Baking smaller loaf. Cut back bake time?

Baking Techniques
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I use the no knead technique. For my full recipe, there’s a 30 minute initial bake time with the pot covered, followed by a 20 minute bake time uncovered.

Now that I’m down to one bread eater in the family, I’ve decided that I would like to cut back the size of the loaves that I bake. If I scale bake to 2/3 of a recipe, should I change the bake times?

1 Like
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@pax238 I don’t have the answer to your particular question but I do have another thought. You can still bake the normal or regular sized loaf of bread you were baking and by slicing the loaf, bagging and freezing the slices, you can toast the slices as you care to eat them. You don’t waste bread and you don’t have to bake as often. Just a thought.

One of the best persons on this forum to answer your question about baking a smaller loaf would be @Fermentada. Perhaps she’ll be able to help you out.

Bake on!
Leah

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Thanks @Leah1 :slight_smile:

I think I’d go a little shorter, but not two-thirds shorter. I’ve found a 20% drop in flour amount (500 to 400 grams) makes a difference of only maybe five minutes of baking time, like 14% time.

This is kinda a false precision I’m conveying. Really it’s by eye and thermometer for me, because water content in the dough will impact the bake time as well.

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Thanks @Leah1. I’ve thought about doing that, but I’m a little short on self control when it comes to bread consumption.

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Thanks @Fermentada. I experimented with 2/3 of the recipe before seeing your reply. I cut 2 minutes out of the covered time and 2 minutes out of the uncovered time. It turned out well, but I think I’ll try the full uncovered time again next bake.

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@pax238 I’m like that with ice cream so I empathize!

Leah

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I’m a little late to the game here, but I usually bake a rather small loaf with 300g total flour in a 450 degree oven. For me, 20 minutes covered and 20 minutes uncovered usually gets me pretty close to an internal temperature over 200 degrees. I start thermometer testing at the 35 minute mark. I’m always surprised at how quickly the internal temperature can rise during the last 5 minutes of baking.

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I use a thermometer. Bread is done at 208°F.

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To update, I’m now using 3/4 of the standard recipe and finding that 30 minutes covered followed by 20 minutes uncovered (at 465 degrees) works well for my 50-50 mix of 100% whole wheat and 80% whole wheat.