hi every one!
My homemade bread is a bit of a paradox - the crust is too hard, but the inside is too soft. guidance from fellow bakers to strike the right balance and achieve the ideal crunchy exterior with a soft, airy interior.
Thanks
Edward...
You need to control the surface temperature and moisture loss of the loaf. Dough expands rapidly in a hot oven. The high temperatures triggers starch gelatinization and protein denaturation, setting the crust while evaporating the moisture in the crust. As the dough continues to bake, the crust completely dries out. The result is a dry hard crust with lower rise as the dough sets too quickly.
To counter the drying effect and achieve maximum oven spring, steam is injected into the oven chamber, then vented out.
Since most home ovens lack a steaming feature, you need to add steam manually. You can preheat the oven with a heat resistance pan on oven floor, then pour an 1” of boiling water into the pan about five minutes before you begin baking.
Another method it to use a fine mist spray bottle to mist the oven chamber before you begin baking.
You can also mist the loaf just before you place it in the oven. This will create blistered crust, which is the hallmark of San Francisco sourdough bread.
How much steam you need will depend on your oven and baking method (baking steel vs baking stone vs baking sheet). You will have to experiment.
Be careful not to add too much moisture as it will cause the crust to be rubbery.
Alternatively, you can bake bread in a preheated Dutch oven with a lid. The lid will trap the moisture in the pot, creating humidity needed for better crust development and oven spring.
Just remember to remove the lid about 20 min into baking.
