I have made this loaf a few times with great success! My bread is perfect during both rises and during the baking process, but once I set it out to cool and rub it w/ butter, it puckers a little center and falls just the tiniest bit. I don't really mind, but was just curious if you knew what causes it. Thanks! This happens to all of us in the test kitchen, and we don't know for sure why. It has something to do with the bread cooling, and steam escaping through the crust; it's a real pain when you're trying to get a photo of "the perfect loaf!" We've found that leaving the bread to cool in the oven, outside its pan, can help. Just turn off the oven, crack the door open a few inches, and put the bread right on the oven shelf. Give it a try next time you're baking bread - oh, and you can rub the crust with butter before putting the loaf back in the oven, if you like. PJH

• Reply