Flat round loaves

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jherpers on 19 May 2011 at 20:15

Hi,

When using the no knead sourdough bread receipe, my round loaves are flat.  The bread rises well in a beneton but does not rise after placing the proofed loaf in the la cloche which has been heated to 450 degrees.  Loaves are baked for 30 min and after the lid is removed for another 10-15 min in a 440 degree over.

My take is that the bread is too soft and liquid and spreads out rather than raises.

Can anyone suggest how the loaves could raise higher?

Thanks in advance for your cooperation.

 

 

Most of the no knead recipes that I've seen call for the loaf to be baked in a pot of one sort or another, giving the sides support as the dough rises. The recipes also call for a dough that is approximately 75% hydration level. The shaping of of such a wet dough, which is in foccacia levels for hydration, requires more than the usual technique for shaping. If you're entusiastic about using the la cloche, use 70% hydraton dough and study up on shaping techniques as an experiment. That should be a doable level for the la cloche.

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/professional/videos.html

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/21607/more-shaping-practice

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jcking on 19 May 2011 at 21:03

You could throw a few stretch and folds in before the banneton, I don't think it would break any rules.

Jim

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jherpers on 19 May 2011 at 21:44

Jim,

I will take your advice to heart.  I will read about hydration methods as well.  I am not sure how to measure hydration.  Your comments would be appreciated.

Thanks for your quick reply and information.

John

John,

Has to do with the amount of water in the mix (you may know that). Use the search box in the upper left and search for bakers percentage. Don't know if you measure or weigh, yet weighing is the way to go. If you plan on doing a lot of baking, scales are good investment.

Jim

Springform pans are intended mainly for cheesecakes, but can also be handy for other things such as breads and deep dish pizza. They look like a solid straight sided pan when fully assembled, but easily separate (usually with a single large clip similar to a belt buckle) into two parts: a flat bottom and a hollow ring that forms the straight sides. As the side ring expands a little when you disassemble the pan, it can be slipped off whatever was baked inside. Thus you can present a perfectly shaped cheesecake, which you'd never be able to get out of a more conventional baking pan without destroying its shape. You should find springform pans wherever you buy other baking pans.

Oh Chuck!  That's pretty limiting!  Springform pans are the standard cake/pie/tart pans here in Austria.  Available in all sizes from tiny to big, round, square, heart shaped, and oblong.   They not only come with flat bottoms but also with tube and bundt inserts.   

http://springform-pan.kaiserbakeware.com/Springform-Gallery.html

http://www.pans.com/bakeware/springform-pans/nordicwarefancyspringformpanwithtwobottoms.cfm

The bread rises well in a beneton but does not rise after placing the proofed loaf in the la cloche which has been heated to 450 degrees. 

This sounds to me like the dough nearly overproofed and should have gotten in to the la cloche sooner.  More stretch and folds would also help before resting in the banneton.  

I don't care for the look of a loaf that touches the sides. I have been fooling with the no knead formula as well and get a good tall boule in my dutch oven that I heat at 500 for like 30 minutes. I think using a burning hot pot helps with oven spring.