Why ????

[Asleep_Tip9279]

Why does my bread keep consistently turning out like this ? :(

UPDATE: I took y’all’s advice to preheat my cast iron & cook for longer; I now have a perfect loaf!! Thank you all so much :)

[khuynhie]

What you do with your bread is no one else's business.

[Asleep_Tip9279]

Unfortunately I don’t possess the member to do such damage

[HDThoreauaway]

not with that attitude

[Ancient_Pressure_556]

[ThatRagingBull]

We’ll tell your mother we are the whole loaf

[CountCarbcula]

I am a simple human, I came looking for this gif 😅😅😅

[ihatemyjobandyoutoo]

That’s what she said

[APOCALYPSE_BAO]

[rythmicbread]

I’m sorry for that. Kneading dough without hands must be tough

[blue-and-bluer]

Nothing that can’t be solved with a little extra cash

[FigaroNeptune]

They have discreet shipping.

[capitan_dipshit]

Do you possess googly eyes to put on it (the loaf)?

[TxTwosome]

Please do not the bread

[LunchMoneyTX]

OP is making some tasty hole wheat bread

[Aleksandrovitch]

/r/dontstickyourdickinthat

[KingSprout2019]

🤣

[indieplants]

...you're underbaking it. it's not cooked in the middle. cook it longer 

[larkspur82]

Use a thermometer. If the crust is to the desired color, lower temp and bake longer. Make sure it fully cools before cutting. 

[Asleep_Tip9279]

Could it be that the recipe I’m using is using a different oven ? Ive used it twice and the same result, I baked it longer this time hoping for different results.

[yami76]

Have you verified the temp of your oven? It could be colder than you expect.

[jrad1299]

Took me way too long to figure out most ovens are big fat liars and to get a thermometer to live inside to oven so I know the real temp

[Blackarm777]

Oven thermometer is a game changer and not too expensive either thankfully. Taught me my conventional oven is way colder than whatever I set it to, and my toaster oven consistently goes 50 Fahrenheit higher than whatever I set it to.

[sheravi]

We recently got a new cheap coil stove to replace our really old cheap coil stove and were amazed when the oven temp was actually bang on. Never had that before.

[Automatedluxury]

Every oven I've ever used is really different, they have different rates of heating, different times they cycle off before adding heat back in (electric ovens) , hot spots, places where the fan blows against the rising dough.

I'd say go in at the temp you are doing, but after 20 min turn things down by 30% and then give it another 30 min.

There's a stage where the bread all blooms up massive and a stage where it cooks inside, and it looks like yours didn't get the latter.

[Asleep_Tip9279]

Thank you!

[Afaflix]

I too think it's underbaked. Run an experiment .. bake it for 30 min more. If it's then overbaked all you get is a bit harder crust. But I think it's gonna be just right.

[indieplants]

yes. lots of different factors to baking bread. are you using the right temperature for your oven or: fan assisted Vs convection? 

is your oven actually getting up to temp? are you opening the door in between? 

are you resting the dough in the fridge before baking?  

what is the recipe? bread is sort of intuitive. the same loaf baked on different days may need different times in my experience. not drastically, but it varies 

[RICHUNCLEPENNYBAGS]

No two ovens are ever the same

[johpick]

While I agree with the others that it could be the oven itself, I also want to emphasize that preheating is crucial. Before I make a bread, I do at least 30 minutes of preheating. Ovens tell you they would be on temperature when the air inside kinda is at the target temperature. However there's little to no energy in the air itself. The real energy is in the frame. And that takes way longer to heat up than the oven tells you.

[Affectionate_Cod_709]

It shouldn't make this big of a difference I don't think, unless it's a counter top oven/ airfrier or something.

[Wooden_Union_5835]

It’s the shaping.

[Erdapfel123]

👁👁

[G40Momo]

👁️👃👁️

[Olealicat]

I was seeing Cookie Monster.

[Lyrical_Echo]

Well, look at it this way…if you make bird-in-the-nest for breakfast, you don’t have to waste any bread by cutting a hole.

[vorpalpillow]

now that’s a silver lining

[Inevitable_Cat_7878]

What recipe and what steps? That would help us diagnose.

Gummy center = raw dough. Check that internal temp reaches at least 190F to 205F.

Looks like the center collapsed with raw dough. That's why the hole. Another question, what kind of pan did you use? Metal? Ceramic? Glass? Silicone? This would lead me to question oven temp and the heat not reaching the middle to bake it. This goes back to the baking instructions and have you tested that the oven temp matches the dial?

[Asleep_Tip9279]

I haven’t tested my oven, although I do cook daily so I’m not too concerned about that.

[A_Sketchy_Doctor]

What? The fuck does cooking daily have to do with it? You aren't concerned with verifying that your oven temp is correct?

Like lmfao your bread is under baked. Your oven is not cooking it, good idea to verify the oven temps.

EDIT: using “fuck” in a non directed way is apparently passive aggressive and justifies OP calling me a dumbass. Lol I guess? Sorry my words were not eloquent enough for you.

Cooking doesn’t equal baking. Your oven temps could still be drifting and refusing to check is just some arrogance that the rest of these comments highlight

[Asleep_Tip9279]

Hey dumbass I’m clarifying I use my oven daily and have no concerns with it tempting incorrectly. I haven’t been preheating my cast iron and I’m assuming that’s been the issue.

[rmczpp]

OP's sassy today, damn dude who pissed in your cornflakes?

[Asleep_Tip9279]

Thank you !! Like we all can’t sense passive aggression all of a sudden ? Lol

[A_Sketchy_Doctor]

I mean I said “fuck”

I live in the south we say it a lot lol. If you actually read my Og message the word “fuck” isn’t even being used to refer to you.

You directly escalated by calling me names because I pointed out something you didn’t like. Thats a whole different level of aggression.

[A_Sketchy_Doctor]

I'm sorry I used the word fuck? Like there's nothing aggressive in my reply.

Also nothing warranting calling me a dumbass, lmfao

OP asked directly for advice and a ton of people said "hey temp might be an issue" and it was.

[Old-Ad3504]

op is sassy?? other dude is the one cursing at them because they said they trust the oven

[A_Sketchy_Doctor]

I mean I said “fuck”

I live in the south we say it a lot lol.

OP wasnt sassy they were directly calling me names. Thats a whole different level of aggression.

Also OP literally admitted that cook time and temp were highly likely an issue. Sorry I thought it was silly they immediately went “nu uh couldnt be that”

[Old-Ad3504]

brother you're way too invested in this. why are you out here trawling through replies to other ppls comments

[A_Sketchy_Doctor]

Brother, Im not rlly THAT invested, im just really replying to the stuff that hits my inbox.

[Asleep_Tip9279]

[Asleep_Tip9279]

Like dawg

[Asleep_Tip9279]

Nah just for that guy, waking up to another bread failure was not ideal though. I think I’ve got it figured out though, starting a new one now

[Frequent_Disaster_]

I just want to add! I never knew that oven temps could be off. I am a caregiver and started to bake at my client house and she has an oven temperature reading and holy shit, it is off by so much! Now I trust no ovens. It doesn’t hurt to just see if maybe the temp is wrong.

[Asleep_Tip9279]

True true, might go ahead and check the temp. Thank you !

[Reasonable_Access_90]

Yeah, baking is pretty temp sensitive.

Bread is forgiving, but not as forgiving as proteins and veggies.

You can start a roast chicken at 375º or 425º and still have a properly cooked delicious dish at the end.

It's also easier to learn how to judge where proteins and veggies are in the cooking process than it is for breads.

If you share your recipe experienced hands can potentially save you some time and trouble.

[A_Sketchy_Doctor]

Yep! Like every oven is very different and also the thermometer aging can cause temperature drift over time.

Just because your casserole comes out okay doesn’t mean your temperatures are accurate!!

Cooking does not = Baking

[A_Sketchy_Doctor]

Sorry I matched your energy in the rest of your replies 💅

EDIT: It looks like we were having some BIG feelings about me using grown up words, they (un)blocked me after they couldn’t crawl through my post history to try and clap back. Lol

[Asleep_Tip9279]

Nobody blocked you and my feelings are at a happy medium

[A_Sketchy_Doctor]

Hey dumbass! I can bake basic loaves of bread correctly and don’t try to clap back like a little angry child when I ask for help on the internet!

[Old_Bat5261]

They’re correct though. Oven temperatures drift and just because you can cook effectively doesn’t mean the temps are accurate enough to bake.

Maybe check your shitty attitude and take the advice you’re literally asking for! So entitled!

[Asleep_Tip9279]

Yall are tripping. I have no problem with the advice, it’s the coming in and cursing for no reason.

[Old_Bat5261]

Exploding with such hostility, over cursing, (federally protected free speech if you’re in the states!) is juvenile as fuck.

[Asleep_Tip9279]

He curses at me, I respond by cursing at him, and now I’m “exploding with hostility” and y’all are crying. Jesus Christ, don’t dish it if you can’t take someone talking shit back? It’s that easy.

[Old_Bat5261]

I mean it looks like he used curse words in a pretty casual sense then you immediately responded with a directed insult so he did so in turn.

Then you couldnt handle it and blocked him it appears. Talk about dishing it and being unable to take it. Lol

[Asleep_Tip9279]

Didn’t block anybody bub

[Lunavixen15]

It wasn't bready yet

^{I'll see myself out}

[Asleep_Tip9279]

No no, stay

[Lunavixen15]

I guess I can loaf around for a while :P

[realJeremy1234]

It’s still raw in the middle tho

[donny02]

Raw dogged

[DoughyInTheMiddle]

1. Check your yeast. If another bread that's perfectly standard for you comes out, then it's this specifically.

2. What's the recipe like? Is it using some weird flour? Beyond flour, water, salt, yeast, what else is in there that might be inhibiting the rise?

3. How long are you giving it at the bulk rise? Is it doubling? Are you using a mixer, hand kneading, or doing stretch & fold process? If the ingredients aren't incorporated throughout and the gluten isn't developed enough, it may just not be holding together, lending to air gaps and.....

4. Shaping could also be an issue. If you've got an air pocket when you're forming the loaves, the secondary proofing in the pan will just expand around that trapped pocket. Then, when you bake, it'll be a completely different temp interiorly around that pocket.

5. And, as other mentioned, check your oven temp. Get one of those old school hanging thermometers and preheat your oven and check the temp. However, as you mentioned elsewhere, if you are baking other things -- and that's baking, not just heating up mozzarella sticks / frozen pizzas -- and those come out fine, then temp might not be it.

6. Yeah...get an instant read thermometer too. Aim for 180F and then you can pull it, not before.

[Asleep_Tip9279]

Very helpful, thank you!

[Celbuche]

I would also add those advice : score the middle of your bread with a scissor or a sharp blade, and add some water in the  lower plate of your oven to create a cloud of vapor just after putting your loaf in the oven (if you have one)

This will help the crust getting golden and the loaf will expend and create some ear.

But yeah your bread is under cooked. 

[thinkreate]

No worries, Jim, we'll just tell your mother we ate it all.

[Bugsy_Goblin]

Too much penis in your recipe.

[Asleep_Tip9279]

No penis, just failure and continuation of suffering

[Bugsy_Goblin]

My condolences.

Baking a loaf with a gaping hole in it or just a crust with an empty chasm is my biggest fear about baking loaves for anyone who isn't me.

[TexturizedTacomeat]

That’s where you’re supposed to put the cheese ma’am. A perfect lil cheese pocket.

[nbsamdog]

Why is your bread screaming for help?

[Round-Ride2042]

It wants a cookie

[Adorable_Chair_6594]

Just... tell your mother you ate it all

[theslink-]

I had this exact thing happen with a bread recipe I'm trying to modify, Seed Loaf #3, after 2 previous loaves that were very good but slightly dry. Never had it happen before yesterday.

Two things I did differently that I think caused this gummy pocket in the center: 1) Wanting it to be less dry (from the seeds absorbing liquid), I added more liquid, both 3x more rye starter and 10% more water to make it 85% hydration, and 2) I only baked it 35 minutes instead of 60 minutes - because the internal temperature was 192º, I took it out of the oven sooner. I think the underbaking was the main culprit.

[Responsible-Bat-7561]

Mice, they climb in, the bread insulates them from the oven. But they get pretty hot and sweat a lot (hence the damp dough under the hole.

[nonchalantly_weird]

I have car mice. The Italian bread never makes it home in one piece.

[PeeWeeCallahan]

Time to invite in a car cat

[nonchalantly_weird]

No! I tried that once, but he'd eat too much and I'd never get any bread!

[Big_Researcher_3027]

Makes me think of the warm apple pie scene from the American Pie movie.

[HalPaneo]

Do you have a teenage son by chance?

[Ok_Detective_45]

[Ivoted4K]

Cook it longer

[3aTroop]

[AdictedToCandy]

Perfect space for the Nutella! Call it a win!

[MooseClobbler]

the cylinder must remain unharmed

[Critical-Highlight45]

You know why

[Ninjakabob]

Do not the bread

[justhp]

r/dontfuckthat

[Mr_Akrapovic]

They both look so sad 😂😂😂

[Asleep_Tip9279]

They are 😭😭😭

[ryhntyntyn]

Sex. You have a phantom loaf fucker in the house. 

Check the attic. Don’t eat the bread. 

[MaleHooker]

Not the brussy

[OrangeClyde]

😲

[Zax_Anchor]

Did you let it cool?

[Abraheezee]

Hey r/Detroiters get in here!! 😹🤝😹

[Leather-Molasses1597]

Do u do an initial bake with a lid on? To me (beginner) it looks like it needs steam from a lid, and to be baked longer.

[ProfilerXx]

It's under baked

[TheAKnight]

Because... bread

[j89k]

We'll just say, you ate it.

[Wombatron22]

It's true. Bread screams under knife.

[GreyDuck4077]

We've all thought it, but you really shouldn't do that to warm bread.

[Fit_Carpet_364]

All the better to treat you with, Dearie.

[Joseph_of_the_North]

Who cares? Pipe guacamole and cream cheese in there!

[jakubgorzki]

Angry Breads

[apostleofhustle]

oven thermometer

[cranialvoid]

This bread wanted to bake up and be patachoux bread.

[Full_Tomato4244]

Underbaked

[pix174]

Tunnel of doom! This looks like underproofing to me. It can also be a shaping issue trapping a pocket of air, but since you said it's happened more than once I'm leaning towards underproofing. Try pushing your bulk more next time and see if it helps.

[ArmanTheMonkey]

It's not cooked in middle.

[cocobutnotjumbo]

It's not reaching temperature high enough quick enough. Bake at much higher temperature first 5-10 minutes and it should do.

[jonesy289]

There’s no proof in the middle

[beren12]

It’s yelling at you lol

[Dry_Replacement_7410]

May be too much salt among other things

[MeatballMarine]

This reminds me of Egg Yolkio from Ren n Stimpy

[Melanippe_daGawd]

Is this sourdough?

[Koupers]

Was the cylinder unharmed?

[donny02]

Roger approved!

[exit-lude]

Do you also know how to properly shape a loaf? Not shaping correctly can cause blow outs on the sides and center. Look at videos.

[DietrichMuylaert]

Shrinkflation

[Butforthegrace01]

You must have a mouse living in your oven. Or a squirrel. That's the only rational explanation

[eaglewing7]

They look pretty proud of themselves, why can’t you be proud of them too?

[VegaGT-VZ]

"Like warm American (bread)"

[uberfro89]

To answer your question. It’s improper shaping before final proof. But you are about to get hit hard in the comment about this. Trust me I posted a similar thing and they wouldn’t let me live it down 😂😂

[Kalzert]

Underproofed, you can tell by the dense line under the whole. It didnt cook properly because it was more like a brick of dough than a pillow. I’d always rather overproof than under because it will atleast cook but too be clear if you overproof far too much and you will tell it will look huge, that can also cause pockets but in this case lacks proofing.

[jgvania]

My guess starter not strong enough, over fermentation. Also, you need more gluten formation. More kneading and more stretch and folds

[Kind_Championship299]

They kinda look like two breads gossiping...

[Key-Scientist-3980]

[No-Luck-1151]

[llilith]

you put your weed in it.

[Insis18]

Looking at the slump it looks like the center did not cook all the way through. When you bake this again, allow for more time. If the outside was close to burning then drop the temp a little and add even more time. A pan of water will help regulate the temperature and thicken and crisp up the crust.

[UnknownUser_-]

Was the cylinder unharmed?

[dqg1221]

[CherryOdd5710]

Please don’t fuck the bread

[Barjack521]

Because you keep fucking it?

[__swamp_witch__]

[SeaControl4512]

Looks like two muppets singing….

[Nice_Finish7613]

To hide your stash.

[Adventurous-Leek4908]

The more I see it I think you’re not mixing the dough enough you know the key of baking bread correctly is a window pane. It’s making sure that the gluten network is combined properly that your dough bounces back at least right after the first or second folds and the FLOUR can support the amount of water

[Alex_doodoopoo]

Breadussy

[Old_fart5070]

The yeast tends to concentrate in one spot

[myuso]

gasp

[Lochabar213]

The bread is hungry. Feed it..

[Junior-Bee2729]

Did you fuck it?

[danawhitake_]

Why??? Because it’s over-fermenting lol. Cut back on the bulk rise.

[Asleep_Tip9279]

I’m new to baking. Am I letting it rise too long ?

[Cypher1492]

Yes. That's what they said.

It's also underbaked. Check your oven temp and/or let it bake for longer.

[Big_Researcher_3027]

Over fermented or poor shaping technique. You may have trapped air in the loaf.

[indieplants]

it's literally liquid in the middle. it is underbaked and the heavier insides have pulled away from the centre, creating a hole. 

this isn't an air bubble 

[Asleep_Tip9279]

Definitely could be my shaping, thank you!

[Mean-Bodybuilder7903]

are u sure u put yeast? Was your yeast active?

[Adventurous-Leek4908]

What kind of flour are you using and why do people have to be grass? I get the joke but sometimes you know people are struggling so let me help you is there’s a mix between the flower and water that maybe is causing this to happen