Bread Baking [Cooking]
2008 Sep 24
I've made the same bread, more than once, using the same methods, but you
never get the same results. A lot depends on the temperature and humidity in
your kitchen during the rising time - I'm assuming oven remains pretty
consistent. If you are like me and splash a cup of water on the bottom
of your oven to pretend you have a steam oven - well then maybe your oven
isn't consistent either :) I am by no means an expert - just an experimenter.
I'm usually happy when my loaf rises and its got a crunchy crust, but
still baked through. (I also don't mind if it didn't rise as much as
I'm also a fan of denser loaf).
never get the same results. A lot depends on the temperature and humidity in
your kitchen during the rising time - I'm assuming oven remains pretty
consistent. If you are like me and splash a cup of water on the bottom
of your oven to pretend you have a steam oven - well then maybe your oven
isn't consistent either :) I am by no means an expert - just an experimenter.
I'm usually happy when my loaf rises and its got a crunchy crust, but
still baked through. (I also don't mind if it didn't rise as much as
I'm also a fan of denser loaf).
2008 Sep 24
Tracinho, congratulations... I find baking bread to be one of the most satisfying kitchen pursuits. Experimenting with bread baking gave me a whole new perspective (and respect) for something we tend to treat as a second-class citizen of the food world.
As for your large bubbles, I think that is usually the result of *under* kneading rather than over kneading. Try kneading a little longer and don't be afraid to slam the dough around, especially if you are kneading by hand.
By "slamming" I mean folding the dough in half, raising it high over your head and whacking it down at the counter as hard as you can. This helps shrink your air bubbles. My Mom's mainstay bread recipe requires exactly 100 such slammings.
Whoops, I just reread your posting and I think it's the small bubbles you're complaining about. Maybe someone can shed light on that -- my non-expert guess is that your temperature is too high (i.e. baking too fast, as you also suggested).
P.S. I'm not sure big bubbles are generally desirable, unless by "big" you mean 5 millimetres or so in diameter. :-)
As for your large bubbles, I think that is usually the result of *under* kneading rather than over kneading. Try kneading a little longer and don't be afraid to slam the dough around, especially if you are kneading by hand.
By "slamming" I mean folding the dough in half, raising it high over your head and whacking it down at the counter as hard as you can. This helps shrink your air bubbles. My Mom's mainstay bread recipe requires exactly 100 such slammings.
Whoops, I just reread your posting and I think it's the small bubbles you're complaining about. Maybe someone can shed light on that -- my non-expert guess is that your temperature is too high (i.e. baking too fast, as you also suggested).
P.S. I'm not sure big bubbles are generally desirable, unless by "big" you mean 5 millimetres or so in diameter. :-)
2008 Sep 25
Thanks for the info guys.
F&T: When I say big i mean like smaller than a centimeter, as you suggest. Think of the inside of a good batard.
I also put a pan of water directly under my bread pan, which I think may create a bit of a cold spot under the loaf (for at least the first 10-15 min as temps equalize around oven). I am going to experiment with the location of my steam source...I am intrigued by the idea of pouring it directly in the bottom of the oven, never thought of that. Thanks for the tip SD.
F&T: When I say big i mean like smaller than a centimeter, as you suggest. Think of the inside of a good batard.
I also put a pan of water directly under my bread pan, which I think may create a bit of a cold spot under the loaf (for at least the first 10-15 min as temps equalize around oven). I am going to experiment with the location of my steam source...I am intrigued by the idea of pouring it directly in the bottom of the oven, never thought of that. Thanks for the tip SD.
2008 Sep 25
pouring it right in give a nice big steam hiss - also satifying (simple things amuse me). It probably doesn't hold the steam as long as the pan method.
You may also want to check out www.thefreshloaf.com/
They have lots of experts there - maybe to many :)
You may also want to check out www.thefreshloaf.com/
They have lots of experts there - maybe to many :)
2008 Sep 25
The pan of water could certainly cause a cold spot, even if it's boiling water but more so if the water starts out cold! ;-)
If your oven is electric, pouring water onto the bottom of it could be a shock hazard. I'd recommend putting a baking pan with a brick on it, preheating for a half hour or more, then pouring your water onto the brick to produce steam. Another trick I've heard (and tried, without much success) is to pierce a few holes in an aluminum pie plate and let water trickle out slowly to produce a constant source of steam. And a pizza stone is also a good idea to help the bottom of your loaf crust up.
[soapbox]I sincerely wish that more commercial bakers would use steam ovens to produce thick and hearty crusts. The recent rise (pun for F&T) in popularity of artisan breads shows that the general public is eager for good crust. How a vendor like the Lisbon Bakery can sell airy-fairy Italian-style bread and not a trace of the delicious, moist, chewy rustic Portuguese bread is beyond me.[/soapbox]
If your oven is electric, pouring water onto the bottom of it could be a shock hazard. I'd recommend putting a baking pan with a brick on it, preheating for a half hour or more, then pouring your water onto the brick to produce steam. Another trick I've heard (and tried, without much success) is to pierce a few holes in an aluminum pie plate and let water trickle out slowly to produce a constant source of steam. And a pizza stone is also a good idea to help the bottom of your loaf crust up.
[soapbox]I sincerely wish that more commercial bakers would use steam ovens to produce thick and hearty crusts. The recent rise (pun for F&T) in popularity of artisan breads shows that the general public is eager for good crust. How a vendor like the Lisbon Bakery can sell airy-fairy Italian-style bread and not a trace of the delicious, moist, chewy rustic Portuguese bread is beyond me.[/soapbox]
Tracinho
Am I baking it too fast? Not letting the dough rise enough before baking? Not enough yeast to flour ratio? Kneading too much?
So far I have been only doing round "country-style" loaves with white bread flour and yeast starter that originated with moulin de provence's starter dough. I have been letting the dough rise twice before baking. Any thoughts or war stories would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.