Submitted by rmullins on November 16, 2008 - 11:02pm
I was hoping to get a little help with a problem I am having. I shape my loaves, (finally starting to get the hang of it) and once I get it pretty, I set it aside to proof. Upon rising the dough tears, sometimes quite horribly. The bread tastes great, but the asthetics of this torn bread is driving me crazy. I am thinking at this time, maybe I need to knead it a bit longer or maybe I need to add gluten. Anybody have any ideas?
Thanks in advance.
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Well, first off, make sure
Well, first off, make sure you protect the top of the dough from drying out while rising. I usually use a bit of spray oil on the top, and then cover with plastic wrap or a tinfoil tent (depending on if the dough will rise above the surface of the container).
You could also increase the hydration of the recipe a bit. And lastly, I'd make sure you're getting a true window pane during kneeding.
As for gluten, unless you're dealing with whole grains, there shouldn't be any need (assuming you're using a flour with at least 10-11% protein in it (your average AP)).