Scoring medium hydration dough after it's been in the oven
I've been using this setup for 60% hydration dough:
20 mins in cloche, covered, 500° 10 mins in cloche, covered, 450° 20+ mins uncovered, 450°
For all intents and purposes, the cloche works like a Dutch oven, trapping moisture:
(You can see in my second photo my rescue attempt)
I've got a baking sheet with water to maintain humidity in the oven as I bake it.
The problem I'm running into is that when I score the bread (1/4" - 1/2", single cut along the centre, trying my best for a 45° angle, immediately before it goes in the oven), the score actually glazes over, becoming part of the crust, and preventing the score from doing it's job of 'ventilation'. The first time this happened, my dough blew out. The next two times, I've caught it happening in the first 5 mins and re-scored it after it's been in the oven.
So, two questions:
- Is scoring bread after it's baked for a few minutes a common thing? Do bakers do this?
- If not, what can I do to my baking method to prevent the score from crusting over?
Best Answer
It looks like there may be some misunderstanding about how the cloche is supposed to work, and what scoring will/should look like. I think the bread in your photo looked like it didn't need any further scoring. I think it looked like a great result, since there aren't any visible blow outs on the bottom. If you preheat the cloche in the oven, and put the bread in, with one or two deep scores, you should get some spring and steam from the oven as the water escapes from the bread inside the cloche. This is what causes the wide opening of your score. The fact that it doesn't look like the "leaf" or "lip" that professional bakers get is mostly due to practice with the angle/depth of the score, and likely the amount of steam that is in the oven. The cloche will create some steam, but not as much as is in a commercial oven with steam jets. I don't see anything wrong with your pictured loaf. It may be different from what you were expecting, but I think it is perfectly fine. There was probably no need to do the second scoring.
Pictures about "Scoring medium hydration dough after it's been in the oven"
When should I score my bread?
Scoring is generally done after the bread's finally rise and just before the loaves go in the oven. These intentional splits give the bread more room for their final rise in the oven without splitting the carefully closed seams. Slashing can also be done for purely decorative reasons.What happens if you forget to score bread?
If you don't score your loaf, it will still expand, but in a jagged pattern. Or it will find a less desirable weak point: This crack along the side of my loaf is common in breads baked in a bread pan BECAUSE the dough exploits a weak point along the side created by the shaping process.Why does my dough collapse when I score it?
The most common reason for bread deflating after scoring is over-proofed dough. There is a lot of excess gas accumulated in an over-proofed loaf, which is all released when scored. Other reasons include the dough being overly wet and scoring the dough too deep or too shallow.How do you score wet bread dough?
To score using a straight blade, hold the blade lightly in the hand and at a 90-degree angle (perpendicular) to the dough. If doing few cuts, score slightly deeper than a curved blade and after doing so you'll notice the dough relax open and outward.How to shape and score high hydration bread ?
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Andrea Piacquadio, SHVETS production, Katerina Holmes, cottonbro