Hello,
I am still new to sourdough, but I noticed on the last two of my bakes, the bottom crust of the loaves comes out so hard, it is a struggle to cut through it!
I use a pre-heated 450 degree oven, cold bake in a non-preheated enamel pot. Bake for 50 minutes. The loaves are very attractive to look at, but that bottom crust is a challenge!
Any thoughts?
Thank you so much!
Monica
I’m not sure this will solve your problem, but it may be worth a try. Try preheating the pot before loading the dough.
Are you baking the bread near the middle of the oven? If baked near the bottom of the oven, that might be an issue.
If you have a thermometer bake until the middle of the crumb is 205 - 208F. 50 minutes may be too long.
If you can, post an image of your crumb. It may be helpful.
Dan
Dan's suggestions are good. You may also want to put some parchment on the bottom of your pot and sprinkle semolina or cornmeal on it. This raises your loaf above the hot surface just a bit.
Also, is your "enamel pot" cast iron or thin "enamelware?" A heavier pot may actually protect your loaf better, as well as provide other advantages.
David