BreadKaren in Little Rock has been getting cracks in her fresh baked bread recently, and she wonder what she could be doing wrong.

First off: cracks in bread are normal, and even desirable, especially with certain flours, like rye. But there are techniques you can use to avoid or minimize them.

The cracks are a result of two things: heat and moisture. More specifically, the moisture in the dough steams, lifting the bread and stretching the glutens. While this is happening, of course, the crust of the bread is becoming firm from the direct heat (gelatinization): that can cause cracks.

You might prevent the cracks on the side of the loaves by scoring the top of the loaves with a sharp knife. The bread dough inside the loaf will then push out the cut you made as it rises, usually with a beautiful effect.

The cracks may also be caused by cooling the bread too rapidly, so you might cool them the way you cool cheesecakes to prevent cracks: turn off the oven, leave the oven door ajar, but leave the bread in the oven for another 15-20 minutes. Otherwise, set them on top of the stove to cool, away from any drafts.

The flour could also be the cause the cracks. Each brand of flour has a slightly different gluten ratio; some crack more than others. Are you using the same flour as you always have? And be sure not to use too much flour, just enough to get the dough to ball together.

The temperature of the dough is an important factor. Slightly colder dough takes longer to heat in the middle than warmer doughs, so after the surface has begun to harden the middle will rise and cause cracks. To prevent them, allow your bread to reach room temperature, or even a little warmer, before putting them in the oven.

Also, you may try kneading the dough less, especially if you are used to kneading very thoroughly. Well-kneaded glutens may rise faster than surface gelatinization can occur, causing cracks. The surface hardens, the bread rises some more, the surface hardens again, the bread rises some more, etc. I have, however, seen cracks in no-knead bread, so there are no guarantees.

You can also put a pan of water in the oven to steam while the oven is preheating and while the bread is baking. The steam slows the gelatinization of the surface, allowing the dough more time to finish rising before it hardens, and also giving the bread surface more spring. Professional artisan breadmakers have steam jets in their large rotating ovens just for this purpose.

On that note, you can brush water and/or vinegar on the surface for a similar effect. Note the beautiful bubbles on the extra-crispy crust created by vinegar.

I hope this helps. Please feel free to contact ChefsLine again with all your cooking and baking questions, let us know if the above techniques still don’t cure the cracks in your bread.

Have fun baking!

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