Crust color mystery!
Hello, these loaves are basically Robertson Tartine using KAAF and are from the same bake. The size differential is due to the lazy baker who failed to weigh the loaves. The color differential has happened repeatedly (even when I measure weights). This has happened time and again. I retard my loaves overnight in the refrigerator in couch lined with linen with encrusted rice flour - I rarely add more rice flour. The loaves come out beautifully from the couch. I bake in a home electric oven (old Dacor) and use a steam hood (chaffing dish cover with hole) and steam generator. Since I cannot fit the two loaves under my steam hood I bake them one at a time. The bake was done with preheat to 550 degrees convection with a baking stone filling almost all of the rack. I remove one loaf from refrigeration, load one loaf, steam for 30 sec and turn oven down to 425 degrees. Leaving steam in place for 18 minutes and removing lid to finish the bake for about 12 minutes. I reheat the oven at 550 degrees until the stone is hot (using a heat gun to check), take the second loaf out of the refrigerator and do the exact same thing with the second loaf. The white loaf above is the second loaf in this bake and it is always the second loaf that is whiter! The crusts are similar in texture and the crumb is the same and very nice. Has anyone seen this phenomenon? Any explanation? Any cure??? Thanks to you all in advance! Jane