The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Crumb and holes are too big!

Cafotteria's picture
Cafotteria

Crumb and holes are too big!

We bake our bread for the cafe we use them for Toasts and melts, as you can see its not to good for toasts,

how can i get the crumb better suited for sandwich bread?

its 70% hydration 90 grams starter per loaf baked in a domed pizza oven about 13 loafs at a time, mix in a hoabart for 5 minutes and proof for 3-4 hours then shape and retard over night.

Any help will be appreciated it.

Thanks

Akiva 

Mr Immortal's picture
Mr Immortal

It looks fabulous to me, but I can see how the big holes would kinda wreck it’s usefulness for making toast.  They look like a butter/jam stain on a shirt just waiting to happen!

 

When you are doing your shaping, are you making sure to remove any air pockets left behind from the mixing process?

albacore's picture
albacore

Also perhaps mix a bit longer to get a tighter, more uniform crumb. Are you scoring the loaves - I can't see any score lines opening up?

Lance

phaz's picture
phaz

I know exactly what ya mean. Punch it down before final proof to disperse any big bubbles just like a yeast bread. Rough handling leans towards smaller bubbles, and gentle the other way to bigger bubbles. You could also add a few tbsp Olive oil (or most any oil/fat) to soften the crumb a bit. I'm not a big hole fan for the same reason. If I'm making a sandwich, I want things on the bread, not on the counter. Enjoy!

slohcooker's picture
slohcooker

The big holes are most likely due to shaping issues, not fermentation. Do you pre-shape before final shaping? Make sure you're not trapping big air pockets (or using too much flour), and also lightly pat out big bubbles before shaping.