After getting some help here a couple of weeks ago, I have a few successful batches of bread in a row (as long as I only do two loaves at a time). Now I have a new question. Sometimes there seems to be multiple colors in the crumb of my bread. Can anyone explain this?
In my latest batch, which is delicious with a great crumb (for me at least) it appears as a lighter swirl in the center. It's hard to see in the picture, but I hope you can tell.
I used the Bread Geek's "Bread for Beginners" recipe. It uses a natural yeast start, and I used half and half freshly ground red and white wheat flour. My first proof what a bit too long I think (about 9 hours), with the second proof being only about 1.5 hours. I baked my loaves at 375 deg F for 35 minutes.
Thanks for any help!
You bread looks great! I get swirls like that if the different flours aren't completely mixed together and/or if the starter is not completely mixed in. Doesn't seem to affect the final product except for the multi-color effect.
Normally a swirl of light color is caused by bench flour while rolling the dough for final shaping. If you brush off the flour as you roll it up it can help.
I appreciate both your comments! I don't think either is the case with my bread; I ground the mixed red and white wheat berries together, so the flour was pretty nicely mixed. And I only used water to shape my loaf, not flour. Any other ideas? I read in the Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book about the loaf being baked properly when there was a nice rosy color to the crumb. Could it be a bit under-baked?
I doubt it is an under-baked thing, but I guess it is possible. Since it isn't the above issues, one thing that comes to mind is that if you used a mixer, it is possible that you incorporated too much oxygen. That can bleach out the crumb. The more you mix at higher speeds, the more this can happen. Just a thought.
Thanks for your input! I had tried kneading in the mixer at a higher speed, so I quit doing that, and the color seems to be better. I think you might have had the answer!