Use Your Loaf: How to bake bread at home and get perfect results (8 page)

Problem

Possible
Causes

Loaf
didn’t rise

Not enough
yeast

Too much
salt

Under-proved

Over-proved

Final rise
too short

Oven
temperature too high

Loaf risen
too much

Under-proved

Not enough
salt

Flat,
tired shape

Under-kneaded

Over-proved

Dough not
supported when proving

Loaf not
shaped tightly enough

Dark crust

Over-baked

Oven
temperature too high

Too much
sugar

Pale crust

Oven
temperature too low

“Old”
dough

Dough
dried out during final rise

Not enough
steam in oven

“Flying”
crust

Over-proved

Under-proved
(less likely)

Thick
crust

Over-baked

Over-proved

Oven
temperature too high

Not enough
sugar

Bread
coarse, dry and too “holey”

Over-proved

Sour taste
or a yeasty odour

Over-proved

Under-baked

Oven
temperature too high

Under-kneaded

Bread has
a doughy texture

Under-baked

Sliced
while still hot

Metric

Imperial

28g

1oz

56g

2oz

113g

4oz

170g

6oz

200g

7oz

225g

8oz

283g

10oz

340g

12oz

397g

14oz

454g

1lb

500g

1lb 1oz

900g

2lb

1kg

2lb 3oz

Metric

Imperial

150ml

5fl oz (¼
pint)

300ml

10fl oz (
½ pint)

600ml

20fl oz (1
pint)

1 litre

35fl oz (1
¾ pints)

⁰
C

⁰
F

Gas
Mark

Very cool

130

250

½

Very cool

140

275

1

Cool

150

300

2

Moderate

160-170

325

3

Moderate

180

350

4

Moderately hot

190

375

5

Moderately hot

200

400

6

Hot

220

425

7

Hot

230

450

8

Very hot

240-250

450-475

9-10