Spots on bread and rolls

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I work in a bakery and my bread and rolls have been finishing up with speckles all over. What does this mean?
My Italian is also blowing out on the side and my kaiser rolls look like mushrooms.
Please help!
 
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I work in a bakery and my bread and rolls have been finishing up with speckles all over. What does this mean?
My Italian is also blowing out on the side and my kaiser rolls look like mushrooms.
Please help!

When a loaf bursts open on the side, it’s usually a weaken dough caused by over-mixing. As weaken dough rises, it will tear rather than stretch. Read up on dough extensibility (ability to stretch) and elasticity (ability to return to its original shape). Also research how to tell when a dough is ready for bulk fermentation.

Under-proofing is also another major cause of a burst. The gluten network has to be given enough time to relax after mixing. If not, it will tear as the bread rises in the oven. It goes back to dough extensibility.

Mushroom tops are usually incorrect scaling (too much dough for pan) and/or too high a temperature. If the bread/rolls are baked directly on the oven deck, then it’s most likely too high temperature.

I’m not sure what you mean by “speckles”, so I can only toss out a few thoughts. If it’s white flecks, then most likely it’s unincorporated flour. If they are dark in color, could be bugs in flour. Even a new sack of flour can be invested with mites or weevils. If the “speckles” are more like blisters, it could be a dough that’s too stiff (meaning not enough to hydration) and/or too high oven temperature.

Since you bake professionally, you might consider buying a baking textbook like Advanced Bread and Pastry. Michel Suas is an very accomplished baker. He founded the San Francisco Baking Institute, In addition to his culinary program, he is a bakery consultant. He has assisted both new and establish bakeries.

His book is not cheap since it’s for professional education. The book explains the science of baking. It gives you the knowledge to troubleshoot your baking issues. Wouldn’t hurt to ask the company you work for to purchase it as reference material, then allow employees to check it out.

Suas’ book

https://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Bre...en-20&linkId=e2675e21d0b9812b7b167a5d0b6d8322

About Suas

https://www.sfbi.com/history.html
 
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When a loaf bursts open on the side, it’s usually a weaken dough caused by over-mixing. As weaken dough rises, it will tear rather than stretch. Read up on dough extensibility (ability to stretch) and elasticity (ability to return to its original shape). Also research how to tell when a dough is ready for bulk fermentation.

Under-proofing is also another major cause of a burst. The gluten network has to be given enough time to relax after mixing. If not, it will tear as the bread rises in the oven. It goes back to dough extensibility.

Mushroom tops are usually incorrect scaling (too much dough for pan) and/or too high a temperature. If the bread/rolls are baked directly on the oven deck, then it’s most likely too high temperature.

I’m not sure what you mean by “speckles”, so I can only toss out a few thoughts. If it’s white flecks, then most likely it’s unincorporated flour. If they are dark in color, could be bugs in flour. Even a new sack of flour can be invested with mites or weevils. If the “speckles” are more like blisters, it could be a dough that’s too stiff (meaning not enough to hydration) and/or too high oven temperature.

Since you bake professionally, you might consider buying a baking textbook like Advanced Bread and Pastry. Michel Suas is an very accomplished baker. He founded the San Francisco Baking Institute, In addition to his culinary program, he is a bakery consultant. He has assisted both new and establish bakeries.

His book is not cheap since it’s for professional education. The book explains the science of baking. It gives you the knowledge to troubleshoot your baking issues. Wouldn’t hurt to ask the company you work for to purchase it as reference material, then allow employees to check it out.

Suas’ book

https://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Bre...en-20&linkId=e2675e21d0b9812b7b167a5d0b6d8322

About Suas

https://www.sfbi.com/history.html
Thank you very much! You were very helpful. I started at a new bakery and these are the problems I ran into. Trying to get used to the oven and proof box.
 
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Aside from badly mixed dough that can have flour lumps in it, or air bubbles.............one of the issues we had in the bakery sometimes is the dough would get sweat beads on it while rising. We used a proofer, and I think the baker always turned the humidity up too high.

The dough would get sweat beads on it and when it bakes it would get funny looking spots on it, sort of like blisters or a rash, or freckles.
 

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