The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Urgent(ish) Please: Adjusting Baking Time / Temp for a larger loaf

Martin Crossley's picture
Martin Crossley

Urgent(ish) Please: Adjusting Baking Time / Temp for a larger loaf

Hey there all!  I've been away far too long :)

I'm baking a larger than normal loaf (1.5kg or 3.3lb) - just realised I don't know how to adjust the time/temp from my normal  one (1kg or 2.2lb)

Due to requests from the family for a squarer loaf (tuh!) last time I baked my 1kg (2.2lb) wheat sd loaf (70% hydration, 20% wholemeal, 20% leavain) in a steel square-sided tin. It worked really well the first time, but the tin is a little bigger than I expected so this time I have increased the quantity of dough to 1.5kg (3.3lb).

Having just put the fully-proved loaf in the fridge to chill for an hour, I've just realised I don't know how to adjust the cooking time/temp for this larger loaf (D'oh!)

Normally baking it free-standing I give it 25min in a 220 deg C (430 deg F) fan-forced oven then reduce to 200 deg C (400 deg F) for a further 15min. This seemed to work find for the tin version too, last time.

Any suggestions how (if at all!) I should adjust the cooking temp/time for the larger loaf - answers before I have to put it in the over would be much appreciated LoL :-)

Cheers and happy baking

Martin

Martin Crossley's picture
Martin Crossley

I read somewhere that the internal temperature should be slightly under 100 deg C when it's read to come out, so I might try that.  I've never been too convinced by the 'sounding hollow' thing - they always sound hollow to me...

hreik's picture
hreik

temp of 195 - 210 F.  So 90 - 98 C or there about.

hester

Martin Crossley's picture
Martin Crossley

Thanks Hester :) yes, that's what I did in the end - it only needed an extra 5 mins in the end (it was up to about 95 deg C in the middle. It's cooling at the moment, so I'll find out when I cut it :)

hreik's picture
hreik

It's like cooking anything.... depends on shape and that's why it is so crucial to have the proper thermometer...
Very glad all is okay.  I recognize the panicked feeling....

hester

Martin Crossley's picture
Martin Crossley

hreik's picture
hreik

just lovely.

Hope you'll post a crumb shot.

Martin Crossley's picture
Martin Crossley

When it's fresh and crusty like this, I could just eat the LOT - dunking the end slice in olive oil and munching it as I type ;)

 

Crumb shot

David R's picture
David R

... had been as hot as possible for the original loaf, then you would have needed to reduce it a bit for the larger loaf. But obviously your original temp was not pushing the limit (i.e. the limit of what the bread could stand, not how high the oven would go), so it worked out fine.