The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Bubbles on the top, but not so much on the bottom

liseling's picture
liseling

Bubbles on the top, but not so much on the bottom

Hello,

I've gotten to the stage where I like my sourdough bread, but it seems that it doesnt raise much in the final proof and then goes nuts in the oven, creating a lot of bubbles around the top of the bread but not so many in the center and base of the loaf. I do the final proof on the pan that it goes into the oven with, so I'm pretty sure I'm not deflating it that way.

 

See what I mean?

 

sourdough bread crumb

xaipete's picture
xaipete

But, I see what you mean about the holes at the top. Try baking it under a cloche and see if that improves the quality of your oven spring--it helps mine a lot. Also, if you are grinding your own flour, either use it within the first 24 hours of grinding or hold it for a couple of weeks.

--Pamela

liseling's picture
liseling

Hmm, ok. I'll try that next time. I'm pretty much liking my crumb and wouldnt complain, but I'm just wondering about the inconsistancy between top and bottom. Maybe I'm being too rough with it while shaping or something? I'll admit that I need practice in that area!

liseling's picture
liseling

It's like the demarcation line where the denser crumb is is the size of the loaf when I put it in the oven, and then all the big-holed area is the amount it rose in the oven.

xaipete's picture
xaipete

It looks to me like that loaf needs more oven spring, which is why I suggested a cloche. Another possibility is that it is over-proofed and can't give anymore.

--Pamela

asicign's picture
asicign

Did the dough come out of the refrigerator before the final proof?  If so, maybe the outer layer warmed, but the interior was still cool.

liseling's picture
liseling

The day that I baked the loaf I took the dough out of the fridge and let it warm up for a couple hours, then I shaped it and let it proof for about 3 hours before putting it in the oven.... So I think it was probably room temperature by that time.

But maybe it was under or over proofed - I'm not familiar enough with bread mechanics to really know the symptoms of either one!

What do you think about the proof time of 3 hours? If it's any help, this loaf is based on Reinhart's "Basic Sourdough Bread" in the BBA, with the only alteration that I used a whole wheat starter and about 1/3 of the additional flour is whole wheat.

nijap's picture
nijap

This is the result of heat on the top is much higher then at the bottom.  I have solved this problem by preheated heavy cast iron pan to bake the bread.  Cover it for first few minutes and then removes it.  This will be functionally similar to cloche.

nijap

asicign's picture
asicign

I just got a new oven thermometer, and have been surprised at how long it takes for the surface of my stone to come up to temperature.,. perhaps 30 - 45 minutes after the oven registers the dialed temp.  If you're cooking on a stone, maybe you haven't preheated long enough

xaipete's picture
xaipete

It takes a long time for my oven to come up to temperature, 45 minutes at least to get it to 500 degrees, but at least 20 minutes for 350.

--Pamela

liseling's picture
liseling

I dont have a baking stone (yet!), but I'll try pre-heating the oven for longer next time I bake bread. I'll also try that cloche method. Hopefully between the two the consistency will be more even!