Looks like you cut it too soon, but hard to know. How long did you let it cool for?
Calamitous_Waffle
If you have a thermometer, let it cook until the center is at 88C (190F). It looks undercooked, but no, not too early on the slicing. Your oven may not be at the correct temp or many other things.
Mysterious_Land7795
Yes, it seems you cut it too soon. Did you use bread flour or all purpose?
This looks closer to when I use all purpose flour.
Sector_Black
I’m not sure, but you can follow a recipe exactly and it can fail completely because baking loaves of bread especially can just be really finicky, and is sensitive to factors that could be different for you versus who made the recipe.
To me, whatever happened, this also looks like your knife didn’t do a good job of cutting, and dragged and smeared through.
Don’t feel too bad though. I started baking 30 years ago and it looks better than the breads I did back then. Definitely edible, even if not pretty. It’s probably more of a “cover me up with butter” situation than a sandwich situation.
AccountStunning9201
Looks a bit of it being slightly undercooked and you cutting too soon
AnxiousBaby1827
Quick tip, get a metal wire cookie rack for your bread to cool easier. Also when putting the dough in the pan always do so with the seam on the bottom, you’ll have prettier bread tops!
Vast_Physics_4702
Haha wayy to soon. Nothing like warm sliced bread though
Serious_Coffee_8066
Nothing a toaster can’t fix
ratelbadger
I’ve done this a hundred times easy. It’s probably still pretty tasty, especially with butter and a toaster oven.
sadiekat123
This is bread and you cut it in the pan? No parchment paper? It lets you lift it out to cool on a rack if you have one. Never throw out something that tastes good! Just remember for next time. I write things right next to the recipe. Good first time!
orangerootbeer
Mine always look like this. Because I also cut into it as soon as it comes out of the oven because fresh hot bread is the best!
Leaving it to cool first will give it time to finish cooking and set the structure properly. Less steam escapes too, so less dry
But fresh made bread never lasts very long around here anyways…
Kilometres-Davis
Waiting 2 minutes is impressive! I can wait about 20-30 seconds after I take a pizza out of the oven and I burn my mouth every single time
Ok_Friend5674
Looks like it was too dense even before being cut.
vtjohnhurt
Once the bread cools, be sure to use a serrated knife to cut it. A Chef’s knife will mush it.
Buttercupia
Both?
irlpup
I’d eat that bread IDC
bbyscorp
Just wanted to thank everyone for being so kind here. Next loaf, I will wait longer, especially the second proof. I will also make sure to measure temp with a thermometer more carefully. And most importantly — wait to cut!
funny_bunny33
Didn’t rise enough baby girl
Jehovacoin
1) The dough was too dry going in.
2) The dough was not kneaded enough
3) The dough did not have enough time to proof before going in
If I had to guess, I’d say your biggest problem is patience. When I’ve seen this happen to novice bakers, it’s usually because they first don’t understand what a good dough looks like. They just slap it around a bit, constantly putting flour on it while “kneading” it because it keep sticking to their hands, and then when it looks as dry as they see in videos and pictures, they call it good. The fact that I can very obviously still see the dense folds within the dough tells me that’s likely what happened here.
The one thing you *don’t* want to do during kneading is to dry the dough out by adding flour. Be patient with it, use oil on your hands to keep it from sticking too much, and *stretch* and *fold* the dough. If it breaks from stretching, it’s too dry or you haven’t let it sit long enough. If you do it right, the surface of the dough will naturally become “dry” and smooth.
If it doesn’t nearly double in size after letting it rest from the first kneading, then something is already wrong. If you do it right, the shaping after the rest will compress the dough back in so you get that light fluffy bread that you see in the picture you linked. Keep at it, you’ll get there.
19 Comments
Looks like you cut it too soon, but hard to know. How long did you let it cool for?
If you have a thermometer, let it cook until the center is at 88C (190F). It looks undercooked, but no, not too early on the slicing. Your oven may not be at the correct temp or many other things.
Yes, it seems you cut it too soon. Did you use bread flour or all purpose?
This looks closer to when I use all purpose flour.
I’m not sure, but you can follow a recipe exactly and it can fail completely because baking loaves of bread especially can just be really finicky, and is sensitive to factors that could be different for you versus who made the recipe.
To me, whatever happened, this also looks like your knife didn’t do a good job of cutting, and dragged and smeared through.
Don’t feel too bad though. I started baking 30 years ago and it looks better than the breads I did back then. Definitely edible, even if not pretty. It’s probably more of a “cover me up with butter” situation than a sandwich situation.
Looks a bit of it being slightly undercooked and you cutting too soon
Quick tip, get a metal wire cookie rack for your bread to cool easier. Also when putting the dough in the pan always do so with the seam on the bottom, you’ll have prettier bread tops!
Haha wayy to soon. Nothing like warm sliced bread though
Nothing a toaster can’t fix
I’ve done this a hundred times easy. It’s probably still pretty tasty, especially with butter and a toaster oven.
This is bread and you cut it in the pan? No parchment paper? It lets you lift it out to cool on a rack if you have one. Never throw out something that tastes good! Just remember for next time. I write things right next to the recipe. Good first time!
Mine always look like this. Because I also cut into it as soon as it comes out of the oven because fresh hot bread is the best!
Leaving it to cool first will give it time to finish cooking and set the structure properly. Less steam escapes too, so less dry
But fresh made bread never lasts very long around here anyways…
Waiting 2 minutes is impressive! I can wait about 20-30 seconds after I take a pizza out of the oven and I burn my mouth every single time
Looks like it was too dense even before being cut.
Once the bread cools, be sure to use a serrated knife to cut it. A Chef’s knife will mush it.
Both?
I’d eat that bread IDC
Just wanted to thank everyone for being so kind here. Next loaf, I will wait longer, especially the second proof. I will also make sure to measure temp with a thermometer more carefully. And most importantly — wait to cut!
Didn’t rise enough baby girl
1) The dough was too dry going in.
2) The dough was not kneaded enough
3) The dough did not have enough time to proof before going in
If I had to guess, I’d say your biggest problem is patience. When I’ve seen this happen to novice bakers, it’s usually because they first don’t understand what a good dough looks like. They just slap it around a bit, constantly putting flour on it while “kneading” it because it keep sticking to their hands, and then when it looks as dry as they see in videos and pictures, they call it good. The fact that I can very obviously still see the dense folds within the dough tells me that’s likely what happened here.
The one thing you *don’t* want to do during kneading is to dry the dough out by adding flour. Be patient with it, use oil on your hands to keep it from sticking too much, and *stretch* and *fold* the dough. If it breaks from stretching, it’s too dry or you haven’t let it sit long enough. If you do it right, the surface of the dough will naturally become “dry” and smooth.
If it doesn’t nearly double in size after letting it rest from the first kneading, then something is already wrong. If you do it right, the shaping after the rest will compress the dough back in so you get that light fluffy bread that you see in the picture you linked. Keep at it, you’ll get there.