Nevermind, it seems to be getting answered over there. Although I wonder just how significant the difference is.

I also know that all other things being equal, gas does produce a slightly better crust on bread.....but if you do as most serious bread bakers do and add water to the oven when baking bread, the difference is negated.
I believe an electric oven has a better controlled heat and therefore is better at baking things like delicate cookies.
I have owned both....currently have electric ovens, because when I bought the ovens self clean was either not available or a Very very expensive option.
Linda C

As in all things related to bread - it's not so much about right or wrong, it's about choices. If a person makes poor-quality dough, I promise the oven type won't improve it.... I seriously doubt if anyone tested 20 loaves of bread, they could say with any certainty whether it was baked in an electric or gas oven. After years of judging foods at fairs, the oven type has never been a judging standard.

There are too many variables to "bread" to use the sweep of a "broad brush" - such as oven types - especially when it comes to modern day home ovens. Having owned all kinds of ovens over the years, demonstrated breads and taught bread classes using high-end professional ovens in a new, state-of-the-art kitchen gallery where hubby works; and my ever favorite Sharp Convection/Microwave (20-minute baking time and NO preheating), as well as my Solar Ovens, I've always managed to make breads of all kinds without any problem - gas or electric - high-end or builder-grade.

You mention moisture during bread baking, you can add your own moisture - whatever type of oven you use. I often add moisture to the oven for the final proofing when I use it as a proofing box. I also have a cast iron skillet I add boiling water to for a shot of steam (I use Christopher Kimball's method from "The Cook's Bible). But added moisture (as in high amount of hot steam) during baking isn't correct for all types of breads. Moisture is also expelled from the bread during baking, contibuting to the moisture in the oven.

I like to use my covered stone bakers, which holds in moisture for crispy crusts, but I don't want my sandwich breads and enriched breads to be baked in them because I don't necessarily want a crispy crust.

Beyond ovens, consider some of these things that also influence the finished loaf.

-Using milk instead of water will produce a softer crust.

-Baking breads at a lower temperature (325°-350°F) creates a thicker, chewier crust.

-Baking breads at 375°-425°F (or higher) produces a thinner, crisper crust.

-Egg, butter, or saltwater washes influence bread crusts.

Those variables don't depend on the oven type, just the ingredients and temperature.

I'm just not an oven "snob". I don't consider oven types a big deal one way or the other when I look at the big picture. To each their own.... And this is the general experience from a person who bakes ALL their breads and baked goods. Not someone who uses their high-end oven twice a year to heat a frozen pizza, but paid $6,000 for it to "look good".

Hubby is a VP of a cabinet manufacturing company (34-years) and they handle the "best" when it comes to ovens and other kitchen appliances. Their demonstration gallery is breath-taking. I could have my choice of "the best". We could certainly afford it. But from experience, the oven type is very low on my list of considerations when making good bread.

-Grainlady

Grainlady:
You took the words right out of my mouth.
How did you know what I was going to say ??? LOL
Lou

Lou -

We seem to share the same common sense, which isn't very common these days... (LOL)

-Grainlady

I agree, I don't think the type of oven makes a huge difference in bread.

I have a gas oven, because natural gas is available to me and because I like the gas cooktop. I find it much easier to regulate the temperature under my pressure canner with gas.

I did have an electric stove with an electric oven and I hated the cooktop, but liked the oven.

However, my current oven (valued at $479.00 brand new, LOL) bakes bread just as well as Elery's much more expensive commercial grade oven with convention, so like Grainlady, I don't think the most expensive stove has much to do with it either.

Annie

Thank you for the responses. I linked this to the Appliances thread.