The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Variation in scoring technique

PeterPiper's picture
PeterPiper

Variation in scoring technique

I did a little experiment with my daily bread.  I usually bake 3 or 4 loaves, with 3 in loaf pans and one free-form.  I have always scored them the same way:  the free-form gets on long central score, the pan loaves get two parallel vertical scores.  But this time I wanted to see how identical loaves in the same oven would react to different scores.  Latitudinal, longitudinal, diagonal, and the long low-angle cut.  The results are clear:

The best bloom came from the free-form and pan loaves that got a single long cut with the blade held almost horizontal, lifting the dough up rather than cutting a slice in it.  All these were baked in an oven with no steam.  The depth of the cuts was uniform but the results quite different.  I think the dough was slightly underproofed, looking at the massize bloom of the free-form loaf, but I did learn that the simplest cut with the right technique lets the bread keep blooming instead of sealing up as the others did.

Happy baking!

-Peter

Maggie Lou's picture
Maggie Lou

Does slashing the proofed dough make it rise in the hot oven?  I have been terrified of doing this, afraid my risen dough would collapse.

 

Also: I had a beautifully risen dough (both proofs) but it sunk in the heated oven.  Taste was good; texture alright.  but why the loss of height?  Was it because I did not slash?

It was a 3/4 AP and 1/4 Dark Rye; smooth and not too heavy.  Yeast was perfectly proofed... high and bubbly.

After the first proof, the very damp towel stuck to the high dome of dough - bummer.

Was that the problem?

thanks for helping!!

dmsnyder's picture
dmsnyder

This is almost surely due to over-proofing.

If you have questions about the purpose and effects of scoring, I recommend reading the Scoring tutorial in the TFL Handbook.

David

Maggie Lou's picture
Maggie Lou

Gosh, I don't see how I could have let it over proof.  It called for 2-3 hours, and I looked in at 1.25 hours because it had risen dramatically and I was concerned about it sticking to the damp towel (which it did).  I just took it out, dumped it onto the table. rested it and began to incorporate some flour to knead it.  Then it doubled - or nearly - in an hour the second time around.  After putting it the preheat of 400 it sunk.

Anyway, I will definately read on scoring. 

Thanks David.  i appreciate your input.

Maggie Lou