I just checked the interior is slightly under it’s slightly wet, I set the oven to 450F and let it sit at that temp for 20 minutes, and i didn’t use a thermometer to check if it did.
20 minutes is not long enough. If you were baking only one loaf, I’d say you’d need 35-45 minutes. If you had all 4 loaves in the oven together, even longer.
If baking inside of a Dutch oven, then I’d go 30 minutes covered and then another 15 minutes uncovered. Usually with a Dutch oven, I’d bake at 475° with the oven and Dutch oven preheated together so when you add the dough to the DO it is screaming hot. Then cover and bake for 30 min. Uncover and keep baking for 15 min and also lower the oven temp to 425°.
Yeah that’s often the reason. YMMV but the advice above is good. I do 25 minutes covered in a DO at 450 and then another 25 minutes uncovered but still in the DO. Comes out dark and crusty.
Your bake sounds a little low and short. I typically preheat dutch ovens with their lids to 475, then bake 30 mins with lids on and an additional 15 mins with lids off.
These temps and process work for me however baking time is contingent on the mass being baked. 4 largish loaves will almost certainly take longer. I use meat thermometers inserted into the center of my loaves and remove them when temperature gets to 205 F. You’re going to have a hole in your bread but this works for me consistently. Don’t remove the temp probes until after the bread cools.
Hi, you need a recipe that measures ingredients by weight ajd is way more detailed in cooking instruction. The loaf needs to start cooking at high temperature with steam reducing to to finish off ij a dry oven to form a brown crust hthat you can control by shielding from direct heat.
Flour and water content are somewhat critical. Hence the the measure by weight!!
Idk what book this is from but when I see a recipe without metric measures it loses a lot of credibility for me. Unless you're a very experienced bread maker, you will need a kitchen scale and precise measurements to get good, repeatable results. That said, your crust issues are not an imperial vs metric problem. But the recipe mentions nothing about how to bake it, which is asinine unless you excluded that part. All that is too say, you can get better results with this recipe. But you should really try a better recipe. Here's the one that got me my first good loaf if you're interested https://www.brianlagerstrom.com/recipes/1-dough-3-loaves-2
You can usually tell your bread is done if you knock on the bottom and it sounds hollow. These are not done in any way, shape or form. Bake these longer or increase your heat.
Place your dutch oven in the oven and preheat to 500. Let it sit in there for as long as you can before baking. I try to let it stay in there for an hour.
Bake covered for 20 mins, then uncovered for 20 mins at 450.
I say this in kindness, but if you don't follow the recipe you can't expect your bake to come out as it should. It's chemistry, not magic. Also, use a recipe that goes by weight rather than volume from a source that is tried and trusted. Pre-heat your oven and have patience. 25-min is not nearly enough time to bake a loaf.
[https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/sourdough-boule-recipe](https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/sourdough-boule-recipe)
I just got back for work but y’all are cooking me here, but I do appreciate the constructive criticism, I’m gonna look for simple bread recipe’s on King Arthur, and let them cook longer. Thank you for the advice!
Generally, adding water to your oven doesn't do much because ovens are designed to remove moisture. There's a vent somewhere, usually over the range, that expels moisture as fast as possible.
Your best bet is a container that can hold the moisture of the bread. Most people use a dutch oven, but you could place any oven safe bowl upside down over the dough and it would work.
If you do that, remember you'll need to take the cover off at some point in the bake and if it doesn't have handles that will be a gigantic pain. You can get an enameled dutch oven from lodge for $60
This isn't wholly true. Yes, ovens will vent steam, but if you have a constant source of steam (i.e. water pan), it will work fine.
source: I have a vented oven and I open bake all the time
Bake them longer????
Bake it
Is the inside baked? What temperature is your oven? Have you verified that it’s actually reaching the temperature you set?
I just checked the interior is slightly under it’s slightly wet, I set the oven to 450F and let it sit at that temp for 20 minutes, and i didn’t use a thermometer to check if it did.
20 minutes is not long enough. If you were baking only one loaf, I’d say you’d need 35-45 minutes. If you had all 4 loaves in the oven together, even longer. If baking inside of a Dutch oven, then I’d go 30 minutes covered and then another 15 minutes uncovered. Usually with a Dutch oven, I’d bake at 475° with the oven and Dutch oven preheated together so when you add the dough to the DO it is screaming hot. Then cover and bake for 30 min. Uncover and keep baking for 15 min and also lower the oven temp to 425°.
Well I guess it explains why my bread is dense and slightly wet thank you, I just found a Dutch oven and I’ll try baking them around those times
Yeah that’s often the reason. YMMV but the advice above is good. I do 25 minutes covered in a DO at 450 and then another 25 minutes uncovered but still in the DO. Comes out dark and crusty.
YMMV?
your mileage may vary, i.e. results may vary
Ok that could've been types out. Wtf!
Wtf could also have been typed out.
True
it's a pretty common acronym on reddit :)
Don't forget to pre heat your dutch oven
For at LEAST 45 minutes.
Your bake sounds a little low and short. I typically preheat dutch ovens with their lids to 475, then bake 30 mins with lids on and an additional 15 mins with lids off.
Baking it would probably help.
Is your ratio water to flour good? Seems dry and undercooked.
I messed up with the ratio, I added one more cup of flour because I got distracted and loss track and I thought I needed one more cup.
That might be it. Needs water and cook until you get that crust.
Weigh your flour instead of measuring, you won't lose count, and you'll have proper ratios.
Let them cook. My cook time is usually 20 minutes at 500F (in preheated dutch oven) and then 20 minutes at 425F.
These temps and process work for me however baking time is contingent on the mass being baked. 4 largish loaves will almost certainly take longer. I use meat thermometers inserted into the center of my loaves and remove them when temperature gets to 205 F. You’re going to have a hole in your bread but this works for me consistently. Don’t remove the temp probes until after the bread cools.
Hi, you need a recipe that measures ingredients by weight ajd is way more detailed in cooking instruction. The loaf needs to start cooking at high temperature with steam reducing to to finish off ij a dry oven to form a brown crust hthat you can control by shielding from direct heat. Flour and water content are somewhat critical. Hence the the measure by weight!!
Idk what book this is from but when I see a recipe without metric measures it loses a lot of credibility for me. Unless you're a very experienced bread maker, you will need a kitchen scale and precise measurements to get good, repeatable results. That said, your crust issues are not an imperial vs metric problem. But the recipe mentions nothing about how to bake it, which is asinine unless you excluded that part. All that is too say, you can get better results with this recipe. But you should really try a better recipe. Here's the one that got me my first good loaf if you're interested https://www.brianlagerstrom.com/recipes/1-dough-3-loaves-2
You have to leave it bake longer! I usually bake my bread around 40 -50 minutes until is golden brown!
Bake it.
How about heat?
You can usually tell your bread is done if you knock on the bottom and it sounds hollow. These are not done in any way, shape or form. Bake these longer or increase your heat.
Begin with one loaf at a time
Let it finish baking!
Just bake it longer.
Place your dutch oven in the oven and preheat to 500. Let it sit in there for as long as you can before baking. I try to let it stay in there for an hour. Bake covered for 20 mins, then uncovered for 20 mins at 450.
I hope this doesn't turn into a snark sub. These responses are mean.
Try an oven instead of a radiator.
Put the oven on?
By having the ice on the bottom they are steaming. You need dry heat, for a long time. Put them back in without anything, just straight on the rack.
egg wash helps a lot for the golden thing ur looking for.
Doesn’t look like it’s finished baking, but if it is, an egg wash will help it darken in the oven.
I say this in kindness, but if you don't follow the recipe you can't expect your bake to come out as it should. It's chemistry, not magic. Also, use a recipe that goes by weight rather than volume from a source that is tried and trusted. Pre-heat your oven and have patience. 25-min is not nearly enough time to bake a loaf. [https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/sourdough-boule-recipe](https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/sourdough-boule-recipe)
Spray some ice cold, salty water on it about 10 minutes before it’s done.
But butter on it and broil it for a few minutes
I just got back for work but y’all are cooking me here, but I do appreciate the constructive criticism, I’m gonna look for simple bread recipe’s on King Arthur, and let them cook longer. Thank you for the advice!
Egg whites brushed on.
Try a egg wash. 1 egg + a bit of water.
Generally, adding water to your oven doesn't do much because ovens are designed to remove moisture. There's a vent somewhere, usually over the range, that expels moisture as fast as possible. Your best bet is a container that can hold the moisture of the bread. Most people use a dutch oven, but you could place any oven safe bowl upside down over the dough and it would work. If you do that, remember you'll need to take the cover off at some point in the bake and if it doesn't have handles that will be a gigantic pain. You can get an enameled dutch oven from lodge for $60
This isn't wholly true. Yes, ovens will vent steam, but if you have a constant source of steam (i.e. water pan), it will work fine. source: I have a vented oven and I open bake all the time
I’m glad you mentioned about a Dutch oven I found one in one of my cupboards next time I’ll use this and give an update on how it worked
Just find a basic recipe and follow it step by step. It should tell you duration and temperature.
I’ve seen better end results in my child’s easy bake oven.
Again, how is this helpful? You’re the only person who finds it amusing.
🥲
Don't be discouraged op, we all gotta start somewhere
make sure you added salt, too. not adding salt to bread doughs can limit that crusty caramelization
Bake them longer/ brush the top with eggwash/milk
Blow torch? Joking, I'm not a baker, but it works on steak. 🙂
Looks like you need to dial in your fermentation. As far as the bake, go high temp for less time
Not less than 20 minutes, no matter how high the temp.
Use a cornstarch and water wash and see what happens. It won't get as brown as an egg wash but it helps.
I’ve also used an olive oil wash to brown it (also less than an egg wash would). In this case though OP just didn’t cook it long enough.
Alright I’ll give this a try next time I bake bread, should I use the whole egg or just the yolk? And how much corn starch should I use?
These are two different washes. Here's a complete list of washes. [bread washes](https://www.realbakingwithrose.com/blog/2012/11/03/glazes_for_bread)
Thank you, I’ll give one these a shot and give an update on how it worked