What caused the top crust on this 70% hydration sourdough loaf to pull away as it did? Thank you ;o) https://t.co/uC7bqFbJOR

Some other details: I made the dough up early this morning with a fragrant, active starter fed last night and left at room temperature. I needed to bake it late this morning instead of this evening, so I gave the dough a boost of instant yeast - about a heaping 1/4 teaspoon. I baked it for 40 minutes in an old (well seasoned) heavy black steel loaf pan. Your thoughts? Thank you, everyone. ;o)

AntoniaJames
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6 Comments

boulangere
boulangere October 10, 2015
AJ, I just got home from work, and I'm just beat. The answer is somewhat long, and I'll be able to write it after a night'so sleep, if I may beg your patience.
 
PieceOfLayerCake
PieceOfLayerCake October 9, 2015
Could the instant yeast have possibly overproofed? It looks like the crust set and then the structure failed...however, that is only a slightly-educated guess.
 
dinner A.
dinner A. October 9, 2015
I think that when the gases trapped inside your dough expanded rapidly as the loaf heated up, the surface of the dough can't stretch enough to accommodate the expanding dough/gas release. The traditional slashes on the top of your loaf give this expansion somewhere to go, but in the absence of a directed weak point, it blew the lid off your loaf :)
The short rise & addition of instant yeast might have contributed to this phenomenon, since long rises give time for the gluten chains in the dough to align and form a strong network. The instant yeast may have aerated it faster than it grew strong enough to keep itself together.
 
dinner A.
dinner A. October 9, 2015
I bet it still tasted good, though!
 
Niknud
Niknud October 9, 2015
What do you do when your go-to source for bread/baking has a question? I feel inadequate to the task...and slightly uneasy, like when I realize my kids have been quiet in the basement playroom for ten minutes.... :)
 
spiffypaws
spiffypaws October 8, 2015
Perhaps a combination of something happened when the dough was shaped and not enough steam.
 
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