Bread

yeah, nice and even, good for toast, would just like a touch more air/volume.

So big holes tend to indicate bad mixing?

My partners first ever Sourdough today. She's looking to solve this cavern problem... where's she gone wrong?

Still tastes great.

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Starter isn't active enough.

Did she do the float test?

Looks like a really good toaster

I'll ask her, ta.

Flying crust - either under active first proof or under active starter, or can even be over proof too. (the tight crumb at the bottom makes me think it's under).

No, big holes can be the result of many things - I’d wager it was to do with the proof rather than mixing.

Why did you start from a cold oven, out of curiosity? Wholemeal will never be as light as a white bread anyway - there's more fibre and bran in the mixture for the gluten to support, which results in a denser crumb.

Trying to get back in the bread game, starting off with a simple cob. Came out OK, tastes decent. Can't complain.

Yeah this is my experience, I'm still striving to active a nice open crumb with wholemeal at some point.

I'd read about cold oven start on some forums. Was interested to try it as it would save some time and money in the long run. The fact that the 2nd one had a similar spring (or lack of) makes me thing it wasn't that detrimental either. Will have to experiment further.

Really interesting- I’ll have to look into cold starting the bake. What’s the alleged benefit? My home oven takes an age to warm up so it would make life a lot easier.

No benefit other than achieving the same result faster and cheaper. Mixed reports on the internet though. In other baking news I've recently acquired a lame, oven thermometer and lidded loaf tin. Pumpernickel soon.

Ta!

I've baked with cold starts successfully a few times. I think the idea is that the bread will rise in the lower heat before the crust seals, and then you'll get a nice colour from the higher temp at the end. Worked pretty well, but not as good as the cast iron pot I'm using now.

I have always followed the Tartine sourdough process which recommends getting the oven as hot as possible then baking at 220c, which I did for the first loaf I baked yesterday as usual and got a pretty disappointing rise. Second loaf went in but when the oven changes setting it defaults to 180c which i forgot to change, the results were amazing, huge rise and perfect splitting along the slash! Had to leave it longer to make sure it was baked through but came out brilliant. What temp do others bake at??? Seems to correspond with the cold oven theory? Should have taken photos but forgot!

How long was the oven warm before your first bake? I get mine to 250C and leave it there for at least 30 minutes before baking. It needs time to get the oven hot throughout. When you baked your first loaf the oven might have dropped heaps in temp when you insert a cold loaf into the oven, making the actual baking temp lower than the second bake.

In the second bake you had more warm mass in the oven, making it drop less in temp when you add a cold loaf to it.

Makes sense?

Are you baking in a cast iron pot, or just on a tray? Do you get any moisture into the oven via any method?
Usually you need heat transfer and moisture in the oven for a good spring. The moisture stops the crust hardening and allows it to keep expanding and gives a better spring. When you bake in a pot with a lid, this seals the moisture in.

I preheat for about 40 minutes at 230c, I bake on a baking steel which is a 0.25" thick slab of steel and set the steam oven to the bread mode so should be moist. Only difference between the two loaves was that the first was baked at 220c and the second was at 180c and the second rose much better so I guest in reality with my set up 220c is too hot and is firming up the crust way too fast?

Steam injected oven?! Bloomin heck. I have no idea what the bread mode entails so can’t really comment, also - was the second loaf just continuing to proof while the other was baking?
Sounds like you’re getting good results anyway!

Yep, no real idea how much moisture it is putting in but I have to trust that it is doing the right thing... Well I seem to be getting much better results thanks to being distracted when putting it in. Will try a bit more experimentation and see if I can repeat the results at the weekend! Yes in theory the second loaf had 45 minutes more of warming up towards room temp having taken both loaves out of the fridge at the same time.

Ah the joy of baking, so many variables to consider!

Thanks very much.

Cast iron pot, no moisture added. I'm baking with pretty wet doughs though, so plenty of moisture in the bread already

Much improved. So many variables, we're not sure why this one is better but will enjoy it still.

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looks delicious

Looks good and definitely better, still a touch under on the proof maybe, also a bit more gluten development - more kneading or folding.
Would smash it to bits with plenty of butter though - don't get me wrong!