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Re: Browning of Crust

"Mark Judman" <Mark_Judman@COLPAL.COM>
Mon, 8 Oct 2001 09:38:42 -0400
v101.n048.5
Frank,
I think you should try baking your breads longer.  At least in my oven, 
breads tend to look darker in the oven than when I take them out.  I throw 
them back in until they look dark enough after I take them out.  My advice: 
be brave, throw them back in for another 10 - 15 min.  assuming you're 
baking at 400 (F.) to 425 (F.), basically until the crust looks the way you 
want it to.  I think you won't find the crumb dried out.  Many breads are 
typically underbaked.  There's a well-known artisan baker in NYC, Balthazar 
Bakery, whose output looks to me, literally burnt, personally not to my 
liking (burnt toast -- the universal emetic)!

An alternative is to brush your breads with egg yolk, thinned with a little 
water, before baking which will give a shiny brown sheen, not necessarily 
what you want on some of the rustic breads that Carol Field has in "The 
Italian Baker."  (Great book!)

Mark Judman  <Mark_Judman@colpal.com>

FMTZ@aol.com wrote
 >I cannot get my crusts to get as beautifully dark brown as those pictured in
 >books or, for that matter, available from artisan bakeries