Re:Slashing wet dough:
Thanks to all the bakers that responded to my question about slashing soft
dough. It is comforting to know that I'm not the only one having
difficulties. Most baking books treat this step as though it is too simple
to explain but it has never been simple for me. The answers ranged
everywhere from: Don't bother, wet dough stay softer longer in the oven
allowing the dough to expand fully and therefore don't need slashing, to
trying virtually every sharp instrument in the kitchen and the tool shed.
Of all the instruments suggested the scissor was the only one I hadn't
tried so I mixed up a very soft sourdough and shaped it into 6" diameter
loaves. When this loaf is rolled onto the peel the dough flattens
significantly as it is no longer supported by the couch, making it even
harder to slash the flattened top surface. The large kitchen scissors we
have cut clean high-angled slashes into the loaves. When baked, the loaves
rose back to almost round and the slashes flared open nicely. The only
downside is the cosmetics, the slashes are triangular and the "point" burns
slightly during baking.
When I do get a slash into a wet dough the oven rise causes a bulge in the
region of the slash so I think even in wet dough the slash creates a less
dense crumb. I don't try to slash "shapeless" breads like ciabatta but
Pain Ancienne from Reinhart's BBA is almost the same hydration as ciabatta
and responds well to slashes.
Re: Convection ovens;
I have been baking in a convection oven for two years now. The oven has
both convection and radiant modes. It has a 3/4" thick baking stone
directly above a radiant element. I preheat the oven to 500 F using the
radiant element for at least 45 min. I put the loaves on the stone, turn
the oven completely off, and steam the oven. When the temperature has
cooled to 425 F (about 5 minutes) I turn on the convection mode and set it
to 425 F. (If you turn on the convection mode too early the fan will drive
the steam out of the oven). By then the oven rise is mostly over and the
crusts are starting to firm up. The convection fan helps remove the excess
moisture from the crusts. Total baking time for thin loaves like ciabatta
or baguettes is 20 to 25 minutes. The crusts are thick and chewy for
ciabattas and thick and crisp for baguettes depending on the final internal
temperatures. For larger diameter loaves the starting temperature is 475 F
and the convection temperature is 400 F and the baking time extended to 35
to 45 minutes.
Werner