June 3, 2009 - 6:14pm
made a small step towards ears
hey all,
here are some pictures of 100% sourdough breads. i am trying to achieve the wonderful ears as seen in many breads here in this wonderful forum. i think my issues are in the shaping and cutting too deep. will try again this weekend! i also notice my breads dont get that nice golden caramelized color. maybe 500 is too hot?
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By looking at your pictures, I would say that you need to proof your loaves longer before baking. They look like they literally exploded in the oven, causing a lot of tearing on the surface and created an odd shape. How long did you bake the bread? Did you test for doneness with a thermometer? I'm thinking you could have left it in the oven longer for a deeper brown. Keep trying--you will get it right if you persist!
hi,
yea, i am having trouble determining when its ideal time to bake. for the sourdough i waited for the dough to double...afterwards i divide the dough and let it rest for ~1hr, shape and rest again for < 1hr, and then bake at 500 to 480 for around 22-24 minutes. what is your recommendation? i will try again maybe this weekend.
thanks!
Rather than go by designated times for your proofs, go by how it looks. I like my loaves to proof until they are almost doubled. I usually bake mine for around 30 minutes, but that depends on the size of your loaves too, of course. I start out at 460° to 475° and then lower to 425° after 10 minutes. If you are baking a very lean dough then you can get away with baking at a hotter temp because it won't brown as quickly. It is a lot of trial and error, so just keep practicing and you will figure it out to your liking.
Is that what they call a blowout (caused by serious underproofing)?
when i baked some raisin bread i over proofed and did not get any expansion. so i figured to bake the sourdoughs early. how can i really know when its good time to bake?