A Question for the Bread Mavens
I have been baking bread for years now and feel very comfortable with the process of baking. I am always learning something new or better. But something happened the other day that has me baffled. I was making a Challah and lately I have not been braiding it and making it in a loaf pan. I have never had a problem with it. The last time I baked it was a mess! I tried something different to save me time; I made the dough the night before and put it in the refrigerator. The next morning I took it out and let it sit for about 1 1/2 hours. I preshaped it, let it sit for about 15 minutes and then formed two loaves. Based on past experience, I let it rise for about an hour, set the oven for 375 and cooked it for 22 minutes, according to the recipe.
Here is the recipe based on someones grandmother's recipe:
• 1 1/2 cup warm water, divided
• 1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar, divided
• 2 tablespoons instant (powdered) yeast
• 6 cups flour -- either all white or half white/whole wheat
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup mild honey, plus an extra tablespoon for egg wash, if desired
• 2/3 cups flavorless vegetable or canola oil
• 4 eggs, plus one yolk for egg wash, if desired
• 1 pinch ground cardamom, optional
From the recipe: "Feel free to let the dough rise in the refrigerator overnight instead (of letting it rise outside the fridge); if you do this, be sure to set out the dough in plenty of time before shaping, so it can come to room temperature".
I did let it rise however, my mistake, then put it in the fridge overnight. I think this is the problem. What do you think?
You know, that doesn't look like a problem with over proofing. It makes me think of a story a friend told me many years ago. She said when she was growing up on a farm, they baked their own bread. One time the bread rose and baked beautifully, but when they cut it open, it was all hollow inside. She was told it was bad yeast or bacteria that got into the dough and to by no means eat it. They wouldn't even feed it to the chickens. Did you use new yeast? Or flour? That is the only thing I can think of that might cause this problem.
I had some yeast once that was fine and I had kept it in my fridge for a long time. Then one time I used it and the bread looked fine, but the dough smelled odd when it was mixed and after it was baked. Somehow my yeast was contaminated with something else. I threw it out.
I have never seen it but there are many posts about it. It can be a nasty bacillus to get rid of.
If this is less than day old bread. Cool looking cave though having dough run out of it. Needs to be nuked to finish baking.
I'd say under-baked at too high a temp. Looks like only top got browned, so add, uneven temperature.
Needs better heat source under the loaf. What does the bottom of the loaf look like?
that doesn't look like rope to me either, provided that what I think rope looks like is correct!
It's not a good photo, but the crust looks very dark - almost black.
I'm thinking over fermented (world of goo in the middle) combined with a very hot oven and relatively short bake time.
-Gordon