Hi Emma, it's not uncommon for loaves that are baked in a pan to show some tearing on the sides right above the edge of the pan, as this is where the dough tends to stretch as it rises in the oven. Ideally, of course, you want the tearing to be minimal and to happen evenly on both sides, but sometimes you'll see this happen only on one side of the pan. This could be related to how you shaped the loaf (sometimes uneven tension in the loaf can make one side more likely to tear). This could also happen as a result of uneven heating. For example, if you place your loaf pan in the oven with one of the long sides facing the back of the oven, and the other one facing the front, this could cause the back of the loaf to rise more quickly than the front. In this case, placing the loaf pan with the short side towards the back may improve your results. 

While some stretching is normal, loaves that are either under-proofed or on the stiff side are more likely to show pronounced stretching. Adding a little more liquid to your dough may prove helpful, and I would encourage you to give the dough some rising time at room temperature before refrigeration. When you take the bread out of the refrigerator I think it can be helpful to do a loose preshape in disk form for an hour or so to let the dough warm up a bit before you do the final shape. This can help even out the temperature of the loaf, so that when you do the final shape it will rise more evenly. I generally do this preshape step at room temperature, but with your cool temperatures, you might consider allowing the dough to rest in your proofer for both the preshape and the final shape. I usually set my proofer for around 78°F (25-26°C). 

I hope this helps! Let us know how it goes!

• Reply