The Fresh Loaf

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Internal temperature or recipe time?

amateur4sure's picture
amateur4sure

Internal temperature or recipe time?

During my research on the above subject, I have found many opinions on the subject. Some say internal temperature when bread baking, while others say follow the recipe times. What are your suggestions on the correct way to tell when bread is done? 

Lechem's picture
Lechem (not verified)

So I follow baking times and if it looks like it needs more time then I give it extra time till the crust is a nice caramel colour and it sounds hollow if you tap the bottom.

If the dough is lower hydration then it needs less time. The higher the hydration the more time it needs. All this and experience (after a lot of trial and error) allows me to judge when the bread is done.

Weizenbrot's picture
Weizenbrot

Before the end of the suggested recipe time, I look at the color, tap the bottom, and check the loaf with a thermometer. Oven temps vary, so I would not rely only on suggested recipe time.

alfanso's picture
alfanso

"All this and experience (after a lot of trial and error) allows me to judge when the bread is done."

If you can afford it, get both an oven thermometer and an instant read thermometer.  Oven temps do vary, and if you find your oven is off there generally is a way to correct it up and down.  Until you are comfortable with what your finished product should look like, abide by the author's recommended timing.  Agree with both Lechem and Weizenbrot the visual and tapping the bottom work too.  Once you are comfortable with what the bread should look like, then you will have a better feel for when it is done.  Personally, unless I am in a far-flung and unchartered territory, I never temp the bread anymore.  I just know when it is done.

But for starters all of the above advice is valuable to you.

Maverick's picture
Maverick

Internal temperature can effect the final product quite a bit. It isn't necessary to use internal temperature as there are other methods, but if you want to refine the end product that is one place to play around. Lean doughs tend to be more forgiving since usually those are brought to higher temperatures anyway, but even then you might end up with varying staling time, crumb feel, and crust thickness. For home baking these things aren't critical, but it is one more thing to add for consistency and building your experience. Having an instant read thermometer has several uses from meat to taking the temperature of the dough when it is done mixing, etc.

Once you make the same recipe a couple times, then time of bake becomes more well known. I have seen many first attempts that were gummy as the result of underbaking (or not cooling long enough before cutting).

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

temperature variations for different kinds of breads and ranges for all of them.  An example is white SD bread can be baked from  202 F to 210 F and whole rye can be baked from 196 F to 205 F.  So it depends on how you want your bread to end up and what kind it is.

KayDee1's picture
KayDee1

Be sure you have a good thermometer. I used an inexpensive digital, and it read 207 (F). However, the bread was gummy when cut (after completely cooling). As my favorite Chef says, "they're spendy but get a good thermometer!"

 

Lazy Loafer's picture
Lazy Loafer

I do a lot of baking, and have several breads that I make all the time. I still check each batch with a thermometer and find that sometimes the 'usual' baking time leaves the inside below 180F so I have to add another 5 minutes. I wouldn't know that from the outside of the loaf and I'm glad I don't send those out to customers not knowing whether the inside of the loaf is baked or not!

amateur4sure's picture
amateur4sure

Thanks for taking the time to reply. Being a newbie, very helpful information. Happy holidays!!!!!!

Lazy Loafer's picture
Lazy Loafer

Just now I checked a couple of loaves that were in the oven. At the end of the usual time I took one out and checked it. The crust was a lovely dark brown with a nice burst and bloom, and the bottom passed the 'thump' test. When I checked with the thermometer the internal temperature was 165F! Not nearly done; it took another seven minutes to get them up to 200F. This was a multigrain bread with soaked grain pulp and soaked flakes in it, so fairly moist. Those ones do tend to take a bit longer, and you should let them sit for 12 to 24 hours to fully develop, so if I had let it sit and cut into it tomorrow morning it would have been a bit of a disappointment, and too late to add more baking time!

BobBoule's picture
BobBoule

go by temperature. An underbaked or burned loaf is no fun. I start wth the recipe timetable but I always check with the thermometer to make sure that the loaf is doing OK. Since different recipes and be fully baled at very slightly different temperatures I finally figured out that 200 degrees F is in range for all the recipes I have seen and is now my minimum target for all new recipes, this helps compensate for all the variables that I might run into.

amateur4sure's picture
amateur4sure

Thanks for the information.....very helpful.

Truth Serum's picture
Truth Serum

It makes one less thing you will have to guess about.

amateur4sure's picture
amateur4sure

Thanks for taking the time to reply. Being a newbie, very helpful information. Have a happy holiday!!!!!