baking temperatures for Reinhart's Artisan Breads
As I've posted elsewhere, I'm working my way through Peter Reinehart's Artisan Breads everyday. I'm puzzled by the fact that some of the recipes give a baking temperature of 350oF 0r 177oC. eg. most, but not all of the breads in the 'Enriched Breads' section. I can't see an explanation for this lower temperature, nor a common denominator. I baked a struan yesterday, and decided to compromise on heating the oven to its full capacity, 250oC, then turning it down to 200oC for 20 minutes, then down to 175oC for another 15 minutes. While the bread tastes good , the crust was soft, and certainly tapping on the bottom did not give the hollow sound which is supposed to indicate the bread is cooked. I didn't think I had as much oven spring as I should have, although this might be related to the 'steam in the oven' issue which I raised in another thread. I thought it might be that the additional ingredients (oil, honey) would lead to an overly browned crust, and admittedly after 20 minutes I put a piece of baking paper over the top to prevent it from browning too much, but the result was not nearly as well browned as other breads I've baked at higher temperatures. I'd much prefer a crisper crust. I'd be interested to hear from anyone who has made these breads, and the temperature you used.
Margaret