Sourdough getting too brown
I am baking loaves of sourdough using this recipe: https://www.theperfectloaf.com/beginners-sourdough-bread/
I cook my loaves in a staub cocette and after the allotted time, they're very, very brown, verging on blackened on all sides. Otherwise, they're great (good crumb, etc). I have tried lowering the oven temperature somewhat (and verified it with a oven thermometer), but by the time they are done internal temp-wise, they're still just as brown. Any advice on how to adjust would be helpful.
I am at a bit over 5k elevation and in a dry environment, if that matters.
Best Answer
Some people find very brown crusts on sourdough desirable. Judging from the first picture at your link, the author of your recipe may be one. If you don't, one thing to try is to remove the loaf from the cocette something like 10-15 minutes before the end of baking time. This way the crust isn't directly exposed to the heat of the cocotte itself and will brown less. (We started doing this when the bottom crust was getting too dark by the time the top crust, after removing the lid, was browned to our liking.)
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Quick Answer about "Sourdough getting too brown"
An initial burst of intense heat is important for a well-risen loaf. But after that you could try reducing the temperature a bit more, e.g. 260C for 20 minutes then 200C for 30 minutes. Also try leaving the lid on for a bit longer: the moister environment in the dutch oven will slow down crust browning.Why is my sourdough so brown?
Fermentation ProcessIf the fermentation is off, your dough will not have adequate reducing sugars to achieve a dark, rich sourdough crust. You might notice that if your dough is under fermented, no amount of extended cooking time will make your sourdough brown up.Why did my bread dough turn brown?
For a bread crust that's a nice golden-brown color, you want to ensure that you're using an appropriate amount of steam and the right temperature. If you're using too much steam, you may be preventing your bread from browning and too low a temperature doesn't give you the ideal crust caramelization.How do you keep bread from browning too much?
Put Some Foil Over Your Bread You can either put the foil around your bread before it starts to bake or once it starts to brown too quickly. Just make sure that you're leaving enough space for the dough to expand if you're wrapping foil around it at the start of the baking process.How Brown should sourdough be?
Bake the bread for 25 to 30 minutes, until its interior registers at least 190\xb0F on an instant-read thermometer. The loaves may brown beautifully. On the other hand, depending on how long you've let the dough/shaped loaves rise, they may brown very little.5 WAYS TO GET A BETTER OVEN SPRING | SOURDOUGH BREAD TIPS
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Answer 2
I've been wondering recently about how fast oven temperatures fall - modern ovens are much better insulated than old ones so the temperature will fall more slowly.
I'd knock a few degrees off the start temperature. I use 240°C anyway, but that's because the oven my recipe was tested in wouldn't go hotter. If you have a modern oven that cools rather slowly, you might want to leave the door open for a few seconds when taking the lid off the pan.
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