Calling JoeV for bread help!

Joe, I've never made bread by hand before, but this morning I decided to try it. I'm making semolina bread with the recipe from Red Mill.

Everything seemed to be going OK, until I got to the part where it says to make 3 slashes with a razor blade. My bread went pffftttt! It very quickly went from full and pretty to flat and spread out. I put it in the oven anyhow, and it's there now, but what happened? Will it recover?

I used just the corner of a razor blade and tried to go at an angle under the crust. It felt like it was snagging rather than slicing. It was a brand new razor blade.

Is this normal? Is this OK?

It was either over or under proofed.

I would say it was over proofed... How warm was the area where you let it rise, and how long was it rising? Bread making is a lot of fun, but I'd suggest you start with plain white bread till you feel comfortable with the stages of the dough and what to expect. It's also easier for us to help you without the full recipe.

Using a razor blade (lame) takes some practice. You have to develop a smooth motion and just "go for it." It's easier if the surface of the dough is just a little dried out...

First, congratulations on making your first loaf of homemade bread. This time of year you have to be careful as to how long you let your dough rise. Some recipes call for unrealistically long rises (1-1/2 hours), and when the kitchen is warm your bread can blow up like a balloon, and then literally blow out. The rule of thumb is to allow the dough to "double in size" and then to put it in the oven. The oven will generate "oven spring" which effectively will increase the size of the loaf by anywhere from 15-25%.

If you look at this picture you will see how high the dome of the loaf is above the edge of the laof pan. My dough goes in the oven when it rises to the top of the edge of the pan, and the rest of the height is from the oven spring.



Here is what it looks like after coming out of the pans...



There are a couple schools of thought about slicing lines in the top of the loaf. Some say you must do it to prevent the top from splitting, and others say let the dough do what it may. If your dough is overproofed then you run the risk of deflating your bread, which I believe is what happened to your loaf. If you do nothing, it more than likely will do nothing but create a nice domed top like these loaves of Italian...



I don't slash the top unless I'm making bread for presentation like these free-form loaves of Italian that I made for a bake sale at church...



Don't be "deflated" over this little setback. I'm sure the bread tasted just fine, but may have come out a little dense. You'll just have to get the feel for when the loaf doubles in size (could be in as little as 45 minutes this time of year), or if you are using loaf pans, just put it in the oven when it reaches the rim of the pan or just slightly above the rim. Put the razor in the drawer and just let the dough rise on its own and see what happens.

Give is some pix so we can watch your progress, and feel free to ask more questions if needed.

Joe

Here is the recipe I found on the Bob's Redmill Website...

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] Semolina Bread by Hand [/FONT]




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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] INGREDIENTS:

2 tb Cornmeal, Coarse Grind 2 tb Sesame Seeds (White Hulled) The Dough:3 tb Sugar 3 tb Olive Oil 2 to 3 cups White Flour, Unbleached 1 tb Sea Salt The Sponge:2 cups Warm Water (110 - 115 degrees F) 2 tb Yeast, Active Dry 3 cups Semolina [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] For The Sponge: In a large bowl sprinkle the yeast over the warm water; stir to dissolve. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Cover and let stand in a warm spot until doubled in volume (30 to 45 minutes).

For the Dough: Stir down the sponge, then add the sugar, olive oil, 2 cups flour, and salt. Mix until the dough comes away form the sides of the bowl.

Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead, adding more flour, 1/4 cup at a time if the dough is sticky. Continue kneading vigorously until the dough feels smooth and elastic (10 to 12 minutes). The dough should push back when pressed down.

Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover and allow to rise until doubled in volume (35 to 45 minutes). Punch down, then cut the dough in half, shape into rounds, and cover. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Shaping: Form into 2 Italian-shaped loaves, about 18" long. Place the loaves on a baking sheet that has been dusted with coarse cornmeal.

Proofing: Cover with a cloth and allow to rise until doubled in size (45 to 60 minutes). Brush the tops with water and sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired. When the bread has proofed, cut 3 diagonal slashes with a sharp knife or single-edged razor blade. Hold the knife at an angle to the bread and try to cut inside and underneath the crust. This will cause the bread to break open, or bloom, while baking and form a thick, crunchy crust.

Baking: Bake with steam* in a preheated 400�F oven until browned and the bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom with your fingertips (35 to 45 minutes). If baking on an oven stone or tiles, the bread can be removed from the baking pan for the last 10 minutes to firm up the crust.

Makes 2 loaves (13 slices each).

*Note: Steaming can be achieved by filling a baking pan with ~1" of water and placing it in the oven on the rack below the bread.[/FONT]