Bread - there's good news and bad news - trying something new

SciAggie

I am like most other bread makers searching for the perfect loaf of bread. Today I decided to experiment with the way I set up the egg. I decided to place the pizza stone on an elevated grate to put the bread high up in the dome. (Normally I use a ceramic cloche) The idea being it will get the benefit of all that radiant heat coming off the ceramics. Also, if I do it this way I will have a space for a water tray on the lower grate - thus producing lots of steam. Here are a few pics 
I put the stone toward the rear of the dome to avoid the thermometer probe. The water pan was placed just in a convenient place - but I learned something... I was playing with my handy IR thermometer that Santa brought and was noticing a big difference in the heat on the stone from front to back - to the tune of 65 degrees or so (by the way I had the dome thermometer at 500). Then I got to thinking about the water pan; was it cooling the stone? I moved the water pan to the back side, which is the hottest part of the egg anyway. Blazing a! The water was making a difference. With the water pan at the back temps were stabilizing across the stone - only about 20 degrees difference. 
So it's time to put the bread on - and the bleepin' dough stuck to the banneton. %*]!|>\*]+]!]^^!!!!! That never happens - did I say }^\*]%]>£=]*{!}????
well, nothing to do but plow forward. 
I put the bread on and was pleased with way it cooked. It appears I had good oven spring. The bread certainly behaved well in such a hot oven - next time I may shoot for about 525 dome temp. The bread however is ugly. I didn't have a chance to score it. I don't know how much it was effected by the way I stretched it coming out of the banneton. Here is a pic anyway. This is about mid-bake:

This shot is as I took the bread off:
I didn't get quite the color I'm accustomed to getting, but I'm encouraged. If this works out I can cook several things in succession without having to reheat the cloche. Just for illustration, this is what I get with the cloche:
I may make another loaf this afternoon done with yeast so I can get it done. I'll update for those interested. 
Comments and questions are welcome. 

SGH

Man it looks excellent to me brother. I'm no bread maker, but I know a winner when I see it. And that's a winner!!

SciAggie

@SGH Thanks friend. I will be tweaking things. I certainly enjoyed our visit today. I appreciate your insight and advice. 

SGH

SciAggie said:

@SGH Thanks friend. I will be tweaking things. I certainly enjoyed our visit today. I appreciate your insight and advice. 

I enjoyed it as well my friend. And you are more than welcome. 

bgebrent

Your bread is beautiful!  Really.

paqman

Looks awesome!

SciAggie

@bgebrent I think putting the pizza stone up higher in the dome is better. I think separating the platesetter and pizza stone even further helps the pizza stone stay the same temp as the dome. 
I know I've burned bread on the bottom before when the dome temp was 500 and the pizza stone was closer to the platesetter. The way I did it today I think I needed to cook about 525. 

pgprescott

I'm jealous! Enjoy. 

SciAggie

I made another loaf this afternoon. This was made with instant yeast, 65% hydration. I baked it at about 520 degrees. It turned out better than the earlier loaf. 

SGH

Looks like another winner to me brother.

SciAggie

@SGH Thanks my friend. 

GlennM

I made these two. I've been playing around a bit lately and fine the handling makes a big difference!

YukonRon

Wow! I am very impressed. Looks awesome!

SciAggie

@GlennM Those loaves have nice color. How did you have your egg set up? Can you share details about temp, % hydration, did you do egg wash before baking, etc?
I can get that kind of crust in the oven using my cloche, but so far not on the egg by itself. 

GlennM

I actually used the oven and did it in a Dutch oven. 475. I have been reading Flour,Water,Salt and Yeast.

I used to just throw the ingredients in the bread machine and then bake it in the Dutch oven, now I'm doing the autolyse rest a few folds in the first hour and then an all day rise. Seems to make a big difference. I need to find a Banneton?

SciAggie

@GlennM If you are using a wet dough a banneton will help. It keeps it from spreading out during a long proofing period. 

caliking

@SciAggie - Nice loaves! Which brand of yeast are you using? I'm not getting much "oven spring", and think the yeast may be the issue.

@GlennM - Amazon has bannetons in various shapes and sizes. 

YukonRon

Check the dates on the yeast. We had some old stock, and were not getting the results. My Beautiful Wife, changed it out with new, problem solved.

caliking

YukonRon said:

Check the dates on the yeast. We had some old stock, and were not getting the results. My Beautiful Wife, changed it out with new, problem solved.

I thought that must have been the problem too, but still not getting the results I would like. Tried a new jar of both Red Star and Fleischmann's. Ordered Saf yeast from Amazon which should be coming in this week. 

SciAggie

@caliking I'm using el cheapo yeast from the grocery store - I think it's SureFine brand. What YukonRon said nails it; be sure it's not old. I keep an active starter in the fridge, but it takes a while to refresh and get going. I'll use yeast for a quick loaf. 

nolaegghead

I had some problems with the wet dough sticking to the banneton.  Lots of flour helped up.  I was doing a 70% hydration no-knead.

I've been buying the jars of yeast and keeping them in the fridge.  If you don't use it up in a year, replace.

I just built up a sour dough starter I bought from breadtopia.  About to use it today. 

I have 6 kg of dough in my fridge ready to go.

SciAggie

nolaegghead said:

I had some problems with the wet dough sticking to the banneton.  Lots of flour helped up.  I was doing a 70% hydration no-knead.

This is good advice. I've been pushing the limits on hydration looking for that big open crumb. The loaf that stuck on me was probably pushing 76-77%. Part of me was just learning how to deal with really wet dough. You're right; I didn't use enough flour and had the loaf stuck. I've decided that dealing with dough that wet isn't worth the trouble. I think probably 70% is about right. 

rmr62

FWIW, I have been baking a lot of bread lately, and I always proof my yeast in warm water and add a little sugar to make sure it's active and going strong.  Have had no issues.  I did one loaf in a bread machine that said just to dump everything in without proofing first, and that loaf did OK but not great.  I have had much better results using the water with sugar method to activate.