Crackling Crust

Toast

The last few loaves of bread I've made have crackled when I removed them from the oven.  What exactly is it that causes that to happen?  Is it simply the crust contracting as it cools?  I like the way it makes the crust look but cannot get it to happen everyt time.  Is it affected by the cooling rate of the bread?

 

It happens just about every time I bake the No Knead yeat recipe using my enamel dutch oven & all clad dutch oven.   I can hear it when I put the loaves on the cooling rack.  I think you are right about the thin crust.  I hear it with the yeast recipes but never with the sourdough astarter recipes.

Margie

 

 

 

* Sourdough bread (no added yeast)

* Not No-knead.

* Baked on a baking stone, uncovered.

* Thick, crunchy crust.

Happy baking!

David

Thanks, Stan!

Just wait! I'm signed up for the SFBI Artisan II (Sourdough baking) workshop in December.

David

A pain de campagne to (almost) Richard Bertinet's recipe in "Dough" and baked in our Aga.  It needed the use of a cold shelf over it after 20 minutes to prevent the top crust taking on too much colour (the Aga has no temperature control like "modern" cookers).

Ruralidle

It means that you have a thin crispy crackly crust, and hopefully a nice crumb structure on the inside...