Bread Faults And Possible Causes

I came across this while having a look through some of my old catering college papers from the early 90s. I have copied it here exactly as printed on the handout so don't ask me what 'Flying Tops' are, it was a long time ago I can't remember?

Faults and possible causes

                                             

1) Good and bad loaves from the batch                                    

a) Bad Moulding

b) Mixing of two doughs together
c) Position of bread in the oven

2) Ugly shapes                                                  

a) Incorrect size of tin
b) Bound dough carrying too little water 
c) Soft dough with oven bottom bread ??

d) Bad moulding

e) Lack of proof
f) Oven too hot 

g) Under ripe dough

3) 'Flying Tops'                                          

a) Lack of final proof
b) Under ripe dough
c) Oven too hot

4) Excessive crust colour

 a) Insufficient fermentation to utilize sugars
 b) Excess salt
 c) Too hot an oven
 d) Excess sugars in the dough

5) Pale Crust Colour 

a) Over-ripe dough
b) Insufficient salt
c) Deficiency of sugars in the flour
d) Oven too cold
e) Dough excessively skinned

6) Rough side surface 

a) Over ripe dough
b) Bad moulding
c) Over handling with insufficient recovery time

7) Small Volume 

a) Excess salt
b) Over-ripe dough
c) Insufficient yeast
d) Insufficient gassing power??
e) Too weak a flour
f) Too hot an oven 

8) Holes In Crumb - Large Holes

a) Too weak a flour- partial collapse 
b) Too much yeast used
c) Over proof

8a) Holes In Crumb- Slits 

a) Using too much dusting flour or using too
much oil (common on machine bread)
b) Too tight a dough
c) Skinning of dough prior to final moulding
d) Under proof (small holes fine and even) 

9) Streaks And Seams 

a) Tins too hot or too cold when dough put in
b) Under baking
c) Banging loaves to release from tin
d) Bad stacking

10) Soggy Bread 

a) Too much water
b) Under proof after over machining
d) Under baking
e) Bad stacking

11) Quick Staling

a) Over fermentation

b) Too hot a dough

c) Too much salt

d) Baking too long

12) Crumbly Bread

a) Over fermentation

b) Weak flour

c) Excess fat added to dough

Having read through this now almost 30 years later, I can see that there are quite a few points that are missing from this list. A quick search on Google for 'Flying tops' led me to this very useful site: www.fabflour.co.uk/fab-baking/what-went-wrong/what-went-wrong-bread/ from The Flour Advisory Board  which gives some other reasons for faults in bread and answers the mystery of the 'Flying Top', of course, now its obvious!

                                                       

Folie á Deux

I stand in the shadows as others pass by, watching cakepops and cookies marching in line.

The mallows and brownies have all had their turn, still cheering those meringues and that buttercream swirl.

The bundts have returned like a long lost relation, to amaze and excite a new generation.

'Les Macarons' glide past, they've nothing to fear, their style imitated their presence revered.

Out in the crowd many faces are familiar, there's Peggy and Mitch and Nigel and Delia.
Mary and Paul are enjoying the show, with Nigella and Eric seated in the front row.

Their books have delighted, shown many the way, a feast of experience, a lyrical Piece Montée.

Pavlova has danced, she's a sweet inspiration, their shouting encore, there's a standing ovation.

The show's nearly over, the popcorn's been eaten, the chocolate has melted the hearts of the heathens.

The curtain will drop, soon time to go home, forgotten again, passed over, forlorn.

But wait, a commotion, a mutiny, a furore, the cronuts and duffins are invading the floor.

Careme intervenes, rushing out to the stage, 'your sort are a parody, your provenance a shame'.

He turns and he smiles 'ma cherie Antoinette, today is your turn, now let them eat cake'.

The fondant has set on this soft iced creation, the audience await, there's great expectation.

As I lift from the box my unique decoration, a 'Folie a Deux', an obsessive vocation.

A lifetime of memories, many moments of pleasure, have gone into the making of this little treasure.

On top of your cake the stage at last mine, in front of your candles I finally shine.

The audience are up, they're shouting 'hooray', for the star of this show's from the Salon Glacé!

                                                                     Rococo Rose



Antoinette Satchell copyright 2014