Problems with Dough not baking fully around cheese stuffing
I've been trying my hand at making a soft white bread loaf that is stuffed with cheese. I made it today and a thin layer of dough surrounding the cheese did not get baked through. Although the rest of the bread baked through, it's still very doughy only in that area. However, the loaf itself did past the tapping=hollow test, so I figured it was completely done.
I figure either the problem is the cheese, my shaping technique or maybe I should just bake it a few minutes longer. The cheese I used was a queso criollo (a Mexican cheese which is soft and has a pretty high moisture content). When I shaped the loaf, I flattened it out to about 10 cm height then I placed about 10 cm rectangle of cheese into the center, then closed the dough around it. I baked the loaf for about 18 minutes at 350 degress F. Which of these aspects are most likely to be the culprit?
Here's the ingredient list
.5 kg flour
1 cup 2 TB water
50 grams lard
10 grams salt
3 Tb sugar
1 Tb active dry yeast
you probably ended up with too much cheese all in the same place. Why don't you try to distribute the cheese more evenly using S&F's? Every time you make a stretch, put some cheese down, then fold and put some cheese on top of the fold. Then stretch from another corner and do the same once all 4 corners are folded then shape into a ball and rest. The do another set of S&F's to develop the gluten and spread the cheese out. Any cheese that is stocking out when you shape, just poke them back in.
When I have a lot of add ins I use several S&F's to get them all incorporated and evenly distributed.
I guess that makes sense. I think it also has to do with the fact that I don't really stretch and fold. I just wrapped the dough around the cheese rather haphazardly like it was a sandwich wrap.
I'll try out the S&F next time I make the bread. Thank you.
Another possibility is rolling and/or patting the dough out flat at the end of the bulk fermentation. Form it into a rectangle, spread the cheese all over and then roll the dough into a log. This will work if all else is right.
Jeff
You should also get yourself a good instant read thermometer. Make sure your bread is at least 200 degrees F. before taking out of the oven. I'm surprised your loaf is done so quickly only cooking at 350 degrees.
Yes, I was a bit surprised it was done so quickly too. But, I assumed since it passed the tap test, that it was completely cooked. But, I'll use a thermometer next time.
Are you sure what you are seeing is undercooked dough? I make cheese bread all the time, and I have noticed that the fats in the cheese tend to saturate the dough as the cheese melts, making it feel gummy right around the chunks of cheese, although the loaf is completely cooked.
Another possibility is that with so much moisture being released during the bake, the temperature right in that area is much lower than the outer portion, resulting in undercooking. I either grate the cheese or cut it into small chunks to avoid that. Some people coat the cheese in flour before they put it in the bread, but I have no idea if that a helps.
I'm definitely sure it was dough rather than fat. But, I think you have a good point about the moisture causing a lower temperature. I'll try to cut the cheese smaller next time.