Issues with banneton loaf | The Fresh Loaf

Hi Everyone,

Hoping you could help me - I've been baking sourdough since January, mostly round boules. I haven't really had any issues with these so i decided to move onto longer banneton shaped loves.

The problem I am having is during the bake with banneton loaves - the loaf never seems to split properly along the score line. I have attached some pictures below so you can see what I mean.

I was cooking at 230 degrees for 20 mins for the initial blast, turning down to 200 for the last 20.

I thought it might be that it was cooking too quickly so have tried turning the oven down by 20 degrees at the beginning and adding more steam but it doesn't seem to help.

I score down the middle about an inch deep.

Anyone got any ideas? Thanks for your time.

Are you able to post any more photos of your breads in question? End profile shots and from the side to see what the oven spring was like. In that second photo there is a side bulge so there seems to be a second place in your loaf that wasn’t strong enough so all the rise wasn’t going up through the score. Crumb photos would also be useful to see the degree of fermentation because if the dough is overproofed it is hard to get good oven spring and ear.

I wonder if you’re getting enough structure and surface tension, Both are needed to get good oven spring and an ear.

Welcome to TFL, and the sourdough bread club!

The loaves look like they were baked in a convection oven, and the moving air, and/or top heating element "set" the top crust before the loaves were fully expanded. The smooth dark crust, flat dark bloom, flat ears, and the side bulge in the 2nd photo are the clues.

Can you please describe your oven (top, lower, or back side heating elements), can you bake without the fan, etc.? What baking vessels do you have available, like a dutch oven, covered casserole or roaster pan? What is your steaming method ?