I have also used an unglazed pizza stone quite often. This is the 3rd bread I've made from AB&P. I've been fighting for the same thing for quite some time when I found out it is a lot of steam right after you take it out of the fridge. I save the photos to my desktop, then use the TFL message editing functionality to upload and insert them into a message. Bake for 10-15 minutes before removing the cloche. Too much steam used by the baker gives us “shiny” crusts which are often more like a blistery skin. In my case it's around 12 hours. This worked well in the oven I had at my old place, which was a nice viking oven. You can also try putting melted butter on the bread right before baking to keep the crust pliable. Why don't you start a new topic, and you will get lots of help, I'm sure. I hope this will help save others from a "watery grave". What size bannetons do you use and where did you get yours from? How dry it is matters. (1) The best way to insure a softer crust - at least softer on the surfaces that are exposed in the oven - is to brush the dough with milk before baking it. To get a darker yet still thin crust, bake with steam at a higher temperature. Non sour dough breads usually do not exhibit that degree of shine, yet they go through a similar gelatinization. I've been making 1-2-3 bread with an overnight rise once formed and baking at high temp and taking out once they're done rather than leaving in as I once did. If you use higher gluten flour or add gluten (which I never do), you may need a longer mix or more S&F's to fully develop it. The number are correctly transcribed from the book, I'm pretty sure. Hello, thanks for the tips...I may get this yet. If you don’t, I’ve included volume measurements as well. Lovely bread, by the way! https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2015/05/31/make-brownies-shiny-crust I need to check multiple formulas in the book for a pattern. That said, this particular bake was darker than I happen to like. If you see anything inappropriate on the site or have any questions, contact me at floydm at thefreshloaf dot com. This white sourdough sandwich bread, for us, is an absolute winner! There was not King Aruther flour at our store so I used a bread flour without added gluten. The cracks occur when the shrinkage is sufficient to fracture that dry crust. Achieving the look of San Francisco Sourdough French Bread requires persistence and practice, practice, practice. This site is powered by Drupal. I would love a slice. Hi all,May I ask what is the technique for getting the most "shine" in your bread crumb? My experience is that most really "new" bakers - at least those with no experience of European breads - would perceive my loaves as "burnt." Stir well and heat to a simmering gentle boil. (50% hydration means the starter has half as much water, by weight, as flour.). She didn't.). Always retard the dough for 9-12 hours to develop the depth of taste. It just doesn't look like what I expect a traditional San Francisco sourdough  to look like. I baked these loaves at 475ºF. If that's not appropriate I understand....Sitka Baker. Proofing needs to be just right. S. Ernie wrote: My sourdough bread rises fine and bakes nice, but the crust is too hard. Control the sourness by varying the length of over-ferment of a 30% levain. Really? (I did 2 folds at 45 minute intervals.). If you are using all purpose flour, the text… These "errors" appear to be systematic enough so that I have trouble believing they are typos or poor editing. Is that your experience? I have managed to bake wholewheat breads that are light and fluffy using the stretch and fold technique, but i have yet to get the results you are experiencing. I use Peter Reinhart's recipe from Artisan Breads Everyday and I get a really nice loaf. The Fresh Loaf is not responsible for community member content. What baskets do you use to get such a wonderful shape? I have been making sourdough for years and add gluten to my flour at 1 tsp per c....do you think this would help my crumb on the baguette...thoughts. Sitka Baker. https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/how_to_make_sourdough_08213 The bread singing is the sound the loaf makes as it shrinks when the crust is really dry and cannot shrink along with the crumb. My starter is a thick, pourable liquid the consistency of pancake batter. For sourdough bread, I would recommend using buttermilk if you have it (every bit of tang helps). Bread flour is important to get the a crusty, chewy texture. And it tastes darn good! The formula called for baking at 450ºF. Photos of your baguettes including crumb photos might help pinpoint your problem. Some I already utilise but not the final refrigerated proof. I believe that overbaking to this degree has a dramatic shift in the taste of the bread if you eat the crust, and I can't help but believe it may have dried out the crumb to some degree. I use Peter Reinhart's recipe from Artisan Breads Everyday and I get a really nice loaf. Take it out of the container and place on a cooling rack still wrapped in the damp cloth for the remaining cooling time. Only one of the two loaves - the one with the tic-tac-toe scoring - developed any crackles. Did you check the internal temperature of the bread to see when it was actually done baking or just bake at time & temp according to the recipe? Yes, I agree steam is key to shiny crust. However, the dough ends up within one percent of the specified hydration level. Pulse until the butter … To get a darker yet still thin crust, bake with steam at a higher temperature. Lovely looking loaves, as usual. Have you seen it? I posted photos...just getting the hang of this and wasn't able to get the text in. 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