What causes cracks in bread?

[debbie24]

I just took bread out of the oven and on 1 loaf the top is cracked. It doesnt have that nice glassy smooth finish on top. I dont mind the crack at all but i would like to know what causes it to crack. Is it from not having enough flour or overworking the dough? When i was making this batch i could have added a tiny bit more flour to make the dough smoother but i guess at the time i thought it didnt matter. I made this recipe before and it came out without cracks so i know its something i'm doing. TIA for your responses.

 

[blissful]

I don't know, but I'll take a guess. As the bread is getting hot in the oven, the yeast is growing and pushing the bubbles bigger, the top cooks first because the heat gets to it first and it gets hard, then the bubbles inside push the bread apart farther and the top has to 'give', hence, the crack. Oh the dreaded crack!
(*notice*--no dreaded plumber talk?)

 

[JoeV]

I just took bread out of the oven and on 1 loaf the top is cracked. It doesnt have that nice glassy smooth finish on top. I dont mind the crack at all but i would like to know what causes it to crack. Is it from not having enough flour or overworking the dough? When i was making this batch i could have added a tiny bit more flour to make the dough smoother but i guess at the time i thought it didnt matter. I made this recipe before and it came out without cracks so i know its something i'm doing. TIA for your responses.

By saying that one of the loaves was cracked, I can presume that you baked at least two loaves of bread. The crack probably came because one pan had more dough in it than the other (this is why I use a scale to divide my dough equally), and the "oven spring" forced the loaf with more dough to rise higher than the other loaf. In artisan breads, these cracks are considered a thing of beauty. My no-knead breads almost always are cracked on top.

Joe

 

[Dave Hutchins]

They look super good but I agree with blissfull top cooked faster than the rest. Try slashing the loves about three times, this give the dough someplace to expand.

 

[debbie24]

Joe V the one that cracked was definitely bigger than the one that didnt. Thank you. When i divided the dough i regretted not weighing it like i weighed the rolls i made but atleast i know now and will definitely be weighing my dough from now. Thanks again. Your breads look delish and i do think the crack was pretty.

 

[JoeV]

Joe V the one that cracked was definitely bigger than the one that didnt. Thank you. When i divided the dough i regretted not weighing it like i weighed the rolls i made but atleast i know now and will definitely be weighing my dough from now. Thanks again. Your breads look delish and i do think the crack was pretty.

Don't be concerned about cracking unless you're entering your bread in competition. ASide from that it's just cosmetic. As Dave said, three slashes on a 45 degree angle about 1/4" deep will give the bread somewhere to expand to hen the oven spring kicks in. Plus, it makes the loaf look pretty.

Joe

 

[B'sgirl]

I was skimming and read the post title as "What causes cracks in heads". I was thinking--mothers whose children constantly throw their food all over the floor.