Hi folks,

The last two loaves I've baked have been almost identical in that after
I put them in the oven, one side has risen significantly higher than the
other. So much so that on the "high" side the dough actually tore around
the cut, while on the other it just opened up the slit. Both times it's
been the same side which has done this, so it seems likely that the oven
is hotter on one side than the other. My oven (electric) allows me to
control whether the oven fan is on or off, so I'm wondering what people
here do - do you bake with your oven fan on? So far I've always baked
with it off (thinking it would dry the loaves out too much) but perhaps
this is a way of more evenly distributing the heat.

Thanks,

james

On Sat, 25 Sep 2004 16:35:47 +0800, James
wrote:

Hi folks,

The last two loaves I've baked have been almost identical in that after
I put them in the oven, one side has risen significantly higher than the
other. So much so that on the "high" side the dough actually tore around
the cut, while on the other it just opened up the slit. Both times it's
been the same side which has done this, so it seems likely that the oven
is hotter on one side than the other. My oven (electric) allows me to
control whether the oven fan is on or off, so I'm wondering what people
here do - do you bake with your oven fan on? So far I've always baked
with it off (thinking it would dry the loaves out too much) but perhaps
this is a way of more evenly distributing the heat.

Thanks,

james

Hi James,

I would suggest that you just turn the loaves after the first part of
the bake...

HTH,

--
Kenneth

If you email... Please remove the "SPAMLESS."

On Sat, 25 Sep 2004 16:35:47 +0800, James
wrote:

Hi folks,

The last two loaves I've baked have been almost identical in that after
I put them in the oven, one side has risen significantly higher than the
other. So much so that on the "high" side the dough actually tore around
the cut, while on the other it just opened up the slit. Both times it's
been the same side which has done this, so it seems likely that the oven
is hotter on one side than the other. My oven (electric) allows me to
control whether the oven fan is on or off, so I'm wondering what people
here do - do you bake with your oven fan on? So far I've always baked
with it off (thinking it would dry the loaves out too much) but perhaps
this is a way of more evenly distributing the heat.

Thanks,

james

Hi James,

I would suggest that you just turn the loaves after the first part of
the bake...

HTH,

--
Kenneth

If you email... Please remove the "SPAMLESS."

Hi folks,

The last two loaves I've baked have been almost identical in that after
I put them in the oven, one side has risen significantly higher than the
other. So much so that on the "high" side the dough actually tore around
the cut, while on the other it just opened up the slit. Both times it's
been the same side which has done this, so it seems likely that the oven
is hotter on one side than the other. My oven (electric) allows me to
control whether the oven fan is on or off, so I'm wondering what people
here do - do you bake with your oven fan on? So far I've always baked
with it off (thinking it would dry the loaves out too much) but perhaps
this is a way of more evenly distributing the heat.

Thanks,

james

When I had a fan oven I always baked with the fan on, never noticed any drying
out, from my experience that's an old wives' tale, though others may disagree.


How did you shape the loaves? Sometimes the shaping method can lead to greater
rise on one side of a loaf.

John

Hi folks,

The last two loaves I've baked have been almost identical in that after
I put them in the oven, one side has risen significantly higher than the
other. So much so that on the "high" side the dough actually tore around
the cut, while on the other it just opened up the slit. Both times it's
been the same side which has done this, so it seems likely that the oven
is hotter on one side than the other. My oven (electric) allows me to
control whether the oven fan is on or off, so I'm wondering what people
here do - do you bake with your oven fan on? So far I've always baked
with it off (thinking it would dry the loaves out too much) but perhaps
this is a way of more evenly distributing the heat.

Thanks,

james

When I had a fan oven I always baked with the fan on, never noticed any drying
out, from my experience that's an old wives' tale, though others may disagree.


How did you shape the loaves? Sometimes the shaping method can lead to greater
rise on one side of a loaf.

John

On Sat, 25 Sep 2004 16:35:47 +0800, James
wrote:

Hi folks,

The last two loaves I've baked have been almost identical in that after
I put them in the oven, one side has risen significantly higher than the
other. So much so that on the "high" side the dough actually tore around
the cut, while on the other it just opened up the slit. Both times it's
been the same side which has done this, so it seems likely that the oven
is hotter on one side than the other. My oven (electric) allows me to
control whether the oven fan is on or off, so I'm wondering what people
here do - do you bake with your oven fan on? So far I've always baked
with it off (thinking it would dry the loaves out too much) but perhaps
this is a way of more evenly distributing the heat.

Thanks,

james

Hi James,

I would suggest that you just turn the loaves after the first part of
the bake...

HTH,

--
Kenneth

That doesn't solve the problem, Kenneth. The lopsides rise appears in the first
few minutes of the bake and, by the time the loaf is baked enough to turn
without risk of deflation, the shape is pretty much set.

John

On Sat, 25 Sep 2004 16:35:47 +0800, James
wrote:

Hi folks,

The last two loaves I've baked have been almost identical in that after
I put them in the oven, one side has risen significantly higher than the
other. So much so that on the "high" side the dough actually tore around
the cut, while on the other it just opened up the slit. Both times it's
been the same side which has done this, so it seems likely that the oven
is hotter on one side than the other. My oven (electric) allows me to
control whether the oven fan is on or off, so I'm wondering what people
here do - do you bake with your oven fan on? So far I've always baked
with it off (thinking it would dry the loaves out too much) but perhaps
this is a way of more evenly distributing the heat.

Thanks,

james

Hi James,

I would suggest that you just turn the loaves after the first part of
the bake...

HTH,

--
Kenneth

That doesn't solve the problem, Kenneth. The lopsides rise appears in the first
few minutes of the bake and, by the time the loaf is baked enough to turn
without risk of deflation, the shape is pretty much set.

John

Wcsjohn wrote:

That doesn't solve the problem, Kenneth. The lopsides rise appears in the first
few minutes of the bake and, by the time the loaf is baked enough to turn
without risk of deflation, the shape is pretty much set.

You took the words out of my mouth, John. I tried turning them after
about 10 minutes (both times) and it was too late - the damage had
already been done.

james

Wcsjohn wrote:

That doesn't solve the problem, Kenneth. The lopsides rise appears in the first
few minutes of the bake and, by the time the loaf is baked enough to turn
without risk of deflation, the shape is pretty much set.

You took the words out of my mouth, John. I tried turning them after
about 10 minutes (both times) and it was too late - the damage had
already been done.

james

Wcsjohn wrote:

When I had a fan oven I always baked with the fan on, never noticed any drying
out, from my experience that's an old wives' tale, though others may disagree.

That's good to know.. tomorrow I'll have another go with the fan on.

How did you shape the loaves? Sometimes the shaping method can lead to greater
rise on one side of a loaf.

I had shaped the dough into a boule, just by tucking the dough
underneath and leaving it to rest. It seemed suspicious that it happened
on the same side both times. I've not noticed this with normal yeasted
bread, but then again I did tend to bake mostly baguettes.

james

Wcsjohn wrote:

When I had a fan oven I always baked with the fan on, never noticed any drying
out, from my experience that's an old wives' tale, though others may disagree.

That's good to know.. tomorrow I'll have another go with the fan on.

How did you shape the loaves? Sometimes the shaping method can lead to greater
rise on one side of a loaf.

I had shaped the dough into a boule, just by tucking the dough
underneath and leaving it to rest. It seemed suspicious that it happened
on the same side both times. I've not noticed this with normal yeasted
bread, but then again I did tend to bake mostly baguettes.

james

When I had a fan oven I always baked with the fan on, never noticed any
drying
out, from my experience that's an old wives' tale, though others may
disagree.

That's good to know.. tomorrow I'll have another go with the fan on.

How did you shape the loaves? Sometimes the shaping method can lead to
greater
rise on one side of a loaf.

I had shaped the dough into a boule, just by tucking the dough
underneath and leaving it to rest. It seemed suspicious that it happened
on the same side both times. I've not noticed this with normal yeasted
bread, but then again I did tend to bake mostly baguettes.

james

Making a boule by tucking under should, indeed, produce a symmetrical loaf, I
think your suspicions about the oven are well founded.

Try it with the fan on, I'd be interested to know the result.

John

On 9/25/04 8:55 AM, "James" wrote:

Wcsjohn wrote:

That doesn't solve the problem, Kenneth. The lopsides rise appears in the
first
few minutes of the bake and, by the time the loaf is baked enough to turn
without risk of deflation, the shape is pretty much set.

You took the words out of my mouth, John. I tried turning them after
about 10 minutes (both times) and it was too late - the damage had
already been done.

james

When you sectioned the loaf, was the crumb different across the slices?

Will

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On Sat, 25 Sep 2004 16:35:47 +0800, James
wrote:

Hi folks,

The last two loaves I've baked have been almost identical in that after
I put them in the oven, one side has risen significantly higher than the
other. So much so that on the "high" side the dough actually tore around
the cut, while on the other it just opened up the slit. Both times it's
been the same side which has done this, so it seems likely that the oven
is hotter on one side than the other. My oven (electric) allows me to
control whether the oven fan is on or off, so I'm wondering what people
here do - do you bake with your oven fan on? So far I've always baked
with it off (thinking it would dry the loaves out too much) but perhaps
this is a way of more evenly distributing the heat.
Did you slash the loaves well ??

Thanks,

james

On Sat, 25 Sep 2004 16:35:47 +0800, James
wrote:

Hi folks,

The last two loaves I've baked have been almost identical in that after
I put them in the oven, one side has risen significantly higher than the
other. So much so that on the "high" side the dough actually tore around
the cut, while on the other it just opened up the slit. Both times it's
been the same side which has done this, so it seems likely that the oven
is hotter on one side than the other. My oven (electric) allows me to
control whether the oven fan is on or off, so I'm wondering what people
here do - do you bake with your oven fan on? So far I've always baked
with it off (thinking it would dry the loaves out too much) but perhaps
this is a way of more evenly distributing the heat.
Did you slash the loaves well ??

Thanks,

james