The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Help, bottom burns

Gkarl's picture
Gkarl

Help, bottom burns

my sourdough is getting over cooked on the bottom. I have done the obvious like raise the shelf level and lower the temp from 475 to 450.  Any lower and I won’t have the crust. I take it out a little under done to have the least impact - 400 degrees

is it possibly due to preheating the pots. It happens equally in a regular cast iron pan and an enameled coated (white) pan.  I’m just thinking that is the part of the bread in constant contact with the surface.  Sorry I don’t have pictues

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

:)

David R's picture
David R

Let's say you're probably right - have you tried a shorter preheat, or even no preheat? I know that the heated container is supposed to improve your bread, but obviously, burnt or overdone bread is not the kind of improvement you want. ?

This difference may be because of your oven, your container, or even your recipe; this means that if you later got a different oven or a new pot, you might have to change strategies again. Start out by following the instructions of course, but once you've discovered that a recipe is failing in a predictable way and you're pretty sure why, don't hesitate to experiment and make a change. Every recipe is built on some set of assumptions - they don't always turn out to be true.

Gkarl's picture
Gkarl

i use an electric oven rather new and I have checked the temperature and it is accurate. The recipe is about 75 percent hydration 740 g white flour and 60 g whole wheat.

Danni3ll3's picture
Danni3ll3

Use that mode and it should help. That’s what I do otherwise I also get burnt bottoms. 

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

then they are too hot.  

Levaineer's picture
Levaineer

I had this problem for a while too. My solution is to bake in the cast iron with lid on at 475 for 25 minutes. After that I take the loaf out of the cast iron and place the loaf directly on the oven wrack until it is finished baking--usually another 20 minutes. This technique allows me to get good color on the crust without burning the bottom. 

earl turnipseed's picture
earl turnipseed

I would stay with the oven temp and time of pre-heat and then:

-put a cookie sheet pan between floor of oven and baking rack

-sprinkle corn meal on bottom of baking pan just before inserting dough

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

For the oven?  A dail or choice of upper/lower heat, upper heat, lower heat, etc.?