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bread bakers advice:

16 years ago

I've often made bread using a recipe I think I got here, French Country bread. Yesterday my two loaves raised sideways, not up. Both were about 8 inches wide and a couple inches high. Anyone know where I messed up this time? Made the bread dozens of times. Used all the same utensils etc.

any help will be most appreciated.

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Comments (5)

lindac
16 years ago
Somehow you didn't get enough flour in the mix. Flour can vary in moisture content....so measuring won't always work perfectly....you have to go by feel.
Linda C
annie1992
16 years ago
simpleme, I think the "problem" is possibly in the way you shaped the loaves. If you don't get the dough stretched and tucked under tightly enough, it spreads.

Then again, it could be that your dough was wetter than usual, either because of weather or the flour or the humdity or whatever. I've "propped up" dough that was too slack to hold its shape, there's even a canvas cloth made for just such a use, but I can't seem to move the loaves without flattening them...

Annie
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teresa_nc7
16 years ago
Did you slash your bread before baking? How did you slash it? The final slashing can also help determine how a bread rises during baking. Diagonal cuts help bread to rise up while straight cuts can promote the bread rising out, or spreading. I agree with Annie that the shaping has much to do with the final results for hearth baked breads that are not confined to a loaf pan.

Teresa
cloudy_christine
16 years ago
Maybe it rose too long?
simpleme
Original Author
16 years ago
I think Annie 1992 hit it exactly on the head. I was in a rush to get it finished, I didn't spend enough time shaping the loaves. As a matter of fact think I just cut the dough in half and pretty much plopped it on the pan.
thanks for helping. Bet I don't make the same mistake again.
Also nice information about slashing in a diagonal which I always try to do but will pay better attention to this also
My friend told me you all were a great bunch and it sure seems to be so.
thanks,
simplme

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