The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

An alien came out of my oven

Emilyx's picture
Emilyx

An alien came out of my oven

I'm not sure if the pictures will load, but my bread seems to have exploded in the oven. Out of the bottom of the dough (where the seam was sitting FLAT on the baking paper) has come a bulbous tumor that looks like an alien.

I thought I had over-kneaded the dough before baking, so could this be the reason for the phenomena?

Any advice is appreciated!

Andy Weston's picture
Andy Weston

It looks as if you did not score the top of the loaf before you baked it.

When the loaf starts to bake, it seeks out the weakest point to expand, hence the result as shown.

Hope that helps ;-)

Emilyx's picture
Emilyx

Does this mean my oven spring is improving?? I often don't score my dough since the cut often doesn't open or anything.

Andy Weston's picture
Andy Weston

Don't worry about every loaf opening up, the slash encourages the loaf to expand where you want it to and will stop the bottom blowing out ;-)

pmccool's picture
pmccool

while shaping, leaving a weak zone that broke apart as the loaf sprang.

Paul

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

we are seeing is the broken bottom of the boule.  The brown crust is the escaping dough.  Crumb shot on a newer post gives another picture.