Dwayne Kryger asked:
>So my question is: If we assume that bread is done when the internal
>temperature reaches 205 degrees what will be the difference between
>a loaf baked at a lower temperature for a longer time against a loaf
>baked at a higher temperature for a shorter time? I would guess
>that each has advantages and disadvantages.
Baking is a balancing act. You want the crust the right color at the
same time as the crumb is as done as you want it. It takes time to
bake the crumb. The heat has to penetrate the dough and heat it to
bake it. If your crumb is underdone, you have to leave it in the
oven longer. If your crumb is overdone, you have to bake it less
time next time around.
However, the crust is controlled more by the temperature than the
time. If you want a darker crust, turn the heat up 25F or so. If
you want a lighter crust, turn it down. If you find your crust is
too done, put a foil or paper tent over your bread to stop the
browning and let the baking continue.
The catch is.. the two are related. If you reduce the heat, you may
have to increase the time. Take notes, adjust as needed, and soon
you'll bake bread that looks and tastes the way you want it to.
Different breads are different. A bread with sugar in it will tend
to brown faster and more than a lean bread, so you should probably
bake sweetened breads at a lower temperature than a lean bread. Take
notes..... so you can repeat your successes and avoid repeating your failures.
As a final comment - Professor Calvel always said you can't burn
bread. He wasn't quite right, but most people do underbake their
bread. Most of bread's taste is in the crust, and if its underdone,
the taste doesn't develop. So, try baking the bread 5 minutes longer
than you thought you should. Taste it, try it. See if maybe you want
to go another 5 minutes next time. A crust can become quite dark
without being burned.
Enjoy!
Mike
PS - With regards to an earlier thread, I categorically did NOT
recommend burning bread. Nor did anyone else. I do, however,
recommended trying to bake your bread longer to see if you might like
it more. If you haven't tried that, you don't know if you'll like it
more. Mike
Mike Avery mavery at mail dot otherwhen dot com
part time baker http://www.sourdoughhome.com
networking guru Skype mavery81230
wordsmith
A Randomly Selected Berber Saying Of The Day:
He who touches honey is compelled to lick his fingers.