The Fresh Loaf

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There is a hole through the middle of my bread! Help please.

sues42's picture
sues42

There is a hole through the middle of my bread! Help please.

I have been making Annabel Langbein's busy peoples bread recipe for a couple of months. It has been trial and error however I seemed to get the texture just right but my last 2 loaves have had a hole through the middle. Can some please tell me what I am doing wrong. I have changed to a deeper bread tin so I'm not sure if that could be a reason.

Thanks

from  Sue from New Zealand

 

leslieruf's picture
leslieruf

maybe you had too much flour on the dough when shaping so layers have not stuck together? 

Leslie

Tassie Doughboy's picture
Tassie Doughboy

Either too much oil/flour for shaping. Also it can be the technique of your shaping, trapping an air bubble in the dough as you shape it.

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

sooner.  It looks like it rose too much during the proof to support itself during the bake.  Salt?

Compare the amount of shaped dough in the pan to the proof before baking.  With all the whole grains and seeds, it should not double in volume.  Think of the final proof as a third of the total volume.  Dough being 2/3.  

cgap's picture
cgap

Check your flour for mutant weevils or genetically modified small furry animals that have escaped from the local mad scientists laboratory.

Or call it diet bread, 15% less calories per slice.

RobynNZ's picture
RobynNZ

Turns out this bread is not conventional. No shaping involved. Very wet mix [4 cups water:2.75cups bread flour:2.75 cups wholemeal flour:2 cups sunflower seeds:7 tsp active dry (or 5 tsp instant) yeast:4tsp honey:3tsp salt:4Tbsp pumpkin seeds ] is poured into 2 loaf tins and placed in preheated 80°C oven for 20 min and then temp increased to 210°C for further 30~40 minutes until hallow sound when tapped. Instructions include stroking with knife a few times once batter is in the tins to release any air bubbles.

Several online forums trouble shoot problems with this bread - the most common being  bread too moist when sliced, others found it collapsed. 

Sue, did you give the wet mix a bit of a stir in the tins to release air? There are several versions of the recipe online perhaps the one you used didn't include this recommendation. Suggest you goggle and read through the experiences of others familiar with this type of batter bread. 

gary.turner's picture
gary.turner

First thought? It's ready for the egg. No fuss, no muss. Bread in the skillet, egg in the hole.

g

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

Eggs Benedict?  ...even get to tear out a tiny bit while waiting...  

Or sitting on top of a hot cup of coffee... the coffee steam rising up in the middle so no soggy toast.