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 QUESTION: My mom passed away without teaching me all her secrets. I have her exact recipe for sourdough and I'm following it, but I'm ending up with a loaf that is deeply cracked when I take it out of the oven. The one question I have is about the feel of the dough after I finish kneading it. I am machine kneading it in a kithenaid 4 qt. mixer with a bread hook for 6 minutes. The dough is sticky and sticks to your hands, and feels like pizza dough. Is this still too wet? Any help will be appreciated!
ANSWER: Nancy-
Sourdough is usually a bit sticky, the wetter dough is what gives it that nice chewy texture and crisp crust. Are you slashing the top before you bake it? You should be making a slit down the center of the bread - just through the top - with a sharp knife or razor. That will prevent the cracking.
Elyse
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QUESTION: Thanks Elyse, I do cut the crust 3-4 times with a knife, but the cracks extend out from those slits and crack all over the crust. Any help would be so appreciated.
Answer Nancy-
You've really got me there. I have to ask - are the cracks really a problem? It's still good, isn't it?
Are you spraying the loaf or oven with water, or placing a pan of water in the oven? If so, maybe you are overdoing it. I haven't ever had this problem that I can recall. I've only made sourdough a couple of times, I don't know if this is a problem relating only to that kind of dough.
I checked some of the books I have and can't find anything about this other than it happens if you don't slash the top. The only thing I can suggest is to try slashing it differently. If you are pointing the knife straight down, try putting it more on an angle so that it cuts under the top, rather than into the loaf, if that makes sense. If that doesn't work, try slashing in a different direction(I don't know what your loaf shape is or where you are slashing) - angled perhaps, or in a different place.
Sorry I can't be of more help! Feel free to write again though.
