A question I am often asked is why does my loaf deflate when I put it in the oven?
Your loaf looks fabulous, you put it into the oven and when you fetch it out it has deflated and is half the size it was when it went in. This is a really disappointing thing to happen.
Don’t worry, this is an issue that is easy to solve.
It is at point 5 that the problem of a deflating loaf lies. When you are learning to make bread it can be really hard to judge when the loaf is ready for the oven.
During fermentation (stages 3 & 5 above) enzymes break the damaged starch molecules in the flour down into complex sugars and then into simple sugars (these are the enzymes that would do the same job if the grain was allowed to grow in the ground). The yeast then feasts on the simple sugars and expels carbon dioxide and ethanol. The carbon dioxide disperses through the dough and where it finds an air bubble it expands as a gas pushing against the gluten network that was developed and strengthened during the stretch and folds or the kneading of the dough. This creates pockets in the dough and rises the bread.
As bakers we learn to watch for the signs of fermentation. In the first round of fermentation when the dough is sat in a bowl this fermentation can go quite wild. The dough can double or even triple in size and as long as we haven’t added an excess of yeast or left the dough in a warm kitchen for far too long all is well. The dough still has some sugars left for the yeasts to continue to feast on.
Shaping the dough
We then shape the dough and leave it to ferment a second time. This is when we need to be more watchful.
If we have shaped the dough well, (take a look at this video for help with this), giving the loaf good structure and surface tension, then as the yeasts get to work the loaf starts to expand again, upwards rather than outwards.
When is a dough fully proofed?
The ideal point at which to bake a loaf is when it has risen (about 50% bigger than when shaped)but the dough still feels like it has some surface tension and that there is still potential for the loaf to grow some more. You can test the loaf by placing your hand gently on top and pressing slightly. It should feel uniformly airy all over. If it feels a little bit more dense in the centre of the loaf is needs a little bit longer to prove.
If we leave the loaf too long in a warm kitchen at this point then the yeast can begin to exhaust the sugars in the dough and the carbon dioxide can begin to push the gluten beyond its structural limits. At this point the dough may look well risen in the pan and look as if ready to bake when in reality it should have been baked perhaps 10, 20 or 30 minutes earlier.
If we put the loaf in the oven when it looks the size we are expecting when it is baked then it is highly likely that it is over proofed. The loaf has already reached its limits and when we put it in the oven the loaf will just deflate. The slightest knock and the carbon dioxide pockets in the loaf will push against the pushed to the limit gluten structure and the whole thing will collapse. If the dough is over proofed oven spring can’t happen and the dough’s structure collapses rather than springs.
What happens in the oven?
When you put a loaf in the oven chemical reactions continue to take place and the most important of these is ‘oven spring‘.
The yeast has a last frenzied chance to eat some of the sugars as the dough reaches the yeast’s optimum temperature of 38 C and before it dies at 55C. This additional yeast activity is limited but it does have a slight contribution to the oven spring.
The most important contribution to oven spring is that the trapped carbon dioxide expands further in the heat pushing against the gluten network and rising the loaf further. A full explanation of oven spring is available here.
This is why it is important that the loaf hasn’t already achieved its optimum rising before you put it in the oven. If it looks like a perfectly risen loaf (the size that you were hoping it would get to), then the chances are you left it too long before you baked it.
You want the dough to still have a bit of energy left so that it can have that last rise in the oven.
How to solve the problem of the deflated loaf
Next time you bake a loaf try putting it in the oven 10 minutes before you normally would. In other words, put the loaf in before you think it is ready to go in. Keep experimenting until you are confident that you know what to look for in a properly proofed loaf.
If your loaf is over proofed it can be rescued by re-shaping it and leaving it to prove again for 10-15 minutes and then baking. Alternatively, make it into a focaccia. Oil a baking tray generously with olive oil and tip your dough into it. Sprinkle olive oil over the top and push your fingers into the dough to make holes all over the top. Sprinkle sea salt crystals and rosemary over the top and bake straight away for about 20-25 minutes.
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Too much yeast—While it seems counterintuitive, too much yeast can actually cause your bread to collapse. The yeast will make the bread rise like crazy, but later it all falls in on itself.
Bread that rises, then collapses in the middle as it bakes -- the infamous “crater bread” -- contains too much liquid. Adjust your formula. Adding a couple of teaspoons of flour along with the raisins/nuts helps the dough in the machine to “open up” and accept whatever you're adding more easily.
If the area is too warm, bread will rise too fast and begin cooking before the yeast has finished acting. Then, when placed to bake in the oven, the "over spring" is exaggerated and large air pockets form inside the dough.
Overproofed bread dough is dough that's had too much fermentation activity. This could be dough left to ferment for too long or dough that's fermented at too warm of a temperature for too long. Lack of oven spring. An (interior) crumb with lots of little holes but not dense spots.
How to solve the problem of the deflated loaf. Next time you bake a loaf try putting it in the oven 10 minutes before you normally would. In other words, put the loaf in before you think it is ready to go in. Keep experimenting until you are confident that you know what to look for in a properly proofed loaf.
If the loaf has a flat top then you may have used flour which is too weak. Always use strong bread making flour. Other potential reasons for this problem could be that too little salt was used, the dough was too wet or that the dough was poorly shaped.
Quick bread was underbaked and cell structure wasn't set. When the cell structure doesn't set, the air spaces created by the leavening in the recipe collapses, causing the bread to sink. Oven temperatures vary over time. To insure the correct temperature each time you bake, always use an oven thermometer.
Preheat your home oven to 450°F (230°C) with a Dutch oven inside for 30 to 45 minutes. Line a pizza peel, inverted baking sheet, or cutting board with parchment paper. Turn out your proofed bread dough onto the parchment paper (trim the paper to fit, if necessary) Score your dough.
The main reason a loaf would blow out on the side is due to excessive oven spring. This occurs when the dough rises rapidly in the oven, causing the outer layer to tear or burst. Can overproofing lead to a loaf blowing out on the side? Yes, overproofing can cause a loaf to blow out on the side.
This involves gently stretching the dough to elongate the emerging air bubbles, then neatly folding the dough upon itself to keep the dough shape compact. Between stretches and folds you probably need to leave the dough a minimum of an hour, to allow time for the bubbles to grow bigger and new ones to emerge.
Simply put, you have to control the temperature of the bread. Allowing ample time for your bread dough to rise and the yeast to form will create the holes in the bread that give it a lighter texture. Letting your dough get puffy and grow before it goes into the oven is critical.
underproof dough will spring back completely correctly, proof will spring back slowly and only halfway, and overproof dough won't spring back at all. after baking, the underproof dough will be dense and deformed. while the dough that was ready will be fluffy and light. and the overproof dough will be flat and deflated.
If you have over fermented your dough, or it's over proofed in the fridge, it's best not to score it before placing it in the oven. What is this? When you score over proofed dough, it will deflate like a balloon. Not scoring it will allow the dough to retain the gas bubbles that have formed.
Place the covered dough on the oven rack above the hot water dish, then close the door and allow your bread to proof for your recipe's specified amount of time (likely 60 minutes or more).
When using the Proof feature, the halogen oven light is illuminated to provide the warm temperature needed to help yeast rise during the proofing process. On most convection models, both the convection fan and oven light come on.
The crust wasn't moist enough to be flexible, so it hardened and set before the loaf was done expanding. Another possible reason is that your baking temperature was too high, resulting in the same effect. Steam your oven properly next time or lower the temperature a bit.
The main reason a loaf would blow out on the side is due to excessive oven spring. This occurs when the dough rises rapidly in the oven, causing the outer layer to tear or burst.
As baking continues, the internal loaf temperature increases to reach approximately 98°C. The loaf is not completely baked until this internal temperature is reached. Weight is lost by evaporation of moisture and alcohol from the crust and interior of the loaf.
When the dough isn't given enough time to rise, the uneven heat from the oven can cause the process to happen unevenly by speeding it up in some parts of the dough more than others. This is what creates the lid-lifting effect and results in a loaf with a split along one side and some of the middle splurging out.
Introduction: My name is Van Hayes, I am a thankful, friendly, smiling, calm, powerful, fine, enthusiastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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