Common Defects of Bread And Possible Causes

There are a few things that immediately make me feel homey. One of those things is the smell of bread in the oven- Fresh, soft, delicious whole wheat bread.

It’s one of those things that takes talent, and I well know, a lot of work to create, but the result is more than worth the effort.

But there are those times when bread making seems daunting and nothing seems to work.

Here’s a few tips I collected from a cookbook and wrote down to remind me of common errors and some simple solutions.  Happy Bread Making!

1. SOUR TASTE

- Water too warm
- Period of Rising has been too long. Punch down and reshape if it has been rising for more than 60 minutes
- Temperature too high while rising
- Poor Yeast

2. DRY OR CRUMBLY

- Too much flour in dough
- Over- Baking

3. HEAVINESS

- Unevenness of Temperature while rising
- Insufficient Kneading
- Old Flour
- Old Yeast

4. CRACKS IN CRUST

- Baking before sufficiently light
- Oven too hot at first

5. TOO THICK A CRUST

- Oven too slow
- Baked too long
- Excess of Salt

6. DARK PATCHES OR STREAKS

- Shortening added to flour before liquid, thus allowing flour particles to become coated with fat before they had mixed evenly with the liquid

7. SOGGINESS

- Too much liquid
- Insufficient baking
- Cooling in an airtight container/plastic bag

8. ILL- SHAPED LOAF

- Not molded well originally
- Too large a loaf for the pan
- Rising period too long
- Loaves flat on top may result from inadequate kneading

9. HOLES IN BREAD

-Dough not sufficiently kneaded (You should knead the dough for at least 8-10 minutes)
- Before shaping dough into loaves, make sure gas bubbles are kneaded out
- Do not let dough proof too long or too fast in the baking pans. When the loaf hits the heat of a preheated oven it will rise a little more.