So I had to go to the toilet when I was baking my loaf, and after I was done it was burnt. I was bummed out, but after tasting it I realised it wasn’t that bad. Do any of you guys like it this dark? Personally I’m going to experiment with a darker crust, but not this dark next time.
I’m still craving a more lacy and open crumb, so if anyone has tips regarding that please tell me!
Recipe:
100g (pretty) stiff starter
415g water
500g strong white bread flour
10g salt
——
Autolyse flour and water for 1.5hrs
Add starter
Wait 30 minutes and add salt
Wait 30 minutes
3x coil folds with 30 minutes intervals
Let it ferment
Preshape
Wait 20-30 minutes and shape gently
Total BF around 5 to 5.5hrs
Cold proofed for 17 hrs
——
Preheat DO for 40 min to 1 hour at 250c
Pull out dough out of fridge and score it
Spritz with water
Bake covered for 20 mins at 230c, remove lid and bake for 25-30 mins at 200c
by TheSilverPoop
25 Comments
I think the guy who wrote the Tartine book calls that a ‘bold bake’. I like it this way but my kids are less likely to eat the crusts like this. I also think your crumb is perfect personally – too lacy and your butter all falls through!
I’d eat that, I like them dark. And very nice crumb too.
Crumb looks nice. Crust looks nice too maybe a touch burnt. Everyone likes it different though. Just lower the uncovered time if you want a lighter crust. Good job 👍.
Your baking technique is a little odd. Personally I would just leave it at 230 the whole time 30 minutes lid on and 10-15 lid off.
Shaping is really good too btw.
In my opinion this is the desired color.
I see no burnt bread here, just flavor.
I think it looks perfect!
Great caramelization!
I bake all of mine like that.
That’s just a hard bake 😉
I think that burned/undercooked are very subjective. At a pizza party I forgot about one in the oven, and it turned out that everyone preferred that.
Lembrete quando eu for assar meu primeiro pão: lembrar de ir no banheiro antes de colocar ele no forno hahaha
Literally all my loaves are like this, and they always will be
This is my preference
That’s not burnt it’s well done
Looks great, I wouldn’t call it burnt, more like the high end of normal.
Not burnt. Cooked to perfection.
Bread isn’t supposed to be eaten white. That’s how you get a heavy stomach and build up an intolerance to gluten.
More color = more flavor.
That’s not burnt. Nice carmelization of crust. 🤌🏾
[sauce](https://www.sourdough.co.uk/glossary/caramelization/)
That’s not burned at all. It looks great.
I prefer a darker loaf. Most people should leave it in a bit longer. I think there’s a bit more flavor in the crust.
I’ve done the same and still delicious!
I like dark crusts and I cannot lie
My loafs always look like that because that’s exactly how I like them. Very nice indeed
That’s because it’s not burned.
It actually usually cannot burn because the inside moisture will turn to steam and control the external temperature.
It can only burn if the internal temperature goes about over 100°C (I think at 98-99 C it can burn) or if the oven is put to the max and the inside it not hot enough to start to steam.
Usually you want to remove the bread at 95°C internal temperature and it will cook at about 200°C so it will never burn no matter how dark it goes.
That dark is caramelization and has a non-bitter taste (unlike burnt which has a bitter taste).
But even if tiny spots are burned, as long as they’re small spots, it’s not an issue. Because if just one small spot on a slice of bread is burned, the rest of the bread will still be delicious and more than compensate. The same goes for health: it’s the dose that makes the poison, and tiny burnt particles are “diluted” into a perfect product until it just doesn’t matter.
Honestly can’t say it’s bad… I’m team dark crust too. It adds such a nice depth of flavor. For a more open crumb, maybe try upping hydration a bit or giving your bulk a touch more time if the dough still feels tight.
That looks delicious to me!! Nice job
Heck no, those ones taste great. A little rough on the roof of the mouth but the flavor is great I bet!