Why Does Bread Sink? – Britain Loves Baking (2024)

FAQs

Why Does Bread Sink? – Britain Loves Baking? ›

Dough needs time for the gluten to develop to let the yeast eat the starch in the flour converting it to carbon dioxide and alcohol. Gluten is developed through kneading and proofing

Breads can fall flat while baking due to a number of reasons. One of the most common reasons is that the dough was not kneaded enough. When dough is not kneaded enough, it can lack the gluten development necessary to rise properly. Another possible reason is that the dough was not given enough time to rise.

Bread that rises, then collapses in the middle as it bakes -- the infamous “crater bread” -- contains too much liquid. Adjust your formula. Adding a couple of teaspoons of flour along with the raisins/nuts helps the dough in the machine to “open up” and accept whatever you're adding more easily.

Traditionally one thumps a loaf to see if it sounds hollow as a test to see if the bread is done. Further, a thump on the pan will loosen the loaf out of the pan. Why do I need to preheat an oven? Does the few minutes it takes to heat up make that big of a deal when baking bread?

Quick bread was underbaked and cell structure wasn't set. When the cell structure doesn't set, the air spaces created by the leavening in the recipe collapses, causing the bread to sink. Oven temperatures vary over time. To insure the correct temperature each time you bake, always use an oven thermometer.

For recipes like banana bread, lemon loaf, or pound cake, your best bet is to bake in a metal loaf pan. Metal is a quick and efficient conductor of heat. This helps to ensure your recipe will cook through the center and not collapse.

Wetting the dough causes the surface to steam. Covering it traps the moisture. This partnership stops the bread from drying out on the surface in the hot air of the oven and forming a premature crust. Your bread rises more and produces a richer colour, becoming glossy on the surface.

Too much flour and not enough water can cause crumbly bread – people often do this if the dough is too sticky and they add more flour rather than kneading through it. Other culprits can be overproving or not kneading enough – the things you need to do to get a good structure.

Overproofed is when the dough has rested too long and the yeast has continued making carbon dioxide while the strength of the dough (gluten bonds) have begun to wear out. The dough will look very puffy, but when you touch it or move it you may notice it deflate or sag.

Too much heat or humidity might lead to a too-quick rise and a crevice near the center of your bread. Conditions that are too cold might delay proofing or rising, resulting in a super-dense loaf.

Why do bakers put flour on top of bread? ›

How to top bread dough with flour. You can dust the top of rolls or loaves (white or whole wheat) with white flour for a more rustic or “peasant” style appearance. Using flour is also a wonderful way to keep your bread (especially buns and rolls) vegan but still decorate the top.

Prior to baking gently prick the top of the proofed dough with a skewer to help release any air pockets.

There's something magical about the bread you get at your local bakeries - they're always sooo soft and fluffy. Many of these breads, especially packaged ones, are made with a ton of chemical additives such as calcium propionate, amylase, and chlorine dioxide which help keep them soft, light, and fluffy for days.

Keep the oven door closed while your Amish Friendship Bread is baking. You may be tempted to peek, but sudden temperature drops can result in the bread collapsing in the middle.

If the dough doesn't fill out with gas, perhaps because it hasn't had time to rise properly, the inside of the loaf will remain soggy and dense as the dough won't bake properly. You should therefore leave plenty of time for your dough to rise.

Let your dough rise enough before baking it

If the dough doesn't fill out with gas, perhaps because it hasn't had time to rise properly, the inside of the loaf will remain soggy and dense as the dough won't bake properly. You should therefore leave plenty of time for your dough to rise.

Bake too long and the bread is burnt tasting, but if you go under, you've got an underbaked, sticky mess inside. The best way to avoid the over- or underbaked bread: internal temperature checks.

Cake sinking after baking can be prevented by ensuring the oven is preheated correctly, using the right size of baking tin, avoiding opening the oven door too early, checking for doneness with a toothpick, and allowing the cake to cool gradually in the oven before removing it.

Overproofed bread dough is dough that's had too much fermentation activity. This could be dough left to ferment for too long or dough that's fermented at too warm of a temperature for too long. Lack of oven spring. An (interior) crumb with lots of little holes but not dense spots.