Good morning everyone,
I just baked a Breadtopia all spelt sourdough bread and thtop of the bread, where I had sliced 3 diagonal slices, split open along those lines but also elsewhere.
I am not sure what factors determine wheteher and how a bred “splits” . Oven spring was just fine, but was soudough not good enough, was the bread not proofed enough, or overproofed or what?
Thanks for all yout help
A photo will help!
Bread will split because its rising and expanding gases need to escape. That is why instead of uncontrolled splitting we score the dough.
A bit of splitting beyond the scoring can happen. If nothing too major then don’t sweat it. If it has split in such a way that you’re asking yourself why you bothered scoring in the first place could point to one or a few of the following factors…
1: Under proofing. This can cause a too much oven spring and will cause the dough to split beyond the scoring.
2: An issue in the scoring itself. Perhaps the scoring closed up and became ineffective causing the loaf to split elsewhere.
3: The crust formed too quickly causing the scoring to not open up and the expanding gas just took the easiest route.
But a photo will help.
I too seem to experience considerable splitting on my loaves. This was just taken out of the oven. Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough recipe. I scored with a lame.
Could you explain what you mean by “under proofing” and the remedies?
My bread looked like that. I amy be remembering something I read about proofing in general related to bread splitting in the bake.
another question not really related : I had wanted to include a photo with my submission but did not find or know how to do the
Thanks for all your help
After the bulk ferment the dough is shaped and then final proofed. When I talk of over fermented or under fermented I am talking about the ferment as whole but with the correction often to be made at the bulk ferment stage. The bulk ferment is the stage between the starter going into the dough and shaping. This stage is done for a good crumb, flavour and giving the yeasts time to propagate and produce enough gas. Once the dough is aerated and the gluten formation completed (which is often done slowly through the bulk ferment with stretch and folds but can be done all at the beginning through kneading or simply be by hydration + time alone) the bulk ferment is done. The dough is then shaped through a series of stretch and folds but this time tighter ready for the final proof. At the final proof stage the dough rests for an optimum time for a good oven spring when its baked. Often people don’t differentiate and call everything proofing.
Under proofing can cause a runaway oven spring causing the dough to rise too much and split in an uncontrolled manner. It is corrected by leaving it for a bit longer after shaping. Just how much longer comes with practice. People talk of giving the dough a gentle poke by pressing a finger in about half an inch deep. If it comes up quickly its under proofed and needs more time. If the indent slowly comes back up its ready. If the indent remains then its over proofed.
In other words your dough needed a bit more time before baking. Lovely loaf BTW.
Thanks Abe for the very detailed answer. And I will give the dough a longer proof.
