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bread baking

post #1 of 11
7/19/07 at 6:30pm
Thread Starter 
ok i have a huge question to all those who bake thier own bread.
I make low yeast bread by hand and not in a bread machine. It seems as tho the crust gets really hard even when i butter the tops and when I toast it the crust burns before the rest of the slice browns. What am i doing wrong and how can i change it. or am i just S.O.L.

vampress:suprise:
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post #2 of 11
7/19/07 at 8:01pm
Hello Vampress,

If your crust burns easily it is (probably) because:
It is too dry to start (or cooked to dry)
the starch was not gelatinized properly on the surface.
It contains too much sugar
It contains too much protein

If assuming you are making a simple wheat flour bread (whole or white) without too many other flours or exotic ingredients like fruits, nuts of milk powder and the like.
Assuming you are also talking about a bread baked in a pan to make a slicing loaf.
Assuming you have enough air in the dough before baking and the dough is well developed (kneaded properly).

This is my recommendations:
don't oil or butter the surface. Butter will enhance the browning because of the milk proteins in the butter (no egg wash either).
Butter the pan only but wet the tops with water with a misting spray bottle enough so it shines lightly.
When preheating the oven place a pan of hot water in the bottom.
You can also throw 1/2 cup of water in the preheated oven close 30 sec before placing your loafs.

Bake in the middle of the oven (convection setting if you have it is great for bread)

Increase, if possible, the water in the dough (if your dough is too stiff)

Too much protein in the flour can also brown more quickly (if you add gluten, add less).

Make sure you don't overcook the bread (but I think that is obvious).

Reduce any sugar if you add any.


This is the technical approach, some others here are bakers and can most definitely help.

Luc H.
I eat science everyday, do you?
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post #3 of 11
7/20/07 at 2:29am

Other Possible Reasons for Dark Crust

Here's some suggestions:

1. You may reduce your baking temperature; or
2. You can cover the top of your loaf with aluminium foil when you notice that it is getting brown but the bread has some time to go before it is completely done.
3. You may start baking at the temperature recommended by the recipe, then turn the temperature down to 180 degrees celcius 10 mins after baking. This will reduce the browning while allowing the loaf to continue baking.
4. You can also use a covered loaf pan, the type used for pullman loaves.

I hope the suggestions are helpful.
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post #4 of 11
7/20/07 at 4:59pm
There are dozens and dozens of formulae for bread and it is difficult to know how to answer the question without knowing yours. The suggestions already made are very good but they are making a number of assumptions. Post your formula so we can better answer the question.

Jock
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post #5 of 11
7/21/07 at 6:59am
Moving this to the general baking and pastry questions.
"Notorious stickler" -- The New York Times, January 4, 2004
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post #6 of 11
7/21/07 at 11:26am
Thread Starter 
this is the recipe that i use with this exception
i use half the recipe to make 2 loaves instead of 4 and i use half the yeast
and 1/4 cup of honey, regular milk. double rise loaves

4 cups warm tap water (not hot)
2/3 cup non-fat dry milk powder (instant powdered milk)
1/3 cup sugar or 1/4 cup honey
2 packets or 4 teaspoons dry yeast
1 tablespoon salt
1/3 cup melted margarine or oil
12 cups (approximately) white or whole wheat flour or a combination
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post #7 of 11
7/21/07 at 9:26pm

Too much honey?

Hi Vampress,

I noticed that you did not reduce the honey in the recipe. This could be why the bread browns too quickly. A loaf that is too sweet darkens quickly. This also happens when you add too much sweet fruits like raisins, dates, apricots, etc. Reduce the honey to 2 tbsp and you will get better results. Add jam to the bread when you are eating it if you like it sweet.

I hope you remembered to reduce the water when you add in fresh milk instead of instant powdered milk. This is just a reminder, not related to the browning.
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post #8 of 11
7/24/07 at 8:17pm
Ah! I had a similar question last week but never got around to getting on here to ask. I was making a sweet bread from a machine mix and baking it in the oven. I'm not sure why, but nearly every bread recipe that I've tried has the baking time set for something like 25-30 minutes but I never leave mine in for more than 15. Not only does the top practically burn by 15 minutes (as with the loaf I made last week) but the rest of the bread is perfect at 15 minutes. The one time I left it in for the recommended 25 minutes, the bread was aweful! Is this just me or are a lot of recipes written wrong?
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post #9 of 11
7/25/07 at 4:46am
HI SnowfallDesigns,

I've seen countless badly written recipes either from cookbooks, magazines or instructions. Instruction from commercial products are usually accurate because it is in the manufacturers interest to make sure the recipe works to sell more product but often they omit certain details:
placement in the oven (top, middle, bottom)... Middle of the oven is the default position for most baking but if your oven runs high or the product is sweet with tendency to burn, placing it on the bottom could help.
Domestic ovens vary a lot in cooking capacity. I suspect this is the case here. If you want to verify, purchase an oven thermometer and compare the temp with the setting.

I hope this helps?
Luc H
I eat science everyday, do you?
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post #10 of 11
7/25/07 at 4:55am
HI SnowfallDesigns,

I've seen countless badly written recipes either from cookbooks, magazines or instructions. Instructions from commercial products are usually accurate because it is in the manufacturers interest to make sure the recipe works to sell more product but often they omit certain details:
placement in the oven (top, middle, bottom)... Middle of the oven is the default position for most baking but if your oven runs high or the product is sweet with tendency to burn, placing it on the bottom could help.
Domestic ovens vary a lot in cooking capacity. I suspect this is the case here. If you want to verify, purchase an oven thermometer and compare the temp with the setting.
Most instruction are written for standard working ovens, if you have the convection setting and bake on that setting then it will take less time to bake (making sens to what you are saying here)

link to convection discussion: http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/food-...n-quandry.html

I hope this helps?
Luc H
I eat science everyday, do you?
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post #11 of 11
7/25/07 at 7:13am
Thanks for the tips!
I had thought about my oven temp being off but I had never noticed a problem with anything else I bake. I may check it anyways. It's a pretty basic oven (it was in the house when we moved last year) so it only has a conventional setting. Yep, so basic that it only has one larger burner and the other three are small - I really want a new one!
I may lower the temp a bit when I bake something - a sweet bread recipe I just got from someone on this forum said 35-40 minutes! But they've used it several times...I'll give them the benefit of the doubt...and check it after 15 or 20...
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