AboutElyse Grau Expertise I can answer any questions about baking. The only thing I'm not too good at is baking pies, nor do I know much about high altitude baking.
Experience I have been baking for over 30 years. One of my hobbies is creating recipes, most of those for baked goods. I made my own wedding cake. Currently I prefer to bake healthier things. I use a lot of whole wheat and other whole grain flours, and prefer to use less sugar or sugar substitutes in my baking. I do a lot with fruit.
Question I am having trouble getting the bottom/ center of my bread fully cooked. The recipe that I am using called for the temp to be 350 and the time between 45 - 45 min. The bread is under cooked and the crust is almost burned. I have reduced the temp. to 325 and and the crust is OK but the bread is still under baked. The bottom / center is doughy. Thank you, Dom
Answer Dom:
Well, there's really no salvaging that loaf, but there are some things you can try next time. More information would have been helpful though.
You didn't say what kind of bread you were baking or what kind of pan you are using, so I will give you general answers.
First of all, if you are baking a 100% whole wheat bread, it is best to let those cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting. They will always be wetter in the center than breads made with white flour.
You said the crust is dark, so I assume you are either baking a free-standing loaf or at least not using a shiny pan. It is possible that the outside of the loaf dried out too much before it was put in the oven. Was it covered during the last rising? This would prevent the steam from escaping and keep the bread moist inside.
It is also possible that the loaf was too dense. This may be due to having too wet of a dough, or not enough kneading or rising. If the dough didn't develop enough gluten to rise properly, or wasn't given enough time to do so, it would be heavy in the center and would take longer to bake.
One thing you can always do if you see the outside getting dark to early is to cover the top with foil - shiny side out. The bread will still darken, but less than if it was uncovered.
Once baked, if the crust is hard you can cover the bread with a towel while it is cooling, which will soften it back up. Of course if it is burnt, it will still taste that way.
Hope this helps. And it is always possible that the next time you try this recipe you won't have any trouble at all. Bread baking is more an art than a science, and as such totally unpredictable!
