I used to bake my sourdough at 450 for the whole time and got bricks

For years my loaves came out dense and hard. I finally read a tip from a baker in Portland to start at 500 for 20 minutes, then drop to 450 with the lid off. The first time I tried it, my crust was perfect and the inside was actually airy. I can't believe I wasted so much flour on doorstops. Anyone have other temp tricks for a gas oven?

3 comments

3 Comments

barbaraschmidt25d ago

My old electric oven only has one rack position that works for bread. I bake everything at 425 the whole time and it turns out fine. Maybe the problem was your starter strength or shaping, not just the oven temperature. It seems like a lot of fuss for a loaf of bread.

murray.cole25d ago

One rack position for everything? My last oven needed at least three spots just to keep things from burning.

miles79825d ago

Wait, is your old oven one of those with the heating element only on the bottom? I read that causes crazy hot spots. @barbaraschmidt might be onto something with the single rack method if her oven heats evenly. My friend had an oven where the back left corner would burn anything you put there. He just used the middle rack for every single bake and it fixed his issues. Maybe some ovens just have one sweet spot that works.