Guess it depends on what kind of bread you are making. I very seldom brush a glaze on any of the breads I make. I just spray them with water while they are in the oven and also throw some ice cubes in to produce steam.

But here are the suggestions for glazing from Baking 911.

From Baking911

FOR YEASTED BREADS: After you turn on the oven to preheat, it is time to give some finishing touches. Use a clean, soft pastry brush to apply a thin coating. Here are some of my favorites.

Glazing Before Baking: When applying a finishing touch before baking, be careful not to "glue" the loaf to the rim of the loaf pan or the baking sheet. This will make it difficult to remove the loaf from the pan after baking. If it does, use a sharp knife to the bread from the pan's sides if it does.

Glazing After Baking: Transfer the loaf or rolls to a wire cooling rack, then apply the prepared finishing touch using a soft brush while the bread is still warm. This is done to add flavor to the bread and to soften the texture of the crust.

GLAZES:

Egg Wash: will give a shiny, golden look to the crust as well as make a harder crust. This is my favorite. Beat together 1 egg or 1 egg white and 1 tablespoon of water. (1 whole egg will impart more color because of the yolk.) Apply it right before baking. If you forget, you can brush your loaf five minutes before it's ready to come out of the oven.

Egg White Wash - Seeded Breads: Poppy, caraway, sesame seed or rolled oats are eye-appealing and tasty toppings. Poppy seeds produce a crunchy and nutty flavor in the bread. Sesame seeds are small oval-shaped seeds of the sesamum family. They are pearly white in color and produce a rich, toasted nut flavor. Whisked egg whites make a great "glue" and are used to glue one piece of dough to another.

This tip is from Robert who contributes to the Ask Sarah Message Board for Bakers on a regular basis: Take 1 or 2 large egg whites beaten with 1 teaspoon water and brush on the bread dough before baking. Let it set a second and then reapply and immediately sprinkle on your seeds. You could try patting the seeds down gently. The egg white wash acts as a glue.

Butter: adds flavor and a nice brown soft crust to your bread. Brush top of loaf with about 2 tablespoons softened butter.

Honey: gives it a soft, sweet, sticky dark brown crust to a sweet dough if a few tablespoons honey are brushed on top of a loaf before baking. For a soft, sweet, sticky crust, brush a baked, still-warm bread from the oven with honey.

Milk: you'll get a slightly soft or tender crust, with a golden color if you brush loaves with warm milk before baking. For a slightly sweeter glaze, dissolve a little sugar in it.

Olive Oil: adds flavor and makes a nice golden crust with a slight shine. Do so immediately before and after baking.

Salted Water: makes for a light shine and crisp golden crust. Mix together 1 teaspoon salt and 3 tablespoons water. Brush on right before popping in the oven.

Cornstarch Glaze: For a chewy crust with a sheen, brush the dough with a mixture of cornstarch and water that has been cooked until translucent and then cooled. Professional bakers also use this glaze. Combine 1/2 cup cold water and 1 teaspoon cornstarch. In a small saucepan, with a small whisk, stir together water and cornstarch. Heat mixture to a gentle boil. Stir, reduce heat, until mixture thickens and is translucent. Cool. Brush on loaf about 10 minutes before baking is finished and again 3 minutes before bread is completely done.

On the type of loaf you're making I would brush on a bit of butter immediately after removing the loaves from the oven. It keeps the crust soft & adds just a hint of butter flavor. It's not necessary though...it's a personal preference type of thing. I've got bread in the oven also...more of that 5-Minute Artisan stuff.

/tricia

Thanks for the tips, Ann. It's fun to have some options when one is feeling adventurous.

Ann, I didn't see the rest of your post, just the water spritzer and ice cube thing. That's what I did and now the bread loaves are done and see the rest. Oh well, I figure once a week I will make bread and freeze them so now I get to try them all. Trying things one step at a time for healthier eating for the family.
I did glaze half of them with butter when they came out of the oven. Thanks for all the tips.

When I'm baking a bread with oatmeal in it, I like to brush some egg white on the top and sprinkle some oatmeal (whole oats or I'll chop some oats up a bit) on top of the loaf - looks nice and indicates there is oatmeal in the dough.

Teresa