I’m having a problem with undone inside with very done crust. I’ve been baking PR’s basic sourdough formula and using dmsnyder’s steaming method. For my last and best effort, I pre-heated for and hour up to 515º (by thermometer), pre steamed, then inserted dough and lowered temp to 450º. I used convection bake. The crust was quite brown at about 30 minutes, but the internal temp was only 165º. I went another 3 min., as more would have totally ruined the crust. Got it up to about 185. My sense is to use an even lower temp. What do you think?

BH

I've often read the term"creamy"used, talking about the quality of a good crumb in certain breads. This word has never really made a lot of sense to me, but I assume it's a metaphorical descriptive, like when people talk about wine having "structure". I'm wondering if some one can take a shot defining the qualities of "creamy" crumb in more literal, physically descriptive terms.

I've on occasion gotten a crumb in some breads that was qualitatively different that what I usually get, and it has gone hand in hand with a bigger hole structure. I would describe this difference as springier, stretchier, and the insides of many of the holes having kind of a sheen to them. Is this creaminess?

my bread's crumb is too dense for me. how do i lighten the texture?

how can i create a lighter crumb? all my breads have a denser and heavier crumb than i would prefer. even the crust is harder and not as light as the bought versions. please advise

I hope I've put this post in the most appropriate section...

After reading posts on this site for over a year, I finally got around to joining so I could ask a question that has flummoxed me for years...What is meant by "crumb?"  I've been cooking and baking for 20 years but only started baking bread about a year ago.  I know that the word "crumb" is used in reference to cakes as well as breads, but I've never understood what it's referring to and never bothered to ask anyone--until now.  So bakers, can any of ya'll enlighten me? 

Thank you and happy baking! :)

>AKAlicious

I made a rustic white bread using Nancy Silverton's recipe from her Breads from La Brea Bakery book. This is my first time baking in cold weather and I'm thinking low fermenation temperatures might be the problem, since I've used this formula before with no problems.  I know my starter is healthy and performing well, so I am confident we can remove that from the equation. Here is what happened:

When it was time for the fermentation, the house was between 60F & 65F, and after two hours I could see no change in the dough. I then placed it in a room with a heater that raised the temperature to between 70 and 75.  After a total fermentation period of four hours the dough seemed to have spread out (the container was a bit wider than the dough) but not to have risen much, if at all. When I pressed on it it seemed rather firm, and my finger left an impression that lingered.  I didn't let it ferment further for fear of ruining the dough. I'm now wondering if I should have let it ferment longer.

I then shaped it and let it proof for about an hour as recommended but again, the rise I was supposed to expect was not discernable. Again I dared not let it sit out longer for fear of overproofing.  Should I have let it proof for a longer period at this point?

So next it went into the refrigerator overnight. Today I let it sit out for four hours in the warmed room as Silverton instructs, but the boule did not double in size as she describes (it barely rose at all) and when I pressed on it, the dough did not spring back as she says it should.  

Dreading the outcome, I baked per her instructions.  The result was a nice color and startling oven spring given the size of the dough (I hadn't expected anything at all!) but the crumb was stili denser than I was hoping for. My room mates praised the flavor and density so it wasn't a complete waste of flour, but I am wondering what I can do to make the dough less dense next time. By the way, I made a sourdough batard with this starter a few days earlier and it was also more dense than I prefer.  I would appreciate any suggestions/advice you may have.    Thanks!! Photos of the boule and the crumb are below.

Hi,

I've been successfully making Leader's Country Hearth bread to the delight of my family for a few months now.  I make this using his straight dough instructions, with the poolish OR by replacing poolish with refreshed starter.  All with very similar results.

Of late, my bread, particularly that made with ww flour, has been very dense and not rising well.  I do not seem to get much oven spring.  I generally bake in loaf pans, just to make things easier for lunchboxes for the little ones.  When I slice the loaf, it seems very dense around the edge of slice with a more "normal" airiness in the center of the slice, only.  Also, the loaf is not rising as high as it used to.  My dough is proofing in similar times as before, fyi.

Any tips on what could be making this difference all of a sudden?  Could increased hydration be making a difference?  (I recently noticed that Leader uses fl. oz. for water and that I had been under-measuring in normal oz.)  Type or age of flour?  

Help!  My daily bread is failing!

Thanks,

MommaT

This weekend I baked the second batch of bread from my newly-minted sourdough starter (so new I haven't named it yet).  The first batch was edible, although the crust was not as crisp as I would have liked, and the holes in the crumb were uniform.

My second attempt fared much better.  The crust was crisp and blistered, and the crumb was riddled with variously-sized holes.  And I wish I could describe the taste!  Suffice it to say that when I went to put the rest of the bread away before bed, I found that my five year old had ripped the crumb out of the middle of the bread and polished it off.

Here's a picture:

Sourdough redux

The bottom rather pale but nice form.