View Single Post
  #7 (permalink)   Report Post  
Dee Randall
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Mike Avery" > wrote in message
news:mailman.15.1113762353.6903.rec.food.baking@ma il.otherwhen.com...
> Dee Randall wrote:
>
>>I am interested in your statement "...most of the bread's flavor is in the
>>crust...." No matter what crust I end up with; i.e., light, medium, dark,
>>my crust taste NEVER is tasty to me. It always has a slightly bitter
>>taste. Sometimes I've wondered if it is the water I'm using to spray the
>>oven with; my oven isn't clean enough and the crust takes on the oven
>>smell; the pan in the oven that I pour hot water in for steam might not be
>>the correct metal, such as iron vs. stainless? It doesn't matter what
>>flour I use, it always has this taste to me. I use mostly King Arthur
>>flour nowadays, but when I wasn't, it was the same. Sometimes I make
>>biga, polish, other called for "starters," but it is always the same --
>>just can't figure it out. When I buy bread from markets; i.e., Wegman's,
>>Whole Foods, it doesn't have this bitter taste.
>>

> Start by getting the thermometers and cleaning your oven. Also, it is a
> matter of taste. Europeans love breads that most Americans think are
> burned. Dr. Calvel dedicates a lot of his book to encouraging people to
> bake bread longer.
>
> So, is it burned, or just not to your taste?
>
> Well.... get the temperature under control, get the oven cleaned (I like
> the lye free easy-off), and then see what happens.
>
> Mike


It happens whether or not my oven is clean -- I use the automatic oven
cleaner. I do use thermometers in oven, and often when making the bread.
The bread crust whether very dark brown to medium brown always tastes bitter
to me. My husband doesn't notice it as much as I do. So many times I
actually don't eat the crust. And I LOVE crust!
Dee