Getting ear on the wrong side (short side, instead of on top)

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Flodorf on 22 Oct 2022 at 04:23

Hi everyone,

I have a question about a problem I can't seem to troubleshoot. 

Recently, my breads are developing their ear on the wrong side. Instead of bursting at the long side (and creating an ear on top) it bursts on the short side.

I generally score my bread slightly off center straight down. Perhaps I curve a little on the bottom. Much like https://youtu.be/waKVtursIjg in his video.

I try to score at a 45 degree angle with respect to the dough surface.

Note that the bread at the back seems to have an ear on top, but their it alternates. First it starts on top, then it hasn't burst right in the middle, but instead the ear formed on the other side.

Does anyone know what's causing this? 

IMG-20221022-WA0003.jpg

I don't see what you see.  Bursting on short ends? Where?  

I think Flodorf is indicating that the ear should be rising on the right hand side of the loaf as opposed to having more of a center opening.

I think it looks like a fine loaf, but if you are not getting the ear you want you may have a shaping issue. Has anything else changed?

 

 

Hi,

Apologies if it is not entirely clear.

I am trying to understand why the ear develops either on top or to the side. I included a drawing to explain it better.

The left two drawings indicate what I mean by short side and long side, as well as the ear to the side and on top.

The right drawing shows how I think I generally score my bread, at least on average. ;-)

EDIT: I realized that my drawing of the cross section is perhaps confusing with the top view drawing I made. To be clear, in the top view drawing the ear on top generally forms to the left of my score and the 'short' ear to the right of my score. 

20221023_121755.jpg

and cut like you want to take the skin off. (Dotted line)  The dryer skin will stay pretty much where it is and the exposed wet dough will do the expanding as the oven heat continues the rise.  I hope I marked the score and ear correctly.

IMG_2625.PNG

The bloom pushes the loaf away from the ear. If you look at a time lapse of a loaf in the oven you will see what I mean. There are some post here of video showing that and of course YouTube.   
Don