Bread faults and

their causes

Baking Technology I Patrick Soltermann | 29.01.2016 | © SMS-SG

Learning targets

Possibilities of bread faults

Interdisciplinary understanding
Derivation of possible reasons causing bread faults

Baking Technology I Patrick Soltermann | 29.01.2016 | © SMS-SG

Bread Faults and their Causes

Situation:
Various influences of raw materials
Variations in daily workloads
Influence of weather conditions
Occasional human inadvertence

Conclusion:
Small and big errors/faults in production as well as in
distribution and sales can always happen

Causes:
Defective ingredients
Faults caused by faulty workmanship (more frequent)

Baking Technology I Patrick Soltermann | 29.01.2016 | © SMS-SG

Faults caused by faulty workmanship:

Caused by the dough:

Dough is too firm or too soft
Dough is too warm or too cold
Mechanical fault (rounding fault, torn bottom)

Caused by the bulk and final proofing process:

Over- or underproofing

Baking Technology I Patrick Soltermann | 29.01.2016 | © SMS-SG

Caused by the baking process:
Excessive or insufficient baking temperature
Excessive or insufficient vapor
Excessive or insufficient baking time

Caused by external influences:

Crumb cracks in bread turned upside down, with voids
underneath the surface
Bread loaves stacked too closely together
Carelessly treated fresh bread (e.g. during transportation)

All these faults can occur in isolation or combined

Baking Technology I Patrick Soltermann | 29.01.2016 | © SMS-SG

Bread with a pale color, name 4 possible reasons

Possible reasons:
• Flour with a high falling number (low -
Amylase activity)
• No Salt in the dough
• Low oven temperature
• Too short baking time

Baking Technology I Patrick Soltermann | 29.01.2016 | © SMS-SG

Bread with a dark color, name 4 possible reasons

Possible reasons:
• Flour with low falling number (high -
Amylase activity)
• Too much Salt or Sugar in the dough
• High oven temperature
• Too long baking time

Baking Technology I Patrick Soltermann | 29.01.2016 | © SMS-SG

What could have happend here, bread is dense and grayish,
name 3 possible reasons.

Possible reasons:
• Skin formation during fermentation due to
low rel. humidity
• Final proofing time too short
• No or not enough steam applied in the first
baking phase

Baking Technology I Patrick Soltermann | 29.01.2016 | © SMS-SG

Explain 3 differences between the two bread loafs conserning
ingredients and process

Bread left
• Weak flour (Gluten properties)
• incorrect kneading time
• Final proofing too long
Bread right
• Adequate flour for bread
• Good processing from kneading all
the way until the finished product

Baking Technology I Patrick Soltermann | 29.01.2016 | © SMS-SG

Name 5 possible reasons why the loafs below are so dense

Possible reasons:
• Strong flour quality (strong Gluten)
• Kneading time too short
• Too cold dough
• Too firm dough
• Too short bulk proofing
• Too short final proofing

Baking Technology I Patrick Soltermann | 29.01.2016 | © SMS-SG

Name 3 reasons why the loaf has a mushroom like shape and
the crumb is quite soft, name 4 possibilities how a baker can
react.
Possible reasons:
• High -Amylase activity
• Sprouted wheat
• Too much additives (overtreatment

How can a baker react on sprouted wheat?

• Achieve colder dough temperature

• Achieve firmer dough
• Acidification of dough (change of bread taste)
• Reduction of bulk proofing
• Reducting of final fermentation

Baking Technology I Patrick Soltermann | 29.01.2016 | © SMS-SG

Name 4 reasons why the bread loafs are quite flat

Possible reasons:
• Weak flour (poor Gluten quality)
• Kneading process too short or long
• Dough not correct shaped
• Final proofing too long

Baking Technology I Patrick Soltermann | 29.01.2016 | © SMS-SG

Name 5 reasons why pore structure is not homogen

Possible reasons:
• High -Amylase activity
• Dough too soft
• Long bulk proofing
• Incorrect shaping of the dough piece
• Final proofing to long

Baking Technology I Patrick Soltermann | 29.01.2016 | © SMS-SG

Name 4 possibilities why the bread is cracked on the side and
why the pore structure is very dense?

• Firm and cold dough

• Short or no bulk proofing
• Final proofing too short
• Not enough steam applied in the first baking
phase
• Too much Improver

Baking Technology I Patrick Soltermann | 29.01.2016 | © SMS-SG

Sides collapsing, name 5 possible reasons

Causes
• Too much improver
• Too high fungal amylase
level
• Bread left too long in pans
• Too much yeast
• Too much malt flour
• Flour with high enzyme
activity

Baking Technology I Patrick Soltermann | 29.01.2016 | © SMS-SG

Lack of oven spring, name 5 reason that why oven spring can
be missed

Causes
• Dough over fermented
• Over proofed
• Excessive oven steam
• Weak flour
• Too low premix level
• Too low improver level
• Too low fungal amylase
level

Baking Technology I Patrick Soltermann | 29.01.2016 | © SMS-SG