Those loaves look awesome...I am wondering why mine tend to spread more than puff when rising & baking...have I not added enough flour? They do taste great though! Thank so much!
There are a few reasons your loaves may be spreading more than rising during the proofing stage. A too-wet dough can cause the dough to not hold it's shape. Overproofing during the final rise can also cause the dough structure to slightly deflate and look wider rather than higher. If your dough is under or over-kneaded, the gluten is either not developed enough or basically "broken" if overkneaded. If this happens, the dough does not have the structure to hold the air and can deflate causing a flat loaf. If you have specific questions, please give us a call on the Baker's Hotline and we'll be happy to help! ~Mel
December 2, 2011 at 4:41pm