April Fools Volcano Miche
<sigh> My latest submission to the TFL Rogues' Gallery of Mutant Loaves. What causes such volcanoing? (scores blew out too)
This miche is based on David Snyder's but with 7:2:1 AP:GoldenBuffalo:Spelt and such young levain that I could be had up on child labor charges. Must be Spring Fever: going for young and sweet. 7:2:1 flour + young levain flavor is superb (2% salt). Crumb moist if a bit rubbery -- perhaps will improve w/drying as week winds on.
Possible volcano sources? (1) Insufficient burden of proof: No rise during o/n fridge retard and very little at r/t next AM, though poke held. (2) Oven was 550˚F at start (not my intent - flakey theromostat), but immediately turned down to 450˚F/no convection.
My harshest critic :-) says bake all in one day and forget this overnight retard crap. I second that, but will have to forego the Sat AM lie-in :-(.
Thanks TFListas.
tdb
there is nothing you could have done about it. Definitely bread made global warming at work here. Try not using your oven next time :-)
Very nice volcano if you ask me and probably very marketable besides having a nice crust and crumb . But don't let it explode and really mess up the planet!
First (and second and third) guess is underproofing. "No rise during o/n fridge retard and very little at r/t next AM, although poke held." Apparently it was well-chilled; enough to stall the yeast overnight. That large a mass of dough takes a while to warm up, particularly the core of the loaf. So, the exterior began to warm at room temperature, and to expand, hence the poke test's apparent indication of adequate proof. However, the center never warmed up until it had been in the oven for a while. By that time, the crust had set at least partially. In the yeasts' final growth spurt, they caused the center to begin to expand and the only way to expand was up through the weaker area of the slashes, blowing them out.
Or so it looks to me.
Paul
Thanks Paul,
My notes say the Volcano Miche spent 1:55 at r/t (with a little help from a warmed ceramic tile underneath -- seeding tray warming mats are in heavy use now :-( ) between the fridge and the oven. So yes, I agree that it's reasonable that a 2kg miche might require a bit more r/t time to properly warm up and proof before oven time, despite entries elsewhere on TFL from bakers who claim to go practically directly from fridge retard to oven. Maybe their fridges aren't as cold, and loaves not as large, as ours.
As I said above, better to squeeze all this nonsense into a single day. I wanted young young levain, so refreshed it first thing in the AM and therefore had to wait 4-5 hrs (Sat shopping time) to make up the dough. Perhaps a more dilute refreshment the night before would keep it young, but ready for dough, not refreshment, at sunrise.
The journey continues...
Tom
Don't deprive yourself of the extra Saturday AM bedtime. Just take the loaf out of the fridge first thing on awakening. By time you've finished bathing, dressing, breakfasting and your fifth cup of coffee, both you and the miche should be ready for some action.
David