The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Buns with spots

Gary L's picture
Gary L

Buns with spots

Just wondering if anyone knows why my buns get spots?  I’ve done a few different recipes, cheese buns, brioche… hamburger style buns.  I notice spots instead of uniform browning.  Milk wash/egg wash both the same spots.  The buns are generally quite good and tasty, insides are nice… I’m just curious if anyone has ideas as to why I’m not getting a nice even finish on the outside.

 Not sure why my photo is uploading upside down…but that should be fine.

thanks!

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

above gas bubbles?

How much sugar is in the recipe, and what kind?

Gary L's picture
Gary L

There is white sugar, 1tbsp.  Initially I thought gas bubbles as well but the crumb is very uniform and there are no bubble holes.

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

If they bake longer, do spots even out?  What do the bottoms look like?  If darker than the tops, perhaps baking a shelf highr would help out.  Sometimes I see spots early on in the bake but as the browning continues they blend together.  Are the coils heating properlly?

Gary L's picture
Gary L

I will try the higher shelf.  The bottoms get darker much quicker than the tops.  My oven is old and the heat from the top is inconsistent so that is probably it.  The spots would blend in if I baked darker, but my bottoms never look like they can handle any more time.  New oven time!  Thanks for your troubleshooting tips :) 

yozzause's picture
yozzause

i have seen spotting like this when salt is added late in the mix ( on some occasions almost forgotten), and sometimes if extremely hard salt such as rock salt is used and it has not  fully dissolved and dispersed through the dough. i have also seen spots like that from condensation in cold weather and a warm proover and the drips have fallen on the surface, are the spots in evidence on the underside?  The picture was fine here in Australia, its all the others that we have trouble with! 

Kind regards Derek