Baking Bread
Bread is baked at a high temperature to kill the yeast and stop the dough from over proofing and collapsing. The dough goes through three stages when baking.
- "Oven Spring" the gas bubbles in the dough expand and it rises rapidly.
- The dough solidifies and turn into bread
- The crust forms and browns - either soft or crisp crust.
Make sure that there is an even circulation of oven heat so that the bread rises (oven spring) and browns evenly.
Set the oven shelf one third up from the oven floor. Leave plenty of space for the bread to rise without touching the shelf above,
Do not open the oven until the dough has risen completely to avoid collapse.
Oven temperature vary depending on the size of the bread or rolls and on the degree of "firing" desired somewhere between 200ºC, 400ºF gas 6 and 180ºC, 350ºF gas 5 is normally called for.
Bread Stones help retain an even heat in an oven and simulate the conditions in a brick said to be ideal for bread baking!
Steamy heat developes the best crust and can be achieved by placing a shallow tin of boiling water in the base of the oven. Alternativelt once the loaf has started to brown spray it with water from an atomiser.
Testing Bread
The traditional method to test whether bread or rolls are cooked is to tap the base of the loaf. If it sounds hollow it is done and the sides should feel crips and firm.
Bread should be well browned on all sides.
Internal temperature check should be around 195ºF or 100ºC