September 30, 2015 - 6:21am
Problem with bread ripping
Hi,
I've recently noticed my bread rips a lot during the baking process. What are the main causes of this and how can I prevent this?
The seam is with both breads at the bottom and both are scored.
Thanks,
Dries
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Do you use steam when baking your loaves?
I do, but since I have a domestivc oven it is not as powerfull (steam wise) as a real baking oven.
Dries
It looks to me like your crust is setting before it has finished expanding. For my boules, I use a dutch oven in my oven, which helps trap the steam off the loaf. That seems to work really well. If you bake your boule on a stone, you might try covering it for the first 15 minutes with a large stainless steel pot to trap the steam.
I have also had the same problem with my sandwich loaves. What I do now is rather than one long loaf, I divide it in 3 and make 3 little rounds that I then place together in the pan. Then I brush it with butter before I put it in the oven. That seems to help prevent the side blowouts. Also, if you are using yeast, try cutting back a bit on it.
Thanks for the ideas but this forces me to use a dutch oven or sort. and I like to make normal sized long loaves. Or special free form shapes.
Don't have to use a dutch oven - KathyF also suggested an upturned pot over a stone (or tray, or whatever you bake on). When you say "normal sized long loaves" do you mean a rectangle loaf in a loaf pan? You can get those with covers - that will trap steam. Or just put a flat tray on top of the pan. I've made mini baguettes in a deep roasting pan and covered with tinfoil. I don't have a dutch oven either, but there are lots of creative ways to generate steam. Even have a separate source of steaming water bubbling away in the oven alongside your loaf.
You mentioned you do use steam in your oven. Is that a setting your oven comes with? I'm just curious (and impressed) if it is!
Usually this happens if it is under proofed.
Hello Dries
Could it be that a skin is forming during the final proof? It is important to insure that a dry skin is not forming on the loaves before they go into the oven. If a pan loaf is skinned over, the internal preasure will tend to release at the soft spot along the pan ridge.
As already stated by Maverick, underproofing could also be an issue.
You could also hot rod your steaming method, you could find plenty of ideas here on the forum to generate more steam. On that note though, leaving the steam in for too long can also cause problems with wild ripping.
There are many possible tuning tweaks to try, that's what makes this so interesting.
cheers
daniel
yep - underproofing and steam are the main candidates
search for sylvia's magic towels for steaming, and give a longer proof