarmac at Adelaide Airport (in the old airport) on a dry 43°C afternoon than step off a plane in Brisbane when it’s 30°C and humid. Brisbane feels hotter because the moisture in the air transfers heat more efficiently. The same thing happens in the oven. Steam isn’t just adding moisture—it changes the way heat reaches the food, which is why bread springs better, cakes stay softer and fish cooks so beautifully.

One well-timed burst of steam can keep a cake beautifully soft. Two early bursts can give a loaf of bread the oven spring needed before the crust sets. A series of bursts throughout a long bake can stop a lasagne drying out, while carefully timed steam helps a whole side of salmon cook evenly without losing its moisture.

The oven hasn’t changed.

My understanding of it has.

That’s probably the biggest lesson I’ve learnt. When I first bought the oven, I thought Moisture Plus was another programme to select. Today, I think of it as another cooking tool that I can use in different ways depending on what I’m trying to achieve.

Five Ways I Use Moisture Plus

Over time I’ve found myself using Moisture Plus for five quite different jobs.

Protecting a delicate crumb

Some cakes don’t need colour or a firm crust—they simply need to stay moist while the batter sets. My Spiced Fresh Fig Cake uses a single burst of steam on insertion at 160°C. The steam isn’t there to make the cake wet; it’s there to protect the soft, dense crumb that makes the cake so enjoyable.

Cooking seafood gently

One of my favourite examples is a whole side of Ōra King salmon. I begin at a slightly higher temperature before reducing the heat and introducing steam during the cook. That combination allows the fish to cook evenly from edge to centre without becoming dry. It’s a wonderful example of moisture working with temperature rather than replacing it.

Creating softer bread

Enriched doughs such as brioche benefit from a different approach. A few lighter bursts of steam during baking encourage a beautiful shine while helping the crumb remain soft and tender. The aim isn’t a thick artisan crust but a loaf that’s light and delicate.

Keeping baked dishes moist

Lasagne is another dish where Moisture Plus quietly makes a difference. Rather than allowing the top to dry out before the centre is properly heated, steam keeps everything moist while the béchamel bubbles gently underneath. Whether it’s my Sand Crab Lasagne or a roasted vegetable version, the principle is exactly the same.

Building a proper artisan crust

Bread is where many people first discover steam, and for good reason. My Fresh Fig, Walnut and Rye Bread begins with high heat and two early bursts of steam before the temperature drops to finish the bake. Those first few minutes allow the loaf to expand before the crust sets, producing the oven spring and deep mahogany crust you’d normally associate with a professional bakery.

Refreshing Yesterday’s Bread

Moisture Plus isn’t only for baking from scratch. A single burst of steam at 170°C will often bring day-old or frozen bread back to life. A whole loaf needs around fifteen minutes, while rolls or baguettes usually take closer to ten. The same gentle approach works surprisingly well for reheating savoury pies, crisping the pastry without drying out the filling.

Standing In for a Steam Oven

Before I owned a dedicated steam oven, Moisture Plus became my substitute whenever I wanted some of the benefits of steam. Whether I was cooking at my parents’ house or using a conventional oven elsewhere, I found myself missing that ability to introduce moisture at exactly the right time.

A dedicated steam oven is still a different experience, but Moisture Plus taught me how valuable controlled moisture can be. In many ways, it was the stepping stone that made me appreciate steam cooking as much as I do today.

More Than Better Baking

One unexpected benefit has nothing to do with the food itself. Living in the Adelaide Hills means we experience our share of hot summer days. Even during a heatwave, I’ve always been impressed by how well insulated my Miele oven is. While it’s working hard inside, it doesn’t pour excessive heat back into the kitchen. That makes baking bread or roasting dinner far more comfortable than many people expect on a 40°C day.

Why I Keep Coming Back to It

Moisture Plus appears throughout my recipes because it’s never really about the steam itself. It’s about giving me another level of control over the finished dish.

Sometimes that means a softer crumb.

Sometimes a crisp, beautifully coloured crust.

Sometimes perfectly cooked seafood.

Sometimes simply stopping a family lasagne from drying out.

Like my induction cooktop and my favourite Fan Grill programme, Moisture Plus gives me another way to manage heat and moisture instead of leaving the result to chance.

That’s why it has become one of the functions I use most—and why I still think a combi steam oven would be the ultimate destination one day.