Hi everyone,
I've been trying to get this whole bread thing right, and seem to have problems with the second rise. Free standing loaves just seem to fall flat. If they stand well, they fall when I slash them. If I slash before the second rise, the slashes don't open.
In general, the first loaf I made was pretty good. I can't seem to reproduce the results, and can't figure what I could be doing different.
Any help would be great, Willy.
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What are you doing?
Hi Willy,
What are you doing? Like, what does your recipe or formula consist of, how do you mix it, how long is your first rise, etc?
You should slash right before you put bread in your steamed oven.
That information should let someone help you. Rick
Collapsing loaves
Hi, Willy.
The most common cause of your problem is over-proofing. (You are letting the loaves rise too much.) However, there are at least two other factors that could be contributing: One has to do with dough hydration. The other has to do with how you are supporting the sides of your free standing loaves while they rise.
If you could let us know the recipe you are using and your set-up for proofing the formed loaves, we could provide additional suggestions.
David
Overproofing
Hi Willy,
Not sure why you are scoring the bread so early (before the final fermentation); you should wait until just before you load it into the oven, when it is about 85-90% proofed.
It sounds as if you are overproofing your bread. Which recipe are you using?
Also, there's a pretty good Handbook here which you might find helpful - just click the "Handbook" tab at the top of the page.
What are you slashing them
What are you slashing them with? I use a single edge razor blade and don't have problems with slashing as I did when I was using a knife. I always slash just before baking.