spontaneous bloom line
Hi,
I'm a newbie and really need help. I've been using Reinhart's epoxy method on whole wheat bread, but I use a lot less yeast than the formula calls for because the fermentation goes way too fast for me to stop it at the right time otherwise. I used less than 3g of ADY for a loaf that has 424g of flour, 85% hydration, total weight prebake was 847g. The dough more than doubled in volume in an hour. Baked in a loaf pan.
Although I scored the top, the dough also separated and spread along a line where the dough met the lip of the pan. The line of separation extended halfway around the perimeter of the loaf. In addition, the crumb had a weak zone across the diameter of many of the slices right along the same line. The dough was strong enough to form a good window pane,and there weren't any seams in the dough where the spontaneous separation occurred. Unfortunately, I don't have any pics.
I live in a tropical climate,so the bulk fermentation was warmer than ideal (78-80 degrees F). Could the BF have gone too fast? There's probably a temperature and pressure gradient in the dough where the dough rises above the lip of the pan when it's in the oven. Could that have something to do with it? Help! I need some experienced advice. Thanks so much!
I can't offer much help, but while most of us fall victim to overproofing, if the shaping was okay, and you got separation in an unexpected place, it could be because it was underproofed, and the loaf wanted to increase more in volume than it could through the score line.
please describe, in as much detail as possible, your oven and baking setup, steaming method, etc. Gas, electric, convection? if electric, where are the heating elements, top, bottom, rear wall?
What kind of pan, dimensions, steel/aluminum/cast-iron? Is the pan pre-heated when you put the dough in?
Using convection mode in your oven could explain the unwanted burst line.
If your oven is convection type, and won't let you turn off convection mode, you'll have to tent the loaf with aluminum foil to keep the hot air currents off it, until it is done expanding -- then you can remove the foil to let it finish browning.
Sounds like the top heating element and air currents are setting the top crust too soon so the dough expands out the weakest/softest point.
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Here's a thread that may be applicable. Be sure to read all the comments to see whose setup matches yours.
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/60910/tartine-bread-combi-oven
Thanks for the replies. I use a pyrex baking dish, no preheating of the dish. The toaster oven is preheated to 425F then reduced to 350F when the loaf is inserted. The pan is placed on the lower rack. Convection mode not used. I could try tenting it next time. I don't use steam for this type of loaf.
Thanks!
which heating elements are you baking with, top, bottom, or both?
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In a toaster oven you can use both top and bottom elements to pre-heat.
But once you put the dough in, you need to use the bottom heating element only until you get towards the end of the bake.
If you bake with both elements, the top crust sets too soon, and the dough tries to expand out the sides, and the top will look done before the inside is done.
Towards the end, you can turn on the top element for 2 maybe 3 minutes, to finish browning.
But be careful, because once the top starts to brown from the upper element, the browning process accelerates and it can burn quickly. (Hat tip to barryvabeach for teaching me that tidbit.)
Hope this helps.
I didn't know you could manipulate the heating elements like that. I'll have to look into that.
Thanks!