Sometimes, you’ll slice open a piece of warm bread, see the crust turn out to be golden, but then cut in and find a gummy center. Even if the outside is golden, that’s no guarantee; bread can still keep baking long after it come out of oven. To know what’s going on inside crumb, you must measure it.
To understand this, look at chart above, which breaks it down by type of bread. Not everything behaves identicaly. Enriched loaves don’t need the same internal temp as a lean dough such as boule of sourdough. The more sugar and fat, the less heat your loaf will retain, and the less well your gluten develop. You can feel that a brioche is finished before a plain old sandwich bread. Bake an enriched bread too long and you’ll dry out the inside of the loaf.
How to Check If Bread Is Done
Most home baker don’t get this. They think all types of yeast bread acts exactly alike.
Another issue involves quick breads. Why does a banana or pumpkin loaf appear done on top, while underneath it’s still wet? Moist batter adheres to wooden toothpicks, so toothpick test won’t work. For quick bread, use an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the loaf (the thickest spot). Trust the range you’re aiming for more different than what you see.
No more guessing. The position of the probe also make all the difference. Since heat radiates outward, the outer parts cooks more quickly then the middle. If you measure close to crust, your measurement will be artificially high. Instead, focus on geometric center of your loaf. Don’t let the metal pan or any big air pockets gets in the way. The space between an edge measurement and a true center measurement is measured in a few degrees, that’s the distance between perfection and failure. It is a small thing, but it make a huge difference in texture.
Even once your temperature is established, you’re not done yet. How the crumb’s final structure forms depend heavily on steam. If you cut into a warm loaf, you release this steam too soon. It will collapse inside, leaving you with gummy or otherwise heavy-feeling interior. Letting lean loaves rest for at least one hour on a wire rack is ideal. For enriched types, it’s only about half as long, thirty minutes.
Why wire racks? Because a flat surface hold moisture against the crust, which creates sogginess.
Thermometers make many baker uneasy. It’s too scientific, they think; an interruption to the art of cooking. But precision is also respect for your ingredients. Checking the number doesn’t rob the process of its soul. It ensures the texture and flavor you created will persist through the cool-down period. Relax into the data, give the bread time to rest, and savor what follows. Knowing when to call it quits should of begins the journey toward a perfectly baked loaf.