Batard with ear & baquettes
Hello everyone!
As mentioned in my first topic I'm currently trying to make some wheat bread on yeast. I decided to focus on Hamelman's six fold, no kneading bread, because when making it day by day I can make amendments based on previous day. I want to achieve, well, this particular result for batards & baquettes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4or6WUtxl2M
I aldready make it nine times (within 11 days), so I get some experience. But still, no matter what, I can't get batards & baquettes open.
I'm using fresh yeast (10g /kg); I'm starting with water, then add salt, dissolve, yeast, dissolve, and finally bread flour. Floding every 30 minutes, 3h. Preshaping, 15 min, shaping, 60m proofing. once I let it proof for 75 min, but it get to loosey. Today I use 70% of water rather than 73%. In the beginning I was proofing in basket (first two photos), later I started using linen fabic. In the beginning I was going for 35-39min in 240. Now I tend to start with 260 for first 5 min, then 220 for the rest time. Also, I started using fan assisted oven.
I'm also steaming it by pouring one cup of boiling water in additional baking tray, that is in oven all the time. It usually completly evaporate in 15-20 min.
i'm using bread flour, 13% of protein.
Any thoughts? How can I get this breads to open?
There is a few photos, first one is on different recipe - polish 33% of all flour, 69% of water
(Just saw "fan assisted", so it's what we call "convection oven.")
What country are you in, please? Sometimes that gives clues about flour and water.
I'm from Poland ;)
(I admit that I just used google translator for that one with convectional oven).
I'm using polish flour type 750 (13% protein, 0.75% of ash)
I have been in search of a big ear and I finally got a great one this morning. I had a variety of issues I'll try to explain here.
IMG_5055 2.jpg
IMG_5055 2.jpeg
It also looks like you've scored your loaf with the blade perpendicular to the surface. You want your blade more parallel, cutting at around a 30 degree angle. TFL has a good section on scoring techniques.
Finally, I think the final shaping has an impact on the direction that oven spring occurs, and if you score in the right orientation with respect to the expected oven spring you will maximize the ear. My final shaping involves rolling the dough in on itself. During oven spring the dough expands radially outward from the roll, so if you score along the roll instead of around the roll, the expansion will occur into the cut.
Thanks a lot for your reply! And congrats for your beatiful bread!
I just read it - and I will try to use this advices to help my bread ;) I think I may be not putting enough tension for the surface of the loaf
Also, I just get some improvement today (I'm so happy!) I'm not quite there , but there is improvement. For this particular loaf I added preheated steel caressole and sprinkle bread with water. Still, it's little to flat :/
There is a result:
I found making decent loaves in the open in my fan oven impossible, even when using a tray of boiling water underneath for steam. The crust forms and dries out before the oven spring is complete and the thing then just kind of inflates and deforms a bit. I now use a Dutch oven, or use the top part of my combi oven, which is not fan assisted (also a bit small and burny so not ideal). Try making a boule in a large covered pot or casserole, if you have one, but using the same recipe. Failing that, try to bodge a way of putting a cover over the loaf to shield it from the air flow. I have had success in my conventional oven using an upturned baking dish on ramekins on the baking stone, but boy is it a faff, and a bit unsafe really.
TIM
I will try this. I had break with baking (I made ~2kg lithuanian bread for holidays and I'm waiting for it to be eaten) but I will make one tomorrow :) Thanks for advices!
The loaves in the first post look like they have 3 minor problems: 1) not enough steam early in the bake. That causes poor oven spring and dull crust. This may be due to your convection oven, if it is venting the steam. 2) Your loaves are more likely OVER-proofed than under-proofed. If over-proofed, the bloom and oven spring are less. 3) You may not be scoring at a flat enough angle and you may be scoring too deep. That causes the ear to collapse. You might want to look at my scoring tutorial on this site. Scoring Bread: An updated tutorial
Happy baking!
David
First of all, thanks a lot! I found all of yours comments helpful!
Second: After many tries i finally make bread with an ear! I get this from different recipe. Also I bought lava stones for steaming and more solid baking stone.
I will try with my previous recipe next time - but I will shorten proofing time
I can see from the gradation in color of the grigne (bloom) that the cut opened up gradually. This is a sign of good shaping, good steam in the oven and good scoring.
Congratulations!
David
I have the same problem, which drives me crazy. I use baking steel instead of stone and have an oven that uses the fan all the times, so can't get the ear correctly, and it always looks like the photos above
Details, details, details, please :)
If your oven runs a fan continuously, that's going to heat up/dry out the top of the dough quickly so it will not open up as much. If you can find a cover for it (inverted pot, or even an inverted foil tray) you'll get much better rise/open. plus it will self steam making a shinier and crunchier crust. only need to cover for the first 20 mins or so of the bake. then you can remove it and let the crust set. Ideally a preheated Dutch Oven but you can get some decent benefits with improvised covers.
and make sure you are only using bottom heat in the oven, if there's an option for that.
-James
Thanks, @clabatta,
My oven has a steam feature, but no top/bottom separation or fan stop option.
I'm not sure how to test it if it provides enough steam or not, any idea how I may check it?
What's the Make/Model of the oven? I've not worked with an oven like that before, so i'm not much help there with the settings. i would suggest still try to do a portion of covered baking to see if that helps with opening up more.