Water in oven (for steam) while baking bread?

It allows the bread to rise more in the oven in the first few minutes of baking, because the water in the air means the outside of the bread stays softer a bit longer so the dough can expand before the outside hardens with baking. This large initial rise when the dough hits the heat is called "oven spring". Slashing the top of the bread can help the same process. I've found the oven spring to be quite remarkable with the artisan in 5 recipes. You can just about see the dough expand. But, paradoxically, using steam in the oven also gives a crispier crust on the finished loaf of bread.

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You may have added too much flour. I always use about two cups less flour than the recipe calls for, then while I'm kneading the dough I add small amounts of flour until the dough won't accept any more. Your kitchen temperature and humidity, as well as the moisture content of your flour all combine to make the flour amount widely variable. Also, you may not need 45 minutes in the oven. The internal temperature of the bread should reach around 200-degrees (just below the boiling point of water) or the water will all turn to steam and evaporate, leaving you with hard, dry bread.

Water In Oven

I imagine it would prevent the bread from drying out, especially seeing as it's 'crusty' bread which probably needs to be baked for a longer time.

At work when we bake the frozen bread rolls before service, we have to spray them with water to stop them from drying out... I bet it's the same thing :)

There could be a few possible reasons for your bread turning out the way it did. I think you probably didn't knead the dough long enough. (The dough should be 'tacky', not sticky or dry.) If not, then it you used too much flour, or didn't let the dough rise enough. What kind of flour does the recipe call for? Certain flours create a heavier loaf than others.

um, wow this is stupidity in action.