January 2, 2012 - 4:47pm
why is the Jim Lahey no knead bread not working in my new oven?!
hi all,
in my old place, i had a smaller oven, electric with fan. and bread turned out amazing, great oven spring with the jim lahey no knead bread. even once, i didn't preheat, as an experiment and it still turned out great. now at my new place, eventhough i love the oven here, and can fit in maybe three pots at once, and bake full length baguettes, but.....my jim lahey bread is not the same! it sticks on the bottom, doesnt rise as much, takes longer to cook :(
welcome any advice plz, thanks in advance :)
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here are some pics, if it helps:
thanks again for any help :)
What kind of oven is the new oven? A new oven may require adjusting your process to how it works. A few tips:
Also consider the water: try making the recipe with bottled water and see if it helps. Water quality does affect oven spring and the final product, and if you've moved, your water quality may have changed.
BTW, are you baking these no-kneads in a dutch oven? Baking wet doughs in a container (like a D.O. or a bread pan) will help give your bread lift.
thank you for replying. sorry i forgot to mention, its also electric oven with fan, different brand though and larger. i will try everything you've suggested and see. i am baking in pots, and usually i'd get great oven spring and cracks on the bread loaves. these didn't open up at all. oh well, like you said i think i need to adjust to this oven. hope i find a way. also, with my previous oven, i used to be able to bake from a cool oven and get excellent oven spring, not with this one. thanks again :)
checked oven temperature?
Not really. I don't hav one of those oven thermometer thingies. I jus crank it up to it's max temp and preheat.
So do u think heat is affecting it? As in too hot or not hot enough?
You preheat your oven to max temp? What is the listed max temp of your oven?
It's hard to say how heat is affecting it, definitely go get an oven thermometer and take some measurements.
max is maybe over 250 degrees C, as it shows this temp as the highest, but then you can still turn the dial further, if that makes sense.
should i use a baking paper sling to avoid sticking? i never had this prob before, though i know some here on this forum have experience similar prob with sticking or burning on the bottom.