March 11, 2024 - 6:41pm
At what temp has the bread cooled down enough?
Hello bakers,
This is something that's been bugging me recently, you know how sometimes a recipe says to let the loaf cool down for one hour before slicing it? And another recipe will say 2 hrs?
if there is a known temp to check for when getting it out of the oven, (200-204F) to make sure the dough is cooked why can't I find anywhere the same method to use for when the bread has cooled down enough so it's safe to slice it?
if anybody can unveil the mystery for me I'll be grateful, thank you!
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Alternate school.....nothing and I mean nothing is as comforting and brain triggering delicious as good butter on fresh out of the oven bread.
Sure, I get the whole let the bread cool to develop the final form...but that is if bread over the long run is your goal (or baking for others). In our house, that usually looses out to butter happiness.
P.S. if you are not a straight-up butter person, in that moment all those super simple toppings take on a whole new joy.
It depends on the bread type and its moisture level so the question does not have a cut-and-dried answer. There are breads that you almost cannot cut right after they are baked. Partly, the internal moisture needs to distribute itself through the loaf and partly it's because the interior may still be almost a gel and it won't finish setting for some time. There are rye breads that shouldn't be cut for days. There are soda or batter breads that will gum up the knife and the slices will fall apart unless you wait for 5 or 6 hours. And then there are some lean hearth breads that can be cut in 15 or 30 minutes after baking and be wonderful.
And sometimes the recipe writer writes that instruction out of habit or because that's what they were taught but it's doesn't really matter that much.
For myself I've been learning that I should wait longer, but it's a hard sell because I want to butter a warm, fragrant slice right away!
TomP
I see what you did there, tpassin. 😁
: )
If it feels warm - don't touch it. Enjoy!
I always wait until it is room temperature, which for me is 78 to 80F, regardless of the type of loaf.
There is not one right answer.
2 hours is sufficient, generally you dont want hot bread. Cutting a bread to soon makes it to stale faster. Longer cooldown can help. I often bake in the evening and let it cool down overnight.
tenperature needs to be above 94C, but for normal lean bread, 98C is common. Also enriched bread like brioche might not even reach 94, due to its contents. 92 can be sufficient but it is also the bakers experience.
Thank you to all of you who answered and yes! There isn’t anothing as comforting, rewarding and delicious as a buttered slice right out of the oven ;)