Hi, I'm Paula from Kentucky, I am new to bread baking and have already learned a lot from this site.
On the last rise for bread I have read to poke with finger and if fills in slowly it is ready for the oven. How far do you poke? I think my bread has risen enough but when I poke it does not fill in.
Yesterday I went ahead and baked, the bread was good. but wished it had been taller.
Thanks everyone for sharing your knowlege.
Paula
If it does not fill in at all, then it is probably overready. You could punch down, re-shape, and try again. You want it to be not quite fully risen so that it gets good oven spring (rising from the oven heat when you put it in), and that's why you want it to fill in slowly.
You don't have to poke it in very far - maybe a half inch.
Rosalie
Thanks Rosale, Too late for this loaf, my husband normally takes my son wherever he need to go but today he asked would I please take Andrew because he was not feeling well and really didn't want to get out in the cold. Well, it was time to put the bread in so I told him the book is on the table read the directions and finish the bread. He said he forgot the book. Just put the bread in, The instructions were to bake at 475 10 min then turn down to 425 for 20 to 30 min. because his nose is stuffy he did not smell the burning. So The crust is black but if you cut that off the rest is not bad. I have dough for 2 more loaves in the frig. Will shape and rise them in the am. I will try to set my dough in a little cooler place. It seems to rise really fast. I was making the basic hearth bread from The Bread Bible. I have sourdough starter bubbling on day 5, so soon I can try some sourdough. I am using my husbands laptop and dont know what I did to make this underline or how to stop it.
Thanks for your help.