April 3, 2009 - 8:33am
Bottom crust burned
I recently tried Zoes method of shaping bread, then putting it back in the fridge on parchment paper to proof for 10 hours. I then transferring it on the parchment to my dutch oven with the suggested temp of 500 for 15 mins, took the lid off, dropped the temp to 450 for another 15 mins. It turned out great, except the bottom was burned. I suspect because the parchment was damp from proofing. Any suggestions.
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It might be either the position of your rack and/or the type of dutch oven.
--Pamela
What kind of parchment paper are you using? Someone just recently made a post on the different types of parchment paper and noted how the different coatings are affected at different times. The stuff from Reynolds that you can buy at the store tends to crisp up/darken and subsequently transfer that to your baked goods at a fairly low temp.
I've used Reynolds, and a number of other types commonly available in supermarkets. I've also used non-coated parchment (what I currently have a nearly life-time supply of). Some brown more than others but not underneath the loaf unless something else is going on, e.g., last Friday's night's BBQ. Both parchment and pizza were burnt on the bottom but that wasn't the fault of the parchment, but the intense heat of the stone. I shouldn't have cooked the pizza with the burner on underneath the stone or I should have gotten it off the stone sooner, but then the top wouldn't have been done. I did catch the parchment hanging around the pizza on fire, but that also was a separate issue.
I think if the bottom crust is burnt, then it is probably the position of the rack, the temperature of the oven, or the type of pan that is causing the problem. It also could be a combination of those factors.
A cast iron, Lodge-type, Dutch oven might be getting too hot. I cook many things in cast-iron frying pans in my oven and sometimes those pans get too hot. I've never had anything burn in one of my cast iron Le Creuset pans.=
--Pamela
I regularly retard dough on parchment for 16 hours, then moved the parchment and dough to a stone that's been preheated to 460-500F. The parchment is wet underneath the dough, but I've never had the bottom of the loaves burn.
I use a gas oven with the rack in the middle. You didn't say what fuels your oven, but perhaps you need to reposition your rack.
Also, is the bottom actually blackened or is it just boldly colored? There's a big difference.