DEFECT – Volume – Too small, Possibly with flying top
CAUSE
- Short of proof
- Overmature dough
- Tight dough
- Green dough caused by low dough temperature
- Weak flour
- Short of sugar or malt, sometimes a pinkish tinge can be seen in the crumb
- Too much pressure on moulding board
- Too much salt
DEFECT – Volume – Too Large
CAUSE
- Overproof
DEFECT – Crust Colour – Pale
CAUSE
- Cool oven
- Short of sugar or malt
- Overmature dough
- Heavy moulding
DEFECT – Crust Colour – High
CAUSE
- Hot oven
- Green dough
- Too much sugar or malt
- Too much salt
DEFECT – Crust – Flying top
CAUSE
- Short tin proof
DEFECT – Crust Texture – Torn and ragged
CAUSE
- Overmature dough
- Heavy moulding
DEFECT – Crust Texture – Shiny
CAUSE
- Green dough
DEFECT – Loaf Form – Too bold, excessively rounded corners
CAUSE
- Excessive maturity
- Tight dough
- Short tin proof
DEFECT – Loaf Form – Lack of boldness, flat top, sharp corners
CAUSE
- Slack dough
- Green dough
- Excessive proof
DEFECT – Loaf Form – Sharp ragged break
CAUSE
- Tight dough
- Green dough
DEFECT – Crumb – Doughy
CAUSE
- Underbaking
- Excessive malt
- Flour made from sprouted wheat
DEFECT – Crumb – Dry
CAUSE
- Overbaking
- Lack of dough conditioners
DEFECT – Crumb Texture – Coarse and open
CAUSE
- Overproof
- Too much yeast
- Green dough
- Slack dough
- Cool oven – causing excessive gassing after loaf has set
DEFECT – Crumb Texture – Irregular cores and streaks
CAUSE
- Too much moulding pressure
- Excessive skinning of dough pieces
- Overmature dough
DEFECT – Crumb Texture – Tight Crumb
CAUSE
- Underproof
- Shortage fat and emulsifier
- Tight dough
DEFECT – Crumb Colour – Greyish
CAUSE
- Overmature dough
- Bran in flour
DEFECT – Crumb Colour – Yellowish
CAUSE
- Green dough
- Wheat type
DEFECT – Aroma – Acid
CAUSE
- Hot dough
- Overmature
PINPOINTING FAULT
The tables of faults can give you some idea of where a fault may be occurring. Some faults may be inter-related yet others are independent.
In a bakery we usually do not find one glaring fault which is causing the problem seen. In general, the problem has come about through a series of small faults interacting together.
In order to solve a fault, it is best to work through the process, correcting faults as they occur. You will probably find the correction of just one fault may not solve the problem.
Begin with the formula, then at the work input, dough temperature etc through to final baking.
Referring to the notes will help isolate reasons for problems at each stage eg: an overmixed dough at mixing can result in a ‘green’ leaf occurring when using the MDD process.
