March 11, 2022 - 4:20pm
Bloom Out or Bloom In?
I should have paid attention to this all along, but it just came to me…
For anyone that cooks two loaves at once…
The wall of the oven maintains heat more than the center of the oven during the first 20 minutes without convection on. During that time, do you have the bloom facing the wall and opening away from it like this photo, or the other way around. Has anyone ever messed with that to see if it matters?
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I think my 10-year-old Samsung oven has uneven heating between the 5 surfaces, that is the reason the fan runs to circular heat more evenly even in conventional bake mode. I think every oven is different so you will have to experiment to see what works in yours.
I usually bake one at a time but I have always put the ear towards the back of the oven to shield the bloom. I do the same with three baguettes. Closer to the walls is more radiant heat that can lead to an uneven bake if it is not rotated. I look at a slice of toast made from the loaf to determine how even the bake was.
That's what I'm trying to wrap my head around... And see where you're going with it....
Do you want the ear side of the dough pliable so it can open and have the bloom firm up as it appears, or will the bloom force the ear side back regardless and having the bloom go longer without firming up is better?
Probably just have to run a few experiments and see what works best in my oven...
The only pliable crust happens at the slash line so shielding that spot from radiant heat will prevent it from it from getting dry and seizing up. That is my thinking but I can't say for sure that it makes a difference. It will be interesting to see what works for you.
Don
Such an interesting question Troy. I only bake one loaf at a time and I place it end in so the score is perpendicular to the back of the oven. I’ve never thought to place the score parallel to the back of the oven where there is more of a heat sink.
Don’s idea that the ear be placed towards the back of the oven makes some sense to me because the bloom would be further away from that the back of the oven heat sink.
I hope you experiment and let us know what you find with your oven!
Benny