Cinnamon raisin bread, center undercooked.

dbhankins

I've been making sourdough bread for six months to a year, and have had some success with both wheat and rye loaves.  They tend to be a little denser than I'd like, but I probably don't let them rise long enough.  Anyway, here's how I tried to make cinnamon raisin bread:

 

2c starter (made from equal volumes of unbleached bread flour and water)

2-3c bread flour

3T honey

1c sugar

1c raisins

1/8c cinnamon

1t salt

4T olive oil

1t baking soda

1T butter

 

I added honey, sugar, salt, oil and baking soda to the starter, mixed well, then added bread flour a half cup at a time until the dough wasn't sticky any more.  I knead for another few minutes, then let the dough rise under a damp towel for some hours.  Then I fold over the dough, shape it, slit the top, and let it rise a few hours more.

Then I put the loaf in a loaf pan in a cold oven, pour melted butter into the slit, set for 350F, and bake for 45 minutes.  Then I remove it from the oven and let cool an hour before cutting.

 

When I cut I discovered that the crust was nice and crisp, the bread near the crust was a bit dense but tasty and fluffy enough, and also the middle of the bread was very nearly uncooked.

 

Only the following things are different from my previous succesful loaves:

- 1c sugar

- 1/8c cinnamon

- loaf pan (I usually bake on a parchment-covered pizza stone)

 

Any suggestions as to what might be causing the center of the loaf to stay doughy and moist?  I'm considering making it again, and think I might bake for an hour or more at 250F instead - slower cooking means the center should cook better.

 

Any thoughts?

Category: 
up
251 users have voted.

Replies

Adam T's picture
Adam T 2010 February 12

I usally bake my bread around 430 F for 20 minutes (preheated) then turn it down to 400 F and bake for another 15 minutes. I then remove it from the pan, and bake it out of the pan on the oven rack for 5-10 minutes.

LittleMonkeyMojo 2010 February 13

I wouldn't have put the pan in a cold oven.  For oven temp of 350F you'd have to expect about 10 minutes of heat up.  Lower temp baking will had a different affect on the dough than you'd probably want.

Also, like Adam said, I'd expect a higher oven temp, 400F to 450F.

bethesdabakers's picture
bethesdabakers 2010 February 15

It's probably because this time you baked it in a tin which introduces two new factors, the tin and the fact that it's a different shape. As it's not a very big loaf this suggests that your regular loaf is only just about baked.

 

It's really worth having a cheap probe thermometer and making sure that the internal temperature is over 90C. You might rarely use it but it's a useful thing to have when you are baking something different.

 

I like baking 2K loaves which I would normally bake as a boule - that would get baked for 65 minutes at 200C (a lowish temperature but it suits this oven). I baked a 2K in a tin, checked with the thermometer, and it took an additional 30 minutes to bake through.

Mick

www.bethesdabakers.com

http://thepartisanbaker.wordpress.com

Post Reply

Already a member? Login