Can anyone help me please…
I am helping my sister in law get started on her sourdough journey. She has made yeasted breads over the years successfully. This is the second time (her second sourdough bake) that she has had this result - almost white top.
She is baking in an enamelled roasting dish , but using a loaf tin. Baking using fan (Bosch electric oven so 4D hot air setting) at 235°C for 10 minutes after cold over night retard. Then 15-30 minutes without lid.
I don’t know what to suggest as I have never had this problem. I have suggested her next bake could be free form to see if it is the loaf tin causing the problem.
Any suggestions gratefully received
Leslie
PS Photo is too large to upload so sides and bottom are golden brown but top virtually white. There was some oven spring and crumb is close not particularly open. It is approx 45% wholewheat.
Comments
Why not bake in the pan, but don’t use the roasting dish.
She lives about 100 kms away so I haven’t actually seen her setup. She is only making one loaf at a time so maybe next time she should make two and try some different ways. There are lots of other things to tweak as you know but getting the colour good will be a good start.
thanks Danny,
Leslie
then using the roasting pan as an enclosure during the early stages of the bake makes perfect sense. Perhaps your SIL could go a step further and remove the loaf tin from the roaster for the second stage of the bake, rather than simply removing the roaster lid. That may expose the top to more of the circulating air in the oven, allowing more even browning.
Curiosity question: Does the top of the loaf crest above the rim of the loaf tin? If the top of the loaf is level with, or below the level of, the loaf tin, it may not be getting much benefit from the fan.
Second curiosity question: Does the oven have a top heating element? If so, does it come on at all when the 4D hot air setting is in use? If it does not, then she may want to consider a different setting that would also utilize the top element (assuming that there is one).
Paul
I do not know if the loaf crests the pan so will ask that too.
My Bosch oven is similar to hers (not sure if it is the same model) and I get good colour but will suggest that she also tries another setting eg top and bottom heat to see if that helps.
I will try to visit in next couple of weeks and have a look. As I mentioned to Danny, she is 100 km away so not just down the road. I will try to get her to bake when I visit as well.
thanks for your suggestions Paul I will pass them all on
Leslie