The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Horrid blisters on the crust

nicodvb's picture
nicodvb

Horrid blisters on the crust

Hi,

all my last breads have had the crust fully covered by plenty of horrible blisters. The things they had in common are:

-10-25% rye, the rest is medium strength white wheat flour

-5-10% of the flour is in the water roux or in the mash (always rye)

-overall hydratation is 75%

-4-5 turns of stretch and fold on a lightly oiled silicon carpet.

The look of the crust was awful, I really couldn't stand that view!! Help me, please :-)

 

 

jcking's picture
jcking

Oven steaming gone wrong because of oil from oiled silicon carpet? Fridge retard condensation? Too much moisture during proof? Humid weather conditions? Take your pick.

Jim

nicodvb's picture
nicodvb

just plain room temperature proofing. The dough was moist due to the high hydratation. How many factors!

jcking's picture
jcking

Some other notes I've collected;

Air pockets (blisters) on the crust of pan breads can result from:
1. Over mixed dough
2. Too slack dough
3. Improper molding
4. Too much steam in the proof box
5. Rough handling at the oven
6. Too much top heat in the oven


cranbo's picture
cranbo

What qualifies as a horrible bread blister? :) Photos?

Would you consider the cover of Teresa Greenway's Discovering Sourdough to have horrible blisters?

If so, beauty is in the eye of the beholder...despite Calvel, I've always thought that kind of crust blistering offered not only a certain charm but also a specific pleasing crust texture. 

 

Just Loafin's picture
Just Loafin

I guess different strokes applies... if my loaves do not have blisters, I feel I did something wrong...

I get the best blistering when I refrigerate the final proof for a minimum of 8 hours.

- Keith

ww's picture
ww

i've noticed that i get more blisters when the final proof is long and the oven very hot.

nicodvb's picture
nicodvb

Well, I have to say that a bread with blisters conveys me a sense of sickness, including the one in the cover of that book. A matter of tastes :-)

My blisters are much smaller, but still visible. I'll take a picture next time.

tananaBrian's picture
tananaBrian

I generally like blisters in the crust of higher-hydration doughs, but I have to admit that some of those at NW Sourdough look almost like a case of out-of-control bread warts or something... heh heh.  :)  Like all factors in bread baking, it would be nice to know how to control blistering in the crust ...how to get them, control size, or even to prevent them entirely.  My sourdough breads, if of higher hydration (french bread etc), generally has zillions of tiny pinhead type blisters in the crust, not those big ones like NW Sourdough has.

Brian

 

 

sam's picture
sam

Hello nicodvb,

I also agree that severe level of popped-0ut blisters, like in those pictures, etc...     whether it is due to final dough chilling, or whatever reason, it looks sickly to me.   I'm not sure you can avoid the blisters entirely, but it seems they are more prone to happen with colder chilling of final dough....

I don't mean to sound blasphemous, but the bread on the cover of the Tartine book, to me, looks like a burned sick thing.... But, at the same time --  all home-made bread is good bread.  

I haven't yet searched the archives, but does anyone know why is it that cold-retarded final doughs end up with the excessive blisters?

 

sam's picture
sam

Of course, ultimately it is taste, not looks...

:)

 

jcking's picture
jcking

Are caused by the chilling and rewarming of the dough. The outside of the dough chills first and restricts the normal expansion of the CO2.

ww's picture
ww

i suppose one way to find out is to see how Teresa of NW Sourdough prepares her bread :) If i rememeber  correctly from a post i read a long long time ago, she proofs in a  very steamy environment - her dishwasher or something

tchism's picture
tchism

Interesting thread, I always thought the blisters were prefered. It took me a while to get them on my loaves. Now I bet I would have a tough time geiitng rid of them.

Wild-Yeast's picture
Wild-Yeast

If they are the big variety [1.5 - 2.5 cm across] they probably formed in the bulk ferment and weren't patted out [burst] during shape and form. Try a firmer pat down flipping the dough inbetween to catch most of them. Also try lightly slashing the bubble tops that remain after shape and form so they reattach to the mother dough. 

Wild-Yeast

SeattleStarter's picture
SeattleStarter

Bump. Just found this thread because yesterday a friend and I were attempting dmsnyder's San Francisco sourdough a thousand miles apart. Mine, which were proofed in floured proofing baskets came out with no blisters. My friend's, which were not proofed with flour, came out with lots of (beautiful) blisters.

Seems like the flour during proofing extracts moisture and eliminates blisters, no?

Benito's picture
Benito

There is a video somewhere on YouTube where Teresa Greenway does an experiment where she brushes off the excess flour and then brushes on water on half of the boule before baking.  The water brushed side was glossier and more blistered than the dry side.  I’ll see if I can find that video.

Benny

Edit, found it.

https://youtu.be/KeEcgmGGbBs

 

Teresa actually brushes on water and then sprays it to great effect.

SeattleStarter's picture
SeattleStarter

Thanks for that!

I was thinking of doing an experiment like that, and probably still will. Going to check out more of her work too. Especially wondering if she steams her oven.

Benito's picture
Benito

She definitely steams her bread. She has a lot of helpful videos. Enjoy.