October 4, 2014 - 11:30am
The crust
My bread turn out fairly good crumb and crusts are OK, however they are never smooth, since the dough gets too tacky and depute all its surface is never very smooth and I cannot ever score it properly. The look is too organic at times, and i have hard time handling the sticky surface while shaping, since i dont want to go on using flour or oil all the time to smooth it.
See attached the image of a cheese bread i baked today, the crust is not so smooth as I would want it to be.
I need some tips here.
Thanks
Farah
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It looks like your crust is drying out during proof. I often handle my dough with wet hands and tools, and I'm always rinsing my hands. I also proof under plastic, to keep humidity high.
Do you have a formula and process?
Good luck!
I agree. The crust is drying out during the proof. Then when you bake it cant expand cracking the bread. The presence of flour still on the bread confirms that. Make sure the crust doesnt dry during proof by covering or placing in a proofer with proper humidity. Also your not steaming the bread during the first part of the bake. Steam will help keep the crust soft allowing expansion and aid in the maillard reaction giving a nice golden color to the crust your looking for.