Flying crust

[qahtan]

Why am I always getting a flying crust on my breads.
Also I would like my crust to be a little more tender, after the first day it tends to be a little tough.
Both of these problems appear on plain white, whole wheat, multigrain, what ever loaf breads I make. Thank you, qahtan

[Dan Lepard]

Hello Qahtan,
For me, I find it occurs when the final prove is too short. Extending the proving time until the dough almost reaches it's maximum unbaked volume (but with enough strength left in the dough to puff up boldly in the oven), seems to solve the problem.
regards
Dan

[qahtan]

Hi Dan, yes I thought that also, but it still doesn't seem to solve my problem.
Do you think it could be baking the bread in a convection oven, or am I not knocking it back enough, I even some times give it a whack on the counter.
The loaves look simply gorgeous, but then to cut into them,,,,,,,,,,,
But I must emphasize it onlt happens with bread, not with sweet doughs.
qahtan.
I might add I am looking forward to your site growing with all kinds of interesting baking.

[Dan Lepard]

Hello Qahtan,
Let me know a little more detail about your problem - what are your ingredients quantities and method times. regards
Dan

[qahtan]

White bread.

5 cups white flour, Robin Hood, Bakers flour
1/2 ltre just warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons dry active yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons soft butter, some times oil instead

Mix yeast, 4 cups flour, sugar and water well together in food processor,
add butter and salt and process another full minute, adding more flour as required to make nice soft workable dough.
Remove from processor, knead lightly on floured counter to ball, place in large stainless steel oiled bowl, cover, and leave on counter to double in volume, maybe about 1 hour plus.
knock back, shape for pans or freeform, lightly spray tops so they do not dry, cover leave to rise, about 3/4 hour to 1 hour, have convection oven heated to 390º f bake for 40 minutes depending on size of loaves.
It gives gorgeous oven spring, looks, smells just great. but has this large bubble under crust, some times I could insert two full fingers into hole.

I mix in processor as I am unable to mix the whole process by hand, also maybe I am not knocking enough air out of dough, another problem for me to do, or could it be convection. qahtan

[Dan Lepard]

Hello Qahtan,
I would say that your recipe time appear too short, a reason you are getting such good oven spring. I think it needs longer for its final prove.

But be careful, as the yeast quantity is high and so the dough will ripen quickly and will need to be in the oven before it falls. This is a problem particular to tin loaves. It is difficult judging the correct dough weight + final prove on a tin, as we assume that because the dough reaches a certain poit in the tin, then it is ready. But if the weight of dough is too large for the tin, then it will appear to be ready for the oven even when the dough is young and underdeveloped.

Firstly, I would try (a) reduceng your dough weight as well as (b) gradually increasing your final prove time (by 10 minutes).

According to L.J. Hanneman, in 'Bread and Feremented Goods' (1980) the causes of a flying top are any or all of the following:
1. Underripe dough (rectified by extending the first/bulk fermentation)
2. Underproof (rectified by extending the final fermentation)
3. Too strong a flour (you could cut your bakers flour with a small amount of all-purpose flour, say 1 cup to begin with)
4. Lack of salt (possibly, but then it needs to be to your taste)
5. Dough Temperature is too high (around 24C - 26C should be you upper limit)
It is possible that your oven is baking unevenly, so you could try baking the tin lower in the oven.

regards
Dan