A method for wetting laundry in a laundry treating appliance having a rotatable treating chamber in which laundry is received for treatment according to an automatic cycle of operation comprises forming an annulus of laundry within the treating chamber prior to wetting the laundry, spraying liquid onto the annulus while the treating chamber is being rotated, after the formation of the annulus, redistributing the laundry, after the redistributing, rotating the treating chamber to form an annulus of laundry, and, while the treating chamber is rotated, recirculating the liquid through the laundry.