December 8, 2008 - 5:52am
How tall is your loaf in the pan before you put it in the oven? Anyone have pics?
I am just learning the importance of NOT overproofing bread. How do you evaluate when a dough is proofed enough? Does the height above the edge of a pan have anything to do with it for pan loaves? I think the "feel" is a little trickier at this stage.
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I have one recipe I make quite often that can rise up to two inches over the top of the pan and it never deflates in the oven, but there are others that tend to fall if they're an inch or more over the top. If I don't let my sourdough rise well over the top, it doesn't have any oven spring to speak of at all. With whole wheat breads in general, it's trickier, but I usually let them rise to at least an inch above the rims before baking.
qahtan
Thank you for the pictorial. It is helpful. I love the deep bread pans-mine are much shallower. Where did you get them?
I had posted about having a prob with batards being too flat and with all the suggestions here on TFL, I believe I may overproof the loaf, even tho they are not that big. BUt when I put them in the oven while "underproofed" by what I was doing before, they have phenomenal oven spring.SO, I'm trying to unlearn old habits and wanted to see what others do.
Intereesting comment about whole grain.Mine need to be well risen or they become brick-like. Also interesting about the sourdough. That is the one in my recipe that I need to underproof or there is no oven spring.
FWIW. The rule I use is to allow the loaves to approximately double in bulk, as you can see from Quatan's photos (which are excellent), during final fermentation. Avoid the temptation of seeing how high they can get before placing them into the oven. If you allow them to rise more than double you risk overproofing, and they may begin sinking (deflating) as you move them into the oven.
The oven spring should give them a final kick during the first 8-12 minutes of the baking cycle. Depending on the loaf, I usually want fairly high heat (10-25 deg. higher than the recipe calls for) during the first 8-10 minutes of the baking cycle to ensure good oven spring, then reduce the temperature to what the recipe specifies.
If, during the baking cycle, they're getting too brown on top, before the internal temperature reaches 210 degress F. (I use a digital probe thermometer to check internal temperature), reduce the oven temperature by 20-25 degrees and cover them lightly with aluminum foil to deflect the oven heat coming at them from the top of the oven. This will help protect the top crust and keep it from over-browning. Also, bake them in the middle of the oven. I use a large aluminum sheet pan on the rack beneath the rack where the loaves are sitting, to deflect the direct heat coming up from the bottom oven heat coil so it doesn't overheat the bottom of the pans and cause scorching on the bottom of the loaves. This is especially helpful if you're using a small oven.
Howard
Have you tried letting them proof until rather less than doubled, then putting them into a COLD oven, which you then turn to full? I find this works really well with loaves baked in tins - and saves electricity too! As the oven heats, so the bread rises, "setting" before it can sink again - the rise can be quite spectacular!
Andrew
I have been looking for bread pans similar to the ones you use and have not been able to find any. I like the deep shape and that a loaf of bread does not develop "shoulders". I just emulated that by using foil on a standard loaf pan but would like to try and get some deeper pans.
So, where did you buy your pans?Are they usual for where you live?Any suggestions on where I can buy them?
Email me, if it's easier. clazar123@yahoo.com
Thanks
I must have had them at least 20 years, as I remember I got them when my Mum was still alive and she has been gone 20 years.
They are/were actually pans that were used in one of the supermarkets for head cheese, you know a kind of brawn/ jellied pork.
The guy behind the counter knew I made bread and asked if they were any good to me. He ended up giving me about 35 of them, maybe more, I never kept count, I know some I gave to friends who liked them when they were here for a visit from UK, some I sent to a friend in Montreal, a couple went to Florida, and some I gave to local friends.
So over the years my stock has sort of dwindled down.
Every other time I use them I put them in the the dishwasher. I normally put about 1 pound 2 ounces dough in each pan.......
The above picture is larger loaves, half Whole Wheat home milled organic hard wheat berry's, placed side by side in pan and baked.
PS I live in Niagara Peninsula, Ontario..... qahtan