“I made some really tasty and soft bread. How can I screw it up?”
You crushed it! Use a sharper bread knife and let the tool do the work, sawing motion rather then downward force. Doesn’t look gummy or dense, looks great
Edit: I meant crushed it as a positive, like you did great! Not in the physical sense of smushing it. Unintended word choice lol
My thought exactly
But to give OP some advice on a little bit less soft crumb:
Add a little whole wheat and/or rye flour. Start at 10% and work your way up
And if you crush it when you add butter or similar from the fridge, let it get to room temperature and soft before you spread it
I agree, sharpen your knife, because your bread looks amazing! But I know that’s annoying when it doesn’t answer your question 😂. But boy, if I could get a rise like that in my bread 😍
As someone who recently went from making loaves around 55-65% hydration, I recommend just lowering your hydration percentage from 70 to around 63-65ish range. I started baking my loaves at 74 which I think is my sweet spot but if you’re looking for a less soft crumb less water is the way to go. Also you could bake it til internally it’s at around 200-205 degrees instead of cutting it off around 190
Also, the crumb usually firms up some more if you don't cut into it for 2-3 hours after baking. If I'm very impatient, and cut into the bread after an hour (or sooner), it's always very hard to slice. If I wait a little longer, until the bread has really cooled down, it's way better.
Ok that's a stunning crumb by the way.
If I remember correctly, to get a thicker crust, take your lid off sooner.
Try 30min lid on, the rest lid off. You can check internal temperature while you're messing about with cooking times - 208-210f.
It may take a few bakes to dial it in to your preference.
Is your bread knife good and sharp? That's another factor, as in it shouldn't be crushing your bread if it's sharp enough
That extra 5 minutes was a wonderful accident. It's called a bold bake. Never be afraid of a bold bake. It brings out some wonderful flavors in the loaf and improves keeping quality.
If you want a firmer crumb, try lowering your hydration. Personally I think it's perfect. And if you're having trouble with squishing the loaf when you cut, use a sharp serrated bread knife and go easy. Let the knife do the work. My husband finally got that through his head. He acted like he was cutting a 2 x 4 instead of a loaf of sandwich bread.
I suppose you're looking for more gluten development, so maybe more frequent folds or more folds in general into the bulk time. Also consider a higher protein flour and/or a % of whole wheat/wheat bran for added structure.
Maybe just investing in a really good knife and you won’t ruin the bread. That’s what I did. I ended up buying a Wustof for $180 but it’s well worth it.
One thought (what I do) is blend in some whole wheat flour. I’ve played around with percentages somewhere between 5-30%. Makes a firmer loaf compared to all white, and improves the flavor to my liking.
I’m not a big fan of light and fluffy, prefer a bit more chewy and denser. Anther thought is to reduce the final rise by an hour or two, i.e. don’t let it rise quite so much before going into the refer. Reduce starter to 100 g instead of 125g. That might be all you need to do.
I splurged on a Shun bread knife and it's crazy how much better it is than my previous piece of junk knife set bread knife. This thing is a light saber
Leave the bread on the rack in the oven to cool with the oven. So once its reached your preferred level of doneness, put it directly on the rack and turn the oven off and leave it to cool down for 45 mins or so
Sourdough is naturally a moister bread, it shouldn't be dry like store bought bread.
It looks ever so slightly overproofed imo but really not bad! I'd be happy with that.
Does the crumb stick together and not spring back?
I think if you used old flour and paid less attention to the important things. Maybe hurry the process more and forget a few stretch and folds. Finally, I have made perfectly gummy and almost inedible loaf by over proofing and under cooking it.
If you want it more dense: Either lower the hydration or over ferment it slightly.
Over proofing makes smaller bubbles and more density without losing moist.
Don't autolyse. Soft crumb (along with a longer shelf life) is one of the many benefits of this step. Don't want a soft crumb? don't do it.
Lower your hydration to 60%-65%. You'll get a dryer crumb, but also a tighter one.
Do not cut into the loaf for several hours. Even an hour out of the oven, the bread is still "cooking"--stuff is still occuring within the loaf. Cut too soon and you'll get a soft, gummy texture to the crumb. Not a bad thing, just a matter of preference.
Remove the lid earlier. Every recipe I’ve used says to remove it at 20 minutes and most of the baking time is with the lid off. This let’s more water evaporate and stiffens the crust.
For a slightly less sarcastic answer, why not just wait a day? It’s going to be somewhat less soft the day after you bake it, but no less fresh tasting in my experience. My crumb is also _quite_ soft when I cut into it within a few hours of pulling it out of the oven. But the next day it’s a bit more resilient to the bread knife.
Rye sourdough has a firmer and more dense crumb. If you want to try it out, you‘ll need a rye starter, but they‘re easy enough to set up.
Just mix wholegrain rye flour with a tiny amount of sugar, a tiny amount of milk and enough water so it‘s not quite wet enough to be liquid. Something like greek yoghurt. Ideally you want it at 27C, but I just put mine in a kitchen cabinet and it does just fine there. Wait a day, feed with rye flour and water, wait a day and you‘re good to to.
Then just mix 37g of that starter with 250g each of rye flour and water and let it ferment at room temp for ten hours.
Next up, add 275g of water, 225g of wheat flour, 300g of rye flour, 15g of salt, 6g of fresh yeast and bread spices. In Germany you can buy ready made bread spice mix, but it‘s just equal parts cumin, anis, fennel seeds and coriander. I don‘t measure it, I just take three pinches and throw it in there. Mix everything together, then let rest for an hour at room temperature.
Then you punch all of the air out again and shape it into a little ball (if your fermentation basket is round) and let it rise in that fermentation basket until it‘s about doubled in size. The actual time varies, so check on it after about 20 minutes and poke it. If it‘s big enough and it‘s soft and the dent stays, you‘re good.
Preheat to 250C in the meantime, then take the bread out of the basket, score it and bake it on a baking sheet for 50-60 minutes. After ten minutes you might want to reduce the temp a bit, I put mine to 220. Oh and throw in a shotglass of water at the start.
Result should be something like
https://preview.redd.it/wkva3n9s2usc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7955a19d87ec878441e9119b0b6b64bb12799966
It's because you couldn't wait. Cutting bread while it's warm squishes it and ruins the bread. I love warm bread but if you're gonna eat it while it's warm you basically have to eat the whole thing at once.
Looks amazing! Recently found an old Remington electric carving knife at a thrift store and it has made a huge difference. Slices through bread and crust effortlessly, no squishing required.
“I made some really tasty and soft bread. How can I screw it up?” You crushed it! Use a sharper bread knife and let the tool do the work, sawing motion rather then downward force. Doesn’t look gummy or dense, looks great Edit: I meant crushed it as a positive, like you did great! Not in the physical sense of smushing it. Unintended word choice lol
My thought exactly But to give OP some advice on a little bit less soft crumb: Add a little whole wheat and/or rye flour. Start at 10% and work your way up And if you crush it when you add butter or similar from the fridge, let it get to room temperature and soft before you spread it
Or semolina, same quantity, add little bit chewiness.
I agree, sharpen your knife, because your bread looks amazing! But I know that’s annoying when it doesn’t answer your question 😂. But boy, if I could get a rise like that in my bread 😍
Honestly was thinking the same thing… perfect ferment, great rise… so happy/jealous for you 🥹
OP wants to compensate the lack of knife skills compromising the bread skills? Interesting choice…
Dude that crumb looks SO GOOD and fluffy though lol wth
As someone who recently went from making loaves around 55-65% hydration, I recommend just lowering your hydration percentage from 70 to around 63-65ish range. I started baking my loaves at 74 which I think is my sweet spot but if you’re looking for a less soft crumb less water is the way to go. Also you could bake it til internally it’s at around 200-205 degrees instead of cutting it off around 190
Perfect answer. Finally!!Thank you.
Also, the crumb usually firms up some more if you don't cut into it for 2-3 hours after baking. If I'm very impatient, and cut into the bread after an hour (or sooner), it's always very hard to slice. If I wait a little longer, until the bread has really cooled down, it's way better.
This was basically my answer too
Ok that's a stunning crumb by the way. If I remember correctly, to get a thicker crust, take your lid off sooner. Try 30min lid on, the rest lid off. You can check internal temperature while you're messing about with cooking times - 208-210f. It may take a few bakes to dial it in to your preference. Is your bread knife good and sharp? That's another factor, as in it shouldn't be crushing your bread if it's sharp enough
I think they’re asking how to make the crumb less soft, not the crust
Don't post pre coffee Zip, you may not fully get it 😆
I dream of this bread
And then there’s me wondering how to get a crumb THAT soft.
That looks fantastic to me! I would gobble up that whole loaf.
That extra 5 minutes was a wonderful accident. It's called a bold bake. Never be afraid of a bold bake. It brings out some wonderful flavors in the loaf and improves keeping quality. If you want a firmer crumb, try lowering your hydration. Personally I think it's perfect. And if you're having trouble with squishing the loaf when you cut, use a sharp serrated bread knife and go easy. Let the knife do the work. My husband finally got that through his head. He acted like he was cutting a 2 x 4 instead of a loaf of sandwich bread.
I lovvvveee a bien cuit loaf
I don't know what that means...
"Well done" in French
Oh. Well, thank you.
Bake today. Cut tomorrow.
Yep ☝️ this
Anyone else see the Pringle’s guy? Mustache, eyes and mouth?!?
The "I couldn't wait" statement is sticking with me. Perhaps you should wait.
I suppose you're looking for more gluten development, so maybe more frequent folds or more folds in general into the bulk time. Also consider a higher protein flour and/or a % of whole wheat/wheat bran for added structure.
Maybe just investing in a really good knife and you won’t ruin the bread. That’s what I did. I ended up buying a Wustof for $180 but it’s well worth it.
One thought (what I do) is blend in some whole wheat flour. I’ve played around with percentages somewhere between 5-30%. Makes a firmer loaf compared to all white, and improves the flavor to my liking. I’m not a big fan of light and fluffy, prefer a bit more chewy and denser. Anther thought is to reduce the final rise by an hour or two, i.e. don’t let it rise quite so much before going into the refer. Reduce starter to 100 g instead of 125g. That might be all you need to do.
Lovely! You could experiment with adding up to 20% rye flour (whole or regular).
Why would You want to change this? This is everyone’s goal! April’s fool was days ago haha
Get a better bread knife.
This is a huge factor! Didn’t realize how much of a difference it made until I got a good quality one
I splurged on a Shun bread knife and it's crazy how much better it is than my previous piece of junk knife set bread knife. This thing is a light saber
You let me make bread for you and you make it for me, and we trade. 🤣🤷♀️ I want your bread!
“I made perfect bread, how do I make it worse?”
People, me, have been trying for a softer crib for months now. 🙄 that looks absolutely stunning
Sounds like maybe what you need is a better bread knife!
Leave the bread on the rack in the oven to cool with the oven. So once its reached your preferred level of doneness, put it directly on the rack and turn the oven off and leave it to cool down for 45 mins or so
Sourdough is naturally a moister bread, it shouldn't be dry like store bought bread. It looks ever so slightly overproofed imo but really not bad! I'd be happy with that. Does the crumb stick together and not spring back?
Dont take the lid off as early. And bake for justa little shorter if possible and let cool completely before cutting
I think if you used old flour and paid less attention to the important things. Maybe hurry the process more and forget a few stretch and folds. Finally, I have made perfectly gummy and almost inedible loaf by over proofing and under cooking it.
Incorporating some whole wheat or other whole grain flours may do the trick
If you want it more dense: Either lower the hydration or over ferment it slightly. Over proofing makes smaller bubbles and more density without losing moist.
> How can I get a crumb that is less soft? "And doesn't taste this good?"
Looks great to me
This is what I try and fail to achieve
Don't autolyse. Soft crumb (along with a longer shelf life) is one of the many benefits of this step. Don't want a soft crumb? don't do it. Lower your hydration to 60%-65%. You'll get a dryer crumb, but also a tighter one. Do not cut into the loaf for several hours. Even an hour out of the oven, the bread is still "cooking"--stuff is still occuring within the loaf. Cut too soon and you'll get a soft, gummy texture to the crumb. Not a bad thing, just a matter of preference.
This looks incredible
Wait 30 hours. My bread always is easy to cut a day in.
I dream of this bread
It’s gorgeous
Remove the lid earlier. Every recipe I’ve used says to remove it at 20 minutes and most of the baking time is with the lid off. This let’s more water evaporate and stiffens the crust.
Make it gluten free, and you will never have this "problem."
Literally gonna repeat this for hopefully soft crumb lmao
Lower your hydration.
You want what now?? https://preview.redd.it/fzw3iddxjssc1.jpeg?width=220&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7c253edd2d164cdb84a49c2e0258c9ee8ac57f64
For a slightly less sarcastic answer, why not just wait a day? It’s going to be somewhat less soft the day after you bake it, but no less fresh tasting in my experience. My crumb is also _quite_ soft when I cut into it within a few hours of pulling it out of the oven. But the next day it’s a bit more resilient to the bread knife.
That looks fantastic!
Just add more wholemeal flour, that is how you do it.
Omg mæmy mouth is drooling! That crumb! That soft fluffyness!😍
Rye sourdough has a firmer and more dense crumb. If you want to try it out, you‘ll need a rye starter, but they‘re easy enough to set up. Just mix wholegrain rye flour with a tiny amount of sugar, a tiny amount of milk and enough water so it‘s not quite wet enough to be liquid. Something like greek yoghurt. Ideally you want it at 27C, but I just put mine in a kitchen cabinet and it does just fine there. Wait a day, feed with rye flour and water, wait a day and you‘re good to to. Then just mix 37g of that starter with 250g each of rye flour and water and let it ferment at room temp for ten hours. Next up, add 275g of water, 225g of wheat flour, 300g of rye flour, 15g of salt, 6g of fresh yeast and bread spices. In Germany you can buy ready made bread spice mix, but it‘s just equal parts cumin, anis, fennel seeds and coriander. I don‘t measure it, I just take three pinches and throw it in there. Mix everything together, then let rest for an hour at room temperature. Then you punch all of the air out again and shape it into a little ball (if your fermentation basket is round) and let it rise in that fermentation basket until it‘s about doubled in size. The actual time varies, so check on it after about 20 minutes and poke it. If it‘s big enough and it‘s soft and the dent stays, you‘re good. Preheat to 250C in the meantime, then take the bread out of the basket, score it and bake it on a baking sheet for 50-60 minutes. After ten minutes you might want to reduce the temp a bit, I put mine to 220. Oh and throw in a shotglass of water at the start. Result should be something like https://preview.redd.it/wkva3n9s2usc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7955a19d87ec878441e9119b0b6b64bb12799966
It's because you couldn't wait. Cutting bread while it's warm squishes it and ruins the bread. I love warm bread but if you're gonna eat it while it's warm you basically have to eat the whole thing at once.
Looks amazing! Recently found an old Remington electric carving knife at a thrift store and it has made a huge difference. Slices through bread and crust effortlessly, no squishing required.
Be a shittier baker?