The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Oven spring, where are you?

staff of life's picture
staff of life

Oven spring, where are you?

I think I may be having a problem with my oven.  I turn these beautifully shaped boules out of their bannetons, slash them (and manage most times not to deflate them) and in the oven, they brown, but there's not a lot of spring.  I have the problem also with my other breads, but it's more noticeable in the boules.  My oven does have an air circulation problem--even though I use baking stones, if I try to make a standard sandwich loaf of bread, it will rise up very high on one side of the bread, and normally on the other.  I never had that problem before I had this oven.  So I don't know if it's the oven, or (which I kinda hope, because if it's not that, then it's) my technique.  I called the repair man, thinking that an element had gone out, and he replaced the thermostat, but the problem remains.  And ideas?  Please!?!

ryan's picture
ryan

staff of life,

some questions:

was your dough proofed (i have in my denial put in some dead dough... :))?was your dough over proofed (if so it will loose it's power in rising)?is your oven calibrated (if not the correct temperature you will get no oven spring)?was your oven preheated for 45-60 min. prior to baking? (same issue)

i've found in baking my boules that reading multiple recipes on how the are produced/ risen/ shaped and proofed to be the most beneficial and based on that I create a technique that works for me the best.

good luck,

ryan

 

staff of life's picture
staff of life

Caro--

Even if I turn it around (and I did an experiment once, turning it around every 2 minutes for the first half of baking), it still is almost as bad as if I left it alone, and then I've let the oven temp drop.

Does anyone know if bread rises better in a hot (450 degree) or not so hot (375 degree) oven?  Most of my breads are in a hot oven. 

I think that with the thermostat replacement, the oven was also recalibrated.  I'm not putting in a dead dough or one that's overproofed (I'm assuming the only hint in over-proofing is the wrinkled, flat top of the baked bread), and I'm letting the oven run for about an hour with the stones in it before I start baking.  (Yay winter!)

I have a new double oven that's sitting in my dining room awaiting hook-up.  I'm anxious to try it out and see if it is indeed my oven that's the problem!