Hi there
I am new here, but over the last 3 months I have been following you blog posts and must say always very impressed with the well thought out answers :)
So I thought I would jump in with mine.
I have a question about the colour of my baked sourdough loaves.
So let me take one of the popular loaves I regularly bake - a simple, white sourdough. 60% hydration, 20% starter and 2% salt, A small 500 gm boule baked for around 30 mines or to at least the core temp reaches 94 degrees C. It has a pale/mid brown colour. Looks and tastes great. But when I look at other images of bakes they always look darker ... and dare I say better!
Why is that? Should I bake for longer and therefore is 94 more of a min temp to go for - rather than a target? Or do add other flours, rubs, sugar, washes ?? Really like to learn more here and getter way on darker!!
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When I started baking I was baking like you and still now my loaves are not so dark baked as from other members. The dough should internally reach the desired temperature and when you reach it you are done. Of course you can bake longer to get bigger difference between cracking and crisp crust and soft crumb. But this is just the personal preference. It is your bread, let it be so. If you like to be more dark, let it be. If you like it to be different, let it be. The only important thing is that the loaf is baked enough, the rest is just your personal preference, your signature as your scoring/slashing.
I expect that more experienced members will express their opinions about this question.
Happy baking,
Joze
it will be in Fahrenheit. You will have to convert to Celsius.
First assumption is that you are baking in a Dutch oven or with some kind of cover over your bread.
I heat up my oven with the Dutch ovens inside to 500 degrees. That usually takes about a half hour and I let things to continue to heat for at least 15 minutes longer. So a minimum of 45 minutes total from turning on the oven.
After I put my dough into the screaming hot Dutch oven, I place the lid on and I bake it at 500 F for 30 minutes. I t'en drop the temperature to 450 F for another 10 minutes. I just change the temperature at the controls, I do not open the oven door to cool it.
Then, after the 10 minutes, I take the lid off and cont baking for at least 20 minutes, usually it is closer to 25-30 minutes until I get the colour I want. Internal temperature has to be above 205F. I aim for 208-210 F.
One more thing, to prevent the bottom of the loaf from burning, I have layered a couple of pizza stones on the rack below where I place my pots. The stones don't cover the entire rack but they are enough of an insulator to prevent the burning of the bottoms.
I hope this helps.
thanks Danni really helpful :)
or a similar method where you cover the bread for much of the baking time, the simplest thing to try is removing the cover earlier. For instance, if you're baking for 30 minutes with the cover on then removing it for the last 15, keep the total baking time the same but take the cover off after 25. If the result isn't dark enough for you, try 20.
Another option is to take the cover off after the same 30 but to extend the time after that; e.g. to 20 minutes.
You can also try changing the oven temp partway through the bake while keeping the original 30 on, 15 off timing, but if I want a darker result, I'd try raising the temp when I take off the lid, not reducing it.
Or try baking with the same timing but at a bit higher temp.
What I suggest you don't do is try multiple things at once.