The Fresh Loaf

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Low oven temperature

Vblake's picture
Vblake

Low oven temperature

I have a commercial oven at work, but I have just started making bread recently. I am starting with soft dinner rolls and cinnamon swirl bread.  I use it to rise my dough also. I pour boiling water in a pan on bottom of oven, close the doors and turn the temp on 90 degrees f. It rises in about 25 min. After the second proof, when the formed rolls or loaves have risen enough, I turn the temp up to 375, but with the formed dough still in the oven and bake until done. They seem to come out just fine, but am I doing the best for my product? Should I remove the formed dough after rising, turn the temp up, and wait until the oven comes to temp before placing dough back in? Will my product taste better? I can't eat wheat, so tasting isn't really an option for me. 

lepainSamidien's picture
lepainSamidien

Usually putting a product into a hot oven will give it the best oven spring, which makes it fluffier and will give it better coloration. Will it taste better ? That depends on who you're feeding, but in general, yes it will taste better. Putting your breads into a hot oven will help a delicious crust form, though there are plenty out there who don't care for the hearty crust that a hot oven provides. However, put enough yeast and air into your dough and your crust will virtually disappear.

In any case, I would remove whatever you have from the oven before turning it on, then put in your batch when the oven is well-heated.

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

As long as the dough isn't over-proofed it works just fine.  Makes it great when you are familiar with a specific recipe and know how it behaves.  Set the panned dough into the oven and set the timer to turn the oven on and then off again.  Come home to fresh baked  bread.  I do it with roasts and frozen chicken too.  

 

niccolo's picture
niccolo

I agree with what everyone else has said, one suggestion I have would be to use the oven light for rising instead of turning it to 90 degrees, your oven light will not be as hot and will give you more control and still give you a quick rise, of course if your rising method is working now you don't need to change it, but the oven light seems to work better for me.

-Niccolo

Vblake's picture
Vblake

unfortunately, the oven light doesn't go on unless the oven is turned on. Today I pulled the rolls out after they proofed and returned them into a hot oven. They really were much fluffier! Softer and lighter! Thanks all! Next on the agenda, cinnamon swirl  loaves  Working different recipes and methods to find what works best. I'll be back with questions, I'm sure!

niccolo's picture
niccolo

That's too bad, however I am glad you have found success with another method.

-Niccolo