December 6, 2023 - 7:07am
Ruptured grigne
I posted about my scoring and ear last week, but now I think I have a better idea of what's happening and better questions to ask. I believe the grigne on these loaves burst after the initial bloom, exposing deeper layers of dough. My baking/steaming method is the following:
- preheat oven, steel, and pan of lava rocks to 450°F for one hour
- remove the proofed loaves from the fridge and turn them out of their bannetons onto the peel
- stuff towels into the oven vent to keep stream from escaping
- score loaves, place on the baking steel, pour about a cup of water onto the rocks, and turn off the oven
- bake with steam for 15 minutes
- remove towels from vent, turn the oven back on to 450°F (it cooled down to about 300°F during that time), and place wire cooling racks between steel and loaves
- bake without steam for 35 minutes
Is the ruptured grigne a sign that I need to bake with steam for longer? Or score more deeply? If there's more potential for oven spring than I'm getting with the initial score, I'd like to be able to take advantage of it. Any advice would be appreciated!
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However, you could let your final fermentation run a bit longer. That will reduce the amount of oven spring that you are experiencing and, therefore, the amount of tearing that comes with it.
Paul