Dear fellow bakers, I've wanted to try a sourdough challah recipe for some time and finally got around to doing that, using Maggie Glezer's recipe very helpfully posted here: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/4200/sourdough-challah-photos-recipe
Everything seemed fine along the way, and the bread tastes like it should, but the crust of the final loaf cracked all the way along one side, as illustrated in the picture. Was this due to poor shaping on my part or something else? I've made challah for years, but only with instant yeast and never sourdough, and I don't recall ever having this problem before. Thanks for your help. Always trying to improve!
Ellen
https://www.dropbox.com/s/60fg45eu1l33y59/sourdough%20challah.JPG
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2137570/Bread/sourdough%20challah%2C%20cracked%20crust.JPG
It is very easy to rush a sourdough when comparing to instant yeast. Otherwise the color is excellent! Looks like some condition might have set the crust too prematurely forcing the oven spring between the braids. Steam?
A little bit of riping would not stop my family from cutting and enjoying it. Contrarily, they see the tears as an open invitation! Lol "Soft schread crumb! ...Attack!"
Did you perhaps at some point during braiding "pull" the strands in order to make them meet maybe? Challah braid should come together very loosely IE: let them just fall into place.
Good Luck,
Ray
I have to agree with this one. I used to have this problem until I started not braiding so tight. There was a post about this a while ago by Stan (aka Elagins) one of the writers of Inside the Jewish Bakery:
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/25962/perfecting-challah#comment-193189
I bake this weekly just about and I think it is under proofing. This recipe (when I am paying attention) needs to proof and you will see bubbles in the dough. Once you have made it a couple of times you will have it down.
Great job and keep on baking. This is my favorite challah recipe.
Eli