Chapter-6

6.1. Name six bread faults [lack of volume ,too much volume ,crust
color too pale , crust color too dark, crust too thick, lack of break and
shred]
Lack of volume

Wrong quality of flour

Wrong quality and quantity of yeast
Wrong quality of water
Too much fat ,salt and sugar
Improper mixing
Too tight dough

Too much volume

Too little salt

Too much yeast
Over fermentation
Loose moulding
Too much proofing
Too low oven temperature

Crust color too pale

Too little sugar or milk and salt

Too much of yeast
Under mixing
Over proofing
Too much dusting flour used
Low diastatic capacity in the flour

Crust color too dark

Too much sugar or milk, egg, fat and salt

Too low dough temperature
Too much diastatic activity in the dough
Too high oven temperature
Lack of humidity in the oven
Too long baking time

Cracking of crust

Dough skinning before baking

Short process of bread preparation
Over proofed dough
Uneven baking temperature

Crust too thick

Poor quality or too strong flour

Too little sugar or fat
Less diastatic activity in the flour
Over fermented dough
Over baking
Low humidity in oven

Crust to hard/hardness in bread

Too strong flour

Low fat in the formula
Excess water in the formula
Insufficient fermentation
Too much of improver or bleaching agent
Too light dough

Crust blisters

Too much liquid

Improper mixing
Loose moulding
Young dough {under fermented dough}
Excessive top heat in oven

Leathery crust

Too strong flour used

Too slack dough
Insufficient cooling before packing
Uneven fermentation
Excessive humidity during proofing or baking
Insufficient kneading

Irregularity of shape

Too strong or weak flour

Wrong quality of water
Less bread improvers
Improper mixing
Wrong handling the dough
Too slack or stiff dough

Shelling of top crust

Low diastatic activity of the flour

Too stiff dough
Young dough
Under proofing
Insufficient sugar

Lack of cleanliness

No sieving or cleaning of flour and other raw materials

Carelessness while working
Excessive fat used for greasing
Use of unclean working table, machinery, mould and equipments
Handling of bread with dirty hands

Holes and tunnels

Too
Too
Too
Too
Too
Too

weak flour or too strong flour

much of yeast
hard and granular fat
little salt
much chemicals
hot oven

Poor taste and flavour

Poor quality of raw materials

Poor quality of flour
Too much/too low salt
Too much yeast
Dough temperature too high

Coarse grain

Too much yeast

Too much liquid
Uneven mixing of raw materials
Under mixing of dough
Improper fermentation
Over proofed

Grey crumb

Excess fat
Excess or less salt

Excess mineral improver

Less moisture content
Slack dough/tight dough
Under fermentation

Streaky crumb

Insufficient water
Improper mixing
Poor make up
Too much dusting flour used

Poor keeping quality

Poor quality of flour

Insufficient salt, sugar and fat
Too much improvers
Too stiff dough
Too high dough temperature
Insufficient fermentation

Poor texture

Too weak flour

Too little salt
Excess fat/ water
Insufficient quantity of yeast
Too much improvers
Improper mixing

6.2. List the causes of bread faults and remedies

The following are the most possible causes for the faults in bread

Wrong quality of raw materials and wrong quantity/ inaccurate

measurement
Inadequate knowledge about raw materials and its functions
Unbalanced formula and wrong processing
Incorrect time and temperature for fermentation and proofing
conditions
Incorrect methods of knock back, dividing, moulding and panning
Improper baking temperature, and humidity
Inadequate cooling before slicing and packing
Improper storage conditions
Less knowledge, skills and experience of the baker

6.3. Define crumb and crust staling

When fresh bread is stored at ambient temperature they undergo a progressive
deterioration of quality like tough crumb, leathery crust, loss of taste and aroma
etc. that is known as staling.
Some of the characteristics of stale bread are

Crust of fresh bread is tender and breaks easily but when the bread
becomes stale the crust becomes leathery or hard.
There is no elasticity left in the crumb of a stale bread and it becomes
crumby.
While eating a stale piece or bread, it feels very dry and requires
considerable chewing and even then it feels dry while swallowing.
Bread loses its original pleasant, flavour and aroma.

6.4. Give the causes of staling

Crust staling
Following are the causes of crust staling:

Improper mixing
Excessive humidity in the room or oven
Packing of hot bread
Transfer of hot bread in cool temperature
Storage of bread in humid conditions
Insufficient ventilation in store room
Insufficient fermentation of the dough

Crumb staling
Following are the causes of crumb staling

Too strong or weak flour

Insufficient quantity of water
Improper mixing
Over fermentation
Over proofed dough
Too high baking temperature
Too long baking time
Improper cooling
Improper packing
Uneven store room temperature
Too high humidity in store room
Poor quality or insufficient quantity of yeast

6.5. Explain how to improve the shelf life of bread

The following factors should be kept in mind to improve shelf life of bread.

Ingredients of superior quality the proper amount of absorption of water

should be strictly adhered to.
The addition of general bread improvers like potassium bromate, malt
extract and soy flour will greatly help in retarding staleness.
The use of milk also aids in maintaining freshness of the bread.
Proper processing will also help in increasing the shelf life of the bread.
Mixing: avoid over mixing as dough tends to become too warm resulting
in sticky dough. During the summer months it is essential to use ice to
control the finished temperature during mixing.
Fermentation: vigorous and healthy fermentation and maturing of the
dough with correct quantity of yeast and salt.
Baking: having a temperature which is too low will give a very high oven
spring and the effect is the same as that of over proofing [i.e., coarse
grain]
During cooling the bread should be stacked in such a way as to avoid
crushing of the loaf cells.
Maintaining a temperature of 700 F to 950 F during delivery of bread to
retail stores and during storage until sold to the consumer aids in
preventing staling.
Bread should be wrapped in moisture proof films.