The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Bread weight, start first combine to oven.

Grenage's picture
Grenage

Bread weight, start first combine to oven.

I am curious as to whether or not others allow a percentage of wastage when calculating the end size of a loaf, or is it assumed that there is no wastage at all?

For example, if I am to make three 825g panettone, would one assume an initial mix total of 2,475g - and then divide the result as equally as possible?  I was contemplating adding 1% to the initial mix, which would be 833g a piece, and allow for 25g wastage in containers/weighing etc.

I appreciate that this is probably a bit of a mental question.

ToReasonRye's picture
ToReasonRye

Interesting thought experiment, but unless you have some strong reason--i.e., a competition with very strict finished weight criteria, like precisely 250g baguettes--I don't know why you would plan for waste.

If you did have some strong reason for finished weight, I would probably prefer to keep standard weights--825 is easy to look at and keep in your head while your hands are covered in flour--and simply use the remaining dough for rolls, a smaller loaf, or an imperfect loaf for taste testing (assuming your competition loaves are on display awaiting the judges).

Bob S.'s picture
Bob S.

Even if you weigh your panettone loaves exactly to 825 grams, after cooling they will always weigh less than when loaded into the oven. Water evaporates during the baking and cooling processes, which results in bake-out loss. The amount of bake-out loss varies greatly with oven temperature, absorption, baking time, etc..

Bob

Grenage's picture
Grenage

Thanks guys, I guess I won't worry about it too much!  I'll just stick to the figures and minimise the wastage, as always.

PatMax's picture
PatMax

I just wondering  , why would  you end up with  dough   , and how do you  lose some    along the way ?    

Grenage's picture
Grenage

I have no idea how I seem to end up with such discrepancies; I mixed 2.5kg of panettone at the weekend, and when I weighed before splitting, I had only 2.36kg.

 

It must simply be residue left on the counter after the two kneads.

PatMax's picture
PatMax

will  keep that in check ,  as will dusting the minimum of flour  onto the kneading surface . As time goes by  you will get the knack of it . Plus   it makes washing up and wiping down  an easier task .   And for the sake of  your mental health , don't get so  hung up on weights and measures , it can  kill the enjoyment of  baking  .

I must try a  panettone some time , 40 years and I've still to make one .

 

Grenage's picture
Grenage

I use my scraper, and thought I was being a good boy.  Never mind!

PatMax's picture
PatMax

were  your bowl  and counter top as clean afterwards as these ones  are    , lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKl_7C9tZ6g

 

Grenage's picture
Grenage

Definitely not after the pannetone kneading! :)

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

 15 % less than when it went in.  Sometimes it is 12% and other times 17% - depends on how wet the dough was going in.

Grenage's picture
Grenage

Yup, after the baking I could definitely understand.

Batnotinc's picture
Batnotinc

I generally don't bake anything to a strict specification, but I do know that at another site for baking pizza I visit occasionally, they have a dough recipe calculator that has a variable for what is essentially a percentage expected to lose to sticking to the bowl, so it's not unheard of to be sure.

Grenage's picture
Grenage

Nice to know I wasn't off the wall!