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CAUSES
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SOLUTIONS
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| Loaves bulge and split at the bottom edges or sides of loaves. |
- The loaves did not rise long enough.
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- Let the loaves nearly double in size before baking.
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- Gases did not have an escape route.
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- Make a few slashes on the top of the loaves, so gases created during baking have a controlled escape.
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| Loaves puff up initially in oven, but fall by the time the bread is baked. |
- The dough proofed too long, especially if the texture of the bread is coarse.
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- If dough over-proofs, reshape and proof again. The subsequent proofing period will be much shorter.
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| Loaves do not puff up well during baking. Loaves are somewhat flat. |
- Dough was too warm when placed in the oven.
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- Avoid proofing free-form loaves in a very warm location. You’ll actually get better “oven-spring” if the internal temperature of the dough is 50-55°F when placing in a hot oven.
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- Dough was too wet.
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- If dough hydration is too high, the dough will be too slack to hold its shape. Try adding a little more flour or a little less liquid to the dough.
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- Bread was baked at too low a temperature.
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- Bake free-form breads at 400°F, for best results.
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- Dough was handled too roughly in transferring to the oven.
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- Shape bread on a piece of parchment, proof, then slide loaf, parchment and all, onto baking stone when ready to bake.
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| Texture of bread is dry. |
- Hydration level is too low.
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- Use less flour and/or a little more water in preparing dough.
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- Bread baked too long.
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- Use an instant-read thermometer to make sure bread is 190-205°F before removing from oven. Bread will lose too much liquid through evaporation if baked too long.
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| Crust seems fine when removed from the oven, but gets soft when it cools. |
- Bread was not baked long enough.
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- Bake the bread a little longer. Use an instant-read thermometer to make sure bread is 190-205°F before removing from oven.
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| Loaves spread out or do not hold shape while rising.
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- Dough too soft to hold its shape.
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- Proof in a basket or use spring-form pan ring to hold dough's shape during rising. Place the dough on parchment paper first, then easily transfer loaf plus parchment directly onto a hot baking stone.
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- Knead dough well to sufficiently develop the gluten, to help dough hold its shape.
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Crust is not crisp enough.
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- Bread requires high humidity during baking to produce a crispy crust.
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- Add steam to oven during baking. Spray walls of oven with a fine mist of water immediately before placing the loaf in; spray again after 5-10 minutes of baking.
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Bread is doughy in the center.
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- Bake 30-45 minutes at 400ºF. Insert an instant-read thermometer into the center of the loaf to check for doneness.
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- If dough hydration is too high, the dough will be too slack to hold its shape. Add a little more flour or a little less liquid to the dough.
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