Bread is Splitting

[BellaBear]

I make bread every day in my TMX but I mainly do rolls because of a recurring problem I have when I make a loaf - the sides of the bread split near the top.  This makes it really hard to cut and pieces often break away.

I usually do variations on the basic bread recipe - doing one rise and then putting into a cold oven to bake (to get the second rise).  I've tried adding a little more oil to the mix, spraying with water, and rubbing with a little oil.  My thought is that perhaps the second rise is happening too fast??  I did try doing a second rise and then putting into a hot oven but I still got some splitting (not as bad though).

So far this seems to happen if I put it into a loaf tin.  Freeform loaves don't seem to do it.

Any ideas or suggestions?  The kids prefer a loaf so they can have toast.

[meganjane]

Can you post a photo? I can't really help here as I've never experienced this myself. Have you tried slashing the loaf? I never put my bread in a cold oven, but you say that a hot oven didn't make much difference.
Very frustrating! Hopefully, a bread guru can help you work through this.

[BellaBear]

I'll see if I can get a photo tomorrow.  It is a bit frustrating.  Today I made a free-form loaf and it was perfect.  It's something about it being in the tin.  I oil the sides but maybe I need to line them. 

[faffa_70]

I read this when you first posted it and hoped someone would have an answer for you I think Chookie is away and she would possibly be the one with the answer 

[judydawn]

Chookie is on holiday at the moment but her computer hard drive has let her down so even when she gets home, she will need more time to get it fixed. 

[cookie1]

Poor Chookie. Bellabear was it in a large enough tin?

[BellaBear]

It's a reasonable big tin but it does rise above the top.  It splits right at the top of the tin.  Should it not rise above the top?  I could try splitting it over two tins.

I didn't get a photo today because both of my junior alarm clocks slept in so I didn't get the bread made this morning.  I had to get an emergency bread roll out of the freezer.   

[meganjane]

Bella, I don't oil my bread pans at all and the bread never sticks. I always let my bread rise above the tin and haven't experienced splitting. I cook mine at 250 C.
Does it split in the oven, or when you take it out? I would actually try slashing it and see if it makes any difference. Just sprinkle unbaked loaf with some flour and make shallow diagonal cuts about 2 cm apart along your loaf.

[cookie1]

My bread rises above the tin too , so it can't be that.

[Meagan]

It is hard to say without looking at the split but it might be the way that you kneed it? What sort of bread tin is it? What size and what quantity of dough are you making? Maybe try splitting the dough into two, three or four equal parts and kneed/roll them into ball shapes and sit them next to eachother in the tin then cook as normal.you will end up with what looks like mini loaves next to eachother. Or if you use a lid you will just get a loaf that looks like it is squished together in 2,3 or 4 pieces.

[zebraa]

you could try doing it as a ball on a tray and see how it goes then?

[Shayla]

A flying crust is a symtom of under proving. Try kneading a few minutes monger. You can check if dough is ready by pulling the dough - it should pull until transparency is achieved, if the dough breaks it has not been kneaded eough and you will find the crust breaks. I usually heat my flour for a few minutes at 50C before adding yeast and liquids, this ensures good activation of yeast. I then knead usually twice as long as recipe calls for and my bread is awesome!! I always do the pull test . Good luck - let me know if this is the solution.
Shayla in Cape Town aka the bread queen

[Thermomixer]

As Shayla says, it sounds like it hasn't proved enough. Is the bread dense with little holes?

The pull test is to show that the gluten has developed enough. It should be able to be stretched and not break so that you can see through it.

I have never liked the idea of having it go straight into a cold oven.

What is likely to happen in the tin is the top forms a crust and then the expansion of the base pushes it off.

Best to let it prove longer before putting into the oven, allowing it to double in size, have a hot oven ready to put the loaf in, put ice cubes in a tray underneath to produce steam to help keep the crust soft during the initial baking, (until it rises), and that should hopefully help keep the kids happy.

[meganjane]

I think both Shayla and Thermomixer have answered this. I do agree that a cold oven isn't a good idea for bread. I knead all my bread doughs for 7 minutes in the TMX.

[BellaBear]

So sorry it has taken me so long to get back to this thread.  I've been unwell.

Thanks so much for the tips.  I like to hand knead for a while after it comes out of the TMX - just because it feels good - but I'll I'll try kneading for longer in the TMX and letting it fully prove before putting into a hot oven as well as the other tips and see how I go.  I have tried scoring the top as suggested earlier and that has improved matters.  Looks nicer too