I have a great recipe for french bread, and I am using a HOUNO oven with humidity control from Europe. . This is a no oil type recipe and actually the finished product tastes great, exactly what I think it should taste like BUT I always get a “blowout” on the side of the loaf when I bake it.
What causes blowouts? Too much yeast? Too little yeast? Stretching the dough roll too much with too few grams? Proofing too long? Proofing too little?
Please HELP!!!
I am getting desperate, the pizza / bakery opens in 5 weeks and this is the ONLY thing that is causing me problems.
You may want to look at the temp of the dough when you are proofing. Do you cross stack when it goes into the cooler and then nest after dough balls cool down? How much yeast are you using? Give us your recipe and method for making from start to finish with mixing and proofing time sand I am sure we can fix the problem.
Your answer confuses me a bit… but first here is the recipe. I got this recipe from my brother in Belgium and I am in Taiwan so its in grams.
800 grms. bread flour
200 grms. all purpose flour
10 grms. baking powder
9.5 grms.instant dry yeast
600 grms. water (66 degrees F)
20 grms. salt
Mix all ingredients together and knead for 12-15 minutes. Proof for 30 minutes in covered bowl at room temperature (until doubled in size). Cut into balls and shape into desired lengths. Then proof again at room temp. for 30 more minutes. With the HUONO OVEN I bake in the oven for 9 minutes at 350 F (180C) w/10%humidity and then 3 minutes at 440F(230C) dry heat.
The confusing thing you mention is going into the cooler? The recipe doesn’t call for proofing in the cooler.
Also, I think I need the proper proportions of how many grams of unbaked dough for say a 12" loaf of French bread. I have tried 200 grams to 11"…too small…250 grms. to 11"…to skinny.(thinking they will proof to 12", which is my goal for subs) How can I find the specific proportion of weight to size? I have seriously been experimenting with this for 3 weeks and unfortunately the oven is still at the sellers office so I have to travel there with the ingredients and bake, as the store is being built as we speak.
there you have it…I know I am crazy to open up a pizzeria/bakery in Taiwan, but I know there is a market for it…and if you are ever in Taiwan, hope to see you in the store.
Donald;
There are a number of things that can cause loaf bursting as you have described it. Forming the dough too tightly, excessive yeast level (the correct amount of yeast should not exceed 1% of the flour weight as compressed yeast). You shoulkd be making a series of “French” cuts across the top of the loaf just before placing the loaf into the oven. Typically, you should make a series of five to seven of these cuts along the top length of the loaf. While many of these cuts are made at a straight diagional across the top, I have found better results using a slightly modified “French” cut. This is made as an “S” cut. The benefit is that it allows for more expansion than the regular straight diagional cut. Remember, the function of these cuts is to allow for controlled loaf expansion, without this, the loaf will split on the side as you are experiencing. Lastly, try spraying the loaf with a water mist immediately before you take it to the oven. This will further allow for some loaf expansion without bursting. If all exls fails, you might also try reducing the baking temperature by about 25F. If the oven is too hot it can cause the dough to crust over too quickly, as the yeast is still generating pressure within the loaf, this can cause the loaf to burst out on the side. By reducing the oven temperature slightly, you will allow the yeast to reach it’s thermal death point and the internal crumb structure to begin setting whilr the crust is beginning to form, hence, bursting is reduced or eliminated. If you are using an air impingement oven to bake this bread you might need to close off much of the air going to the product in the first half of the oven. In a case like this, the high air flow is causing the loaf to prematurly crust over creating a sure fire recipe for bursting.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor
Tom,
Thanks for the tips. yes, I am using an air impingement oven to bake this bread, so I will try to cut the air flow.
Wondering if you or anyone else reading this has any ideas about part 2 of my question: the proper proportions of unbaked dough to length / weight of final baked product? I could actually live with the blowouts, its the size that needs fixing.
This forum has been quite a help to me the past few months and we are lucky to have it at our disposal. Doing a great job.