January 5, 2016 - 12:08pm
Loaf burst at bottom- help
I am thinking I need some shaping help here. I am attempting to follow the King Arthur and Hamelman's instructions on shaping, but I guess I am doing something wrong. I am thinking I do have too much flour on my work surface, and am not sealing the bottom sufficiently, for one thing.
This is Hamelman's Vermont Sourdough. It proofed seam side up in bannetons.
Thank you for any tips!
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It's possible too much flour on your work surface keeps the seams from sealing. However, my first thought was that your oven temperature is too high and your tops have browned too quickly for dough expansion upwards. I am sure you have the oven set at the temperature called for in the recipe, but have you calibrated your oven? Many ovens are not accurate in their temperature readings. Once you get this minor problem figured out, you'll have very nice breads! Happy Baking, Embth
Actually, I was experimenting with setting it at 500 at first, then dropping the temp when I loaded the bread, because i was hoping to get a better oven spring (I had hear that that could help). So it could have been that. I do have an oven thermometer, but haven't been using it, so I will check my oven to make sure it is at the right temperature. Thank you!!
Lower and more even heat especially under the loaves.
I don't bake on a stone, so that might have been a factor. I hope to get one soon. Thanks!!
Neither do I. But I often turn the baking sheet upside down after the oven has preheated and give the sheet a few minutes to warm up Before sliding a loaf on top of it.
Familiarize or refamiliarize yourself with Jeffrey Hamelman's shaping technique for a boule. If part of your problem is a lack of a good tight seam, this should help. Start at about 30 seconds into the video.
alan
Thanks, that was good to watch again. My technique wasn't quite right. Thank you!
The loaves crusted over too quickly preventing oven spring hence the blow out at the bottom instead of rising upwards. Try getting some steam into the oven. If you have a fan with a top and bottom element which can be controlled separately then preheat the oven with everything on. When its ready to put the dough in then turn the fan and top element off so the heat is just coming from below. This stops the crust from forming on top too quickly (but make sure the bottom doesn't burn). Then when oven spring is maximised switch the top element and fan back on for a nice finish. If you can do that plus introduce some steam then it might help.
Baking in a dutch oven will automatically solve the problem and there will be no need to toggle anything or try to introduce steam.
Getting shaping and final proofing right also helps a lot.
Thanks. I can't control the top and bottom elements seperately, but I do have a Dutch oven. I have been doing steam by pouring boiling water into a preheated cast iron pan on the lower shelf, before and after loading bread.
...it might be that the issue is baking two loaves at a time. To me it looks like you're achieving the required temperature at the top of the oven, hence that lovely brown upper crust, but the heat isn't getting down to the base. It looks too pale to be just an issue of a too hot oven and/or the crust setting too soon. Bursts often happen in over-loaded ovens where the dough expands through the softest part of the crust i.e. the side that has not reached the correct temperature. It's usually caused by loaves being placed too close together. They then create little canyons of cooler air. Good air circulation and/or a baking stone is the answer. So why not try baking just one and see if that works?
Finally, I've just taught a baking class where some folk brought in their home-baked loaves and I noticed a few of them had proved in bannetons seamside-down and then baked them in the same orientation. They got great upper crusts and lousy lower crusts. Proving seamside-up, rising dough can heal even very loose-sealed loaves. Seamside-down, creases and other imperfections remain trapped.
I do have a pizza stone, so I could do one loaf at a time with that. Is there a way to save the second proofing loaf, in the fridge maybe, while the first one is baking? Or would I have to cut my recipe in half?
Stagger them though. don't forget it'll carry on proofing in the fridge albeit slower. If you proof them both at room temperature then bake one and put the other in the fridge at the same time then the second loaf will overproof. o put the second loaf into the fridge about 45 minutes - 1hr before you bake the first loaf. Then when the first loaf is finished baking then bake the second straight from the fridge.
Dutch Oven is excellent for breads too. Takes them to a whole new level. Preheat the dutch oven then drop the dough into it and bake with the lid on. 10 minutes before the end take the lid off for a lovely crust.
I'll try it! Do I still steam the oven when I use the Dutch oven?
That's the beauty of a Dutch Oven. Here is a nice video I just found on YouTube...
https://youtu.be/VZO5V6Ywl9A
...first time). Why not just halve the recipe as you suggested and do a single test bake? If it works then try staggering them.
Better advice RoundhayBaker. Atleast till the issues are ironed out.
Thank you! I am excited to try all these ideas. I will try to post back once I get the chance to try it!
michellechristine,
Great suggestions and advise given by all of the above in my humble/novice opinion. I'd like to show you an experiment that I did a few years back that resulted in what I think I'm seeing in your photo…..
In the attached photo I purposefully used more IDY than I should and under rose the dough both 1st and 2nd rises. It came out of the oven looking like a 'toad-stool', but tasted good.
My suggestion would be to check your amount of yeast and allow a longer rise time especially the second.
Just me…..
Keep having fun…..
I am leary of messing with my yeast amounts, because I am using sourdough, but I very well may have under proofed my dough. The weather here just went from balmy humidity to very chilly, they day that I baked, so my timing was probably off. I think I have been over proofing, so I was trying catch it earlier this time.
Done that LOL...
Two things have really helped me with boules. One is changing the way I shape them (I now roll from the outside in, a bit like a kaiser roll), and two, I now bake under a cloche to stop the crust from setting too quickly.
Touch wood, I haven't had one of those in a while...
This is probably the best looking loaf I have made! Thank you for all the advice! I did it in the Dutch oven, with the lid off only the last 12 minutes. I might have shaped it better, too. Should it be any darker? I am used to them being darker.
Ah, and why can't I post the picture from my phone? I don't remember what I did the first tome, but it was intuitive, and not it is not. I am selecting the picture icon, but it does not insert the picture when I select it. Unless it worked, but is not showing up on my phone?
michellechristine,,
Congratulations… on the good bake. I feel your pain on posting photo's! It took me forever to learn the "chicken-dance" to get them posted. Lots of steps, but worth it.
Do post a photo…..!
Happy kneading…..
Nope.
Looks pretty darn good! :)
Thank you!