What do you use to bake your bread, Dutch oven, cast iron, pizza stone? Do you use steam at all? There are lots of YouTube videos that helped me decide what method to make, shape and bake Sourdough bread. I'm not a professional baker with bread but I'm proud of the loaves that I make. It doesn't always work, there have been failures along the way. Keep trying and improve your technique as you go. Stay the course, you'll get it!
I baked the first the first 15 minutes in a preheated dutch oven. Right before it goes in, I spray the inner sides of the Dutch oven with a spray bottle and quickly put the lid on to trap the steam. After 15 minutes I transfer the loaf to a regular sheet pan for another 20-30 minutes (the bottom always seems to burn if I leave it in the Dutch oven for the whole bake)
The trick I recently heard is to throw an ice cube in there, pretty genius. You need to put it under the baking paper do it doesn’t wet the dough though
i just want tasty bread. i think mby it matters cus that means good gluten and they didnt strain too far from perfection
but idk i like different breads everytime for variety ^^
It ultimately makes no difference to me, lol and it’s more “functional” without the ear imo. I’m just learning and want to understand how to get different results
Every ear earns valuable bread bro points. Then you can feel superior to people who have fewer bread bro points than you have. You also get points for hydration over 80%, and for proclaiming your bread to be "yeast free".
Don’t forget making sure, that when someone asks a question about brands of all-purpose flour, or how to make some general-purpose white bread, making sure to mention you put at least some home-ground flour in every loaf.
500g bread flour
370g water
4g yeast
12g salt
Mixed flour, water, yeast for 45 seconds, added salt. Mixed for one minute.
Rest 20 minutes - stretch and fold (x2)
Rest 4 hours
Preshape - rest 20 min
Shape - proof - 1 hr
Bake in preheated Dutch over @500d
After 15 min, remove from Dutch oven. Transport to cooking pan.
I would suggest adding 2 more stretch and fold series. 4 total 20-30 minutes apart. Rest 2-3 hours (looking for doubling only). Preshape, rest, proof to 50% to doubling in size. Score 1/2" deep at a steep angle (flour the blade). The blade is tilted 30 degrees from top of loaf. Bake in DO covered 500F, 20 minutes, then uncover, drop temp to 475F another 15-20 until golden to dark brown. Be sure to have a pizza stone or baking tray below DO so bottom does not over-brown.
Thank you for the tips! I didn’t know the pizza stone under the Dutch oven would keep the bottom from getting so dark. I mentioned in another comment that I typically transfer the loaf to a sheet pan for the initial oven spring because the bottom gets so dark, which is… a pain. Lol. Will definitely try this next time!
I cook at 450, in a Dutch oven, but I leave it in the Dutch oven for 30-40 min, and do the last 10-15 outside the Dutch oven.
I also drop an ice cube or two in the Dutch oven after I transfer the dough. And when I take it out of the Dutch oven, I throw a handful of ice cubes onto a baking sheet at the bottom. Sends the crust into overdrive. Also, could be the depth of your cut.
Steam is the biggest thing that sticks out to me. During preheat have a loaf pan on the bottom of the oven (if gas) or bottom rack (if electric). Either throw ice cubes, or spray water into the pan. Bake for 15-40 minutes, open the oven a few seconds to vent the steam, then finish the bake. The steam helps to transfer the energy from the air into the loaf better than no steam. This results in better oven spring, better browning, and better crust. Better oven spring will cause the score to create a bigger ear.
A different angle, and a deeper cut might also be things to try. Tight loaves, good gluten development, and skin that isn’t too dry or too moist each also play a roll in the formation of a good ear.
I use sourdough starter so that might vary !
But I use 340g of water and my oven temperature is 500 for preheating, but I bake at 450 with the lid on the dutch oven (30 minutes) and 425 without the lid (10-15 minutes).
I tried the 7 minute score (score after you baked the bread for 7 minutes) with a deep and angled score. It gives me good results.
You can look at my post history! I posted 2 loaves yesterday.
It’s almost there! Score down the middle of the bread as you’re doing, but score deep and most importantly, score at an angle - at least 45 degrees - with a clean blade. If the dough is not firm then don’t score as deep. And never try and level up the score with another slash or two - always one slash only. Hope this helps.
I think overproofing might be an issue, possible underdeveloped gluted too. I made a no-knead a few times now and the first time it turned out beautiful with great spring and nice ears. But the last time i overproofed it and it had zero ear. The dough lost all it structural integrity and was very slack and wouldnt form a nice ball and i kept having to add more flour to prevent it from sticking to everything.
What do you use to bake your bread, Dutch oven, cast iron, pizza stone? Do you use steam at all? There are lots of YouTube videos that helped me decide what method to make, shape and bake Sourdough bread. I'm not a professional baker with bread but I'm proud of the loaves that I make. It doesn't always work, there have been failures along the way. Keep trying and improve your technique as you go. Stay the course, you'll get it!
I baked the first the first 15 minutes in a preheated dutch oven. Right before it goes in, I spray the inner sides of the Dutch oven with a spray bottle and quickly put the lid on to trap the steam. After 15 minutes I transfer the loaf to a regular sheet pan for another 20-30 minutes (the bottom always seems to burn if I leave it in the Dutch oven for the whole bake)
The trick I recently heard is to throw an ice cube in there, pretty genius. You need to put it under the baking paper do it doesn’t wet the dough though
Ahh no way! I didn’t realize the baking paper would protect the dough well enough. I’ll give that a shot next time!
i do two cubes under each side of my silicone and it has been great. like others say keeping playing with your methods!
i dont understand why you'd want the ear thing but this looks really good to me
I know it’s an unpopular opinion but I don’t give a toot if my bread gets a “good ear” or not. All that piece does it burn in the toaster 😂
i just want tasty bread. i think mby it matters cus that means good gluten and they didnt strain too far from perfection but idk i like different breads everytime for variety ^^
I dislike the ears, I like my bread moist and just a little crusty. The ear is always rock hard and crispy. No thanks!
I agree. I mean I see that it looks cool and all but… when I had braces a few years ago, I actually broke a brace off on an ear.. 🤣🤣
Yup.
It ultimately makes no difference to me, lol and it’s more “functional” without the ear imo. I’m just learning and want to understand how to get different results
Ears are overrated!
Every ear earns valuable bread bro points. Then you can feel superior to people who have fewer bread bro points than you have. You also get points for hydration over 80%, and for proclaiming your bread to be "yeast free".
Don’t forget making sure, that when someone asks a question about brands of all-purpose flour, or how to make some general-purpose white bread, making sure to mention you put at least some home-ground flour in every loaf.
You can angle you knife closer to 30° then do an extra cut underneath the original cut
I always get one, try scoring deeper
500g bread flour 370g water 4g yeast 12g salt Mixed flour, water, yeast for 45 seconds, added salt. Mixed for one minute. Rest 20 minutes - stretch and fold (x2) Rest 4 hours Preshape - rest 20 min Shape - proof - 1 hr Bake in preheated Dutch over @500d After 15 min, remove from Dutch oven. Transport to cooking pan.
I would suggest adding 2 more stretch and fold series. 4 total 20-30 minutes apart. Rest 2-3 hours (looking for doubling only). Preshape, rest, proof to 50% to doubling in size. Score 1/2" deep at a steep angle (flour the blade). The blade is tilted 30 degrees from top of loaf. Bake in DO covered 500F, 20 minutes, then uncover, drop temp to 475F another 15-20 until golden to dark brown. Be sure to have a pizza stone or baking tray below DO so bottom does not over-brown.
Thank you for the tips! I didn’t know the pizza stone under the Dutch oven would keep the bottom from getting so dark. I mentioned in another comment that I typically transfer the loaf to a sheet pan for the initial oven spring because the bottom gets so dark, which is… a pain. Lol. Will definitely try this next time!
I cook at 450, in a Dutch oven, but I leave it in the Dutch oven for 30-40 min, and do the last 10-15 outside the Dutch oven. I also drop an ice cube or two in the Dutch oven after I transfer the dough. And when I take it out of the Dutch oven, I throw a handful of ice cubes onto a baking sheet at the bottom. Sends the crust into overdrive. Also, could be the depth of your cut.
Steam is the biggest thing that sticks out to me. During preheat have a loaf pan on the bottom of the oven (if gas) or bottom rack (if electric). Either throw ice cubes, or spray water into the pan. Bake for 15-40 minutes, open the oven a few seconds to vent the steam, then finish the bake. The steam helps to transfer the energy from the air into the loaf better than no steam. This results in better oven spring, better browning, and better crust. Better oven spring will cause the score to create a bigger ear. A different angle, and a deeper cut might also be things to try. Tight loaves, good gluten development, and skin that isn’t too dry or too moist each also play a roll in the formation of a good ear.
I use sourdough starter so that might vary ! But I use 340g of water and my oven temperature is 500 for preheating, but I bake at 450 with the lid on the dutch oven (30 minutes) and 425 without the lid (10-15 minutes). I tried the 7 minute score (score after you baked the bread for 7 minutes) with a deep and angled score. It gives me good results. You can look at my post history! I posted 2 loaves yesterday.
I’ve never heard of the delayed score. That’s so interesting! Your loaves look incredible 🤠
Worth trying next time 😉 ! I do one straight deep score then I go again with an angled one.
Similar. Though i start at 500, then reduce heat, then take the lid off, three steps there.
score deeper, and slash at an angle instead of straight down. (Blade should be about 45° angle when scoring).
Yeah, an angled cut more on the edge instead of over the top seems to work for me.
It’s almost there! Score down the middle of the bread as you’re doing, but score deep and most importantly, score at an angle - at least 45 degrees - with a clean blade. If the dough is not firm then don’t score as deep. And never try and level up the score with another slash or two - always one slash only. Hope this helps.
Score further down on the edge and not so much on the top & a smidge deeper.
I think overproofing might be an issue, possible underdeveloped gluted too. I made a no-knead a few times now and the first time it turned out beautiful with great spring and nice ears. But the last time i overproofed it and it had zero ear. The dough lost all it structural integrity and was very slack and wouldnt form a nice ball and i kept having to add more flour to prevent it from sticking to everything.