When baking bread, what can I do to prevent the top from getting too brown before the inside is done?

Answer 1

The problem is probably not the oven temp. Its that the dough on the outer layer is too dry before placing it in the oven. Spraying it with a good coating of water just before baking, keeps the crust cooler, longer, allowing a thicker, shinier crust to form, as well as allowing the center of the loaf some time to bake. Use an oven thermometer if your oven is older, it may be out of caliberation, and you would have to adjust accordingly. Bakery bread, like the kind you see in those small gourmet bakeries, are baked in stone ovens, which have steam injection. These ovens inject very hot steam onto the dough, at the very beginning of the baking cycle. Since most home ovens dont have this feature, making sure your bread is wet before it goes into the oven is important. Also, bakery breads are baked in a 2 temp cycle. First, at a very high temp to allow the crust to form, then at a lower temp to bake the bread. Naturally times and temps vary with every kind of bread, but for the most part, bread typically bakes for at least 40 mins- 1 hour, depending on the variety. If your bread takes 40 mins, roughly half the baking time should be at the full baking temp(usually between 400-500F), then the remaining time at a lower temp, such as 350F to actually bake the bread through. Also, make sure you place your bread in the center of the oven, on a rack placed in the middle. This allows for even heat distribution so your bread is evenly baked on all sides. Hope this helps.

Answer 2

You may not have a good seal between your oven door and the oven. This causes the oven ambient temperature to be lower than the dial indicates but still may allow a hot spot directly over your bread which would cause the top to brown before the center of the bread is done. If the seal is good then try baking the bread at a little bit lower temperature setting until the center of the bread is done. If there is a way of doing it you may have to start with a thinner slab of dough. Some combination of the answers you have received is bound to work keep trying until you find the one or ones that work.

Answer 3

Another option besides lowering the temperature in your oven (a great suggestion- be patient!) is to place on the rack under the bread a baking sheet with like 6-8 ice cubes on it. This helps keep the bread moist and its an old bakers trick. I suspect the moisture from the evaporating water will hold off the browing process, but not for long.

Answer 4

Try baking at a lower temperature in the center of the oven. 350 is usually good for regular loaves in loaf pans. If towards the end of the cooking process, the loaves still look too brown, put some foil over them. If they still get too brown at 350, try checking the temperature of your oven with an oven thermometer to make sure it's really 350. Your oven may actually be hotter than you think it is.

Answer 5

When doing any baking breads or any sort or cake or pastry, if the top is getting too brown just cover it with tin foil. this also works well with the crusts of pies. Making a ring of tin foil around the edge of a pie crust will prevent it from burning or over browning.

Answer 6

Put some aluminum foil over the top when you notice the top getting to be about done. Be gentle. It shouldn't constrict the bread in any way.

Answer 7

when it starts to get brown tent a piece of foil over it, don't seal it or wrap it, just "tent" it over the top.

Answer 8

You're cooking at too high a temp

Answer 9

Lower the temp. of your Oven.