Hi all. Been baking in cast iron pots for years now. I learned to put the boules in the pots with the seam side up and not score the loaves, instead look for that natural crust slash. I love that rustic look.
Well, ever since I moved to baking in cookie sheets in a professional oven with proper steam function, my loaves rarely split like they used to. (Check pic)
I do preheat the baking sheets and add good steam at the start of the bake. Am I gonna have to start scoring my dough?
Clues? Advice?
muchas gracias,
Bryan.
Is it possible that the steam is so efficient that the bread fully rises before the crust sets.
If that is the case, maybe you could vent the steam a little earlier in the bake before the bread has finished it‘s rise. Hopefully the bread’s crust will separate and give you the look you want.
Dan
Hey Brian, I like your profile thumbnail... Had to see the enlarged image to appreciate. I’ve got to get around to doing something for mine.
Is the oven spring comparable?
Well not 100%. I feel like they are flattening somewhat in the cookie sheet, but they do bounce back and get some volume.
The truth is I’ve changed the room where I bake, the bench where I work and shape, the amount of loaves per batch, the quantity of levain I feed (same ratios) and the oven. It’s a convenxion oven and so I’ve also had to tweak temps and time. So many variables....
Also, (and I posted this elsewhere) the tubs I use have seen the quantity of dough duplicate, which means trickier stretch and fold and general mixing which has resulted in a little weaker dough. Maybe all this has influenced the results....
that seam, use rye flour for your bench flour or dust the surface just before you pinch the bottom (top) together. Then it shouldn't stick and separate with the oven spring.
Yep.
I know what you mean. Will try this. Sadly, rye flour is tricky to come by where I live.
:-(
volume, keep track of dough temps throughout as it sounds like fermentation is speeding up. Dough in mass generates heat like smaller amounts but loses it much slower.
No rye? Try a mixture of bench flour with some rice flour, one rice to four wheat. Corn or potato starch works too. Fine bread crumbs (recycle tip) grated nuts, seeds, banneton flour, all should work the same way and give a variety of choices.
Here is a pic of my last batch.
Fed the levain at 11am, autolyse 72% hydration 6pm, final mix 7pm. Four stretch and folds, looking good. Doubled by 1am. Retarded in fridge till 6 am. It tripped super nice. preshape at 6:30am, shape at 7. Pass proof test at 8:30 so bake in cookie sheet, convexion oven, steam at start, at 460 f for 15 min, then 375 for another 15.
Almost burned, Boules didn't naturally split and the batards that I scored stretched a bit but didn't crack up nicely. Lots of moisture trapped in the loaves still, and the crumb is pretty uneven. Tastes yummy but not so proud of this batch.
Any ideas?
Muchas Gracias,
Bryan
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