Are These Loaves Over or Under Proofed?

This question comes up at every baker’s debrief. (To learn what a baker debrief is, click here.)

Sometimes, loaves come out of the oven gorgeous, beautifully browned, and perfectly domed, only to collapse as they cool. Or perhaps they burst open with a side or top split. It’s a common baking mystery we’re here to unravel.

It gets down to gluten development and under- or overdevelopment.

When gluten, which is like a rubber band, is “underdeveloped,” the pressure of the quick expansion in the oven heat can “snap” the gluten at its weakest point, leading to “splits.” The solution can be a combination of any of the following: longer mixing time to assure good gluten development, a little longer bulk ferment for the same reason, and really the first one to try, a longer proof. How much longer? It’s hard to tell, but start with a little longer and test using the poke and jiggle tests.

What about “overdeveloped”? It’s similar but the opposite. When the gluten, like a rubber band, has been overstretched, bread comes out of the oven looking beautiful but collapses because the “rubber band” structure can’t support the “dough.” The gluten folds into itself.

Generally, you should donate the loaves regardless; they are still delicious. But you can also experiment by staggering your loaves into the oven to see which are too early, right on time, and too late.

Take a moment and share your experience.