Looking for suggestions on how to prevent ripped/torn loaves.

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JRLowey on 20 Feb 2025 at 11:39
baked loaves of bread

I'm not sure why my sourdough discard sandwich loaves always break while baking and would love some insight on how to remedy the problem.

 

Thanks for having a look !!

Jim

 

 

 

That's a lot of rising potential you are getting out of discard! I haven't gotten that kind of tearing for quite a while, though I have done in the past.  I have some suggestions without being completely sure they will do the job. You might need to combine several of them.

  1. Use less dough per pan;
  2. Use a different shaping technique, one that is more symmetrical.  For example, if you have been rolling the dough into a log (which creates a preferred direction that can tear), instead fold the dough from one side to the center, then from the other side to the center, then pinch that center seam closed.
  3. Score the top lengthwise.  This can be tricky and you might want to:
  4. After creating a center seam as in #2, put the log into the pan with the seam side up instead of down. This will probably tear open in a irregular line but it would still be better than what you have now.

It's also possible that the dough isn't extensible enough so it can't expand as much as it wants to, or that the gluten isn't developed enough, which could make it tear too easily. But I think that #1 and #2 together should be enough.

Oven spring is nice. That being said, to much of any good things is not so good.

 

Proofing longer will tend to reduce the oven spring, but I think there is too much dough for the pan size. This will make the loaf more vulnerable to tearing as it experiences its oven spring. Really, a combination of things is probably happening.

Increasing the proofing time or temperature slightly. Let's say 15 minutes more at the prevailing room temperature. Alternatively, keep the time static and increase the proofing temperature by 2 ° F.  Additionally, Change a second variable. Score the tops one slash slightly off center from end to end. 

These are old photos of a formula I should really resurrect. This is my submission for the approachable bread project. If I remember correctly the formula is 100% whole wheat. The formula was found to be replicable by weekly double batch bakes. These photos represent,

  1. well proofed dough

  2. scored. Which goes against the grain for most people when it comes to pan sandwich bread.