Bread deflates when marked - What to do

Many home bakers end up encountering the problem of their bread going flat when scored. To understand why this happens, you have to know some important secrets of making perfect bread.

Why does the bread deflate when marked?  The most common reason for bread falling flat after scoring is excess dough. In a bread that is too resistant, an excess of gas accumulates, which is released when it is marked. Other reasons are that the dough is too wet and that the scoring of the dough is too deep or shallow. 

In this article, you’ll learn why it’s important to score bread and how to do it correctly. We’ll go into detail about why bread deflates when scored and how to avoid it. So read on for perfectly fluffy bread.

Why is scratching important?

Scoring may seem like a minor step if you are new to bread making. But bakers don’t brand bread just to make it look pretty when done.

Scratching is a technique that you will have to master over time. Even if you have proofed the dough well, if you mark it wrong, the dough will fall apart when you put it in the oven.

What is scratching? Scratching consists of cutting the surface of the dough after the final fermentation and before putting it in the oven.

A cut in the surface of the dough helps prevent cracks in the bread , which occur as a result of the expansion of the dough in the oven.

The hot air causes the bread to expand further. And if you haven’t scored the bread, the tension will cause the dough to rise and crack.

If unmarked bread doesn’t crack, it’s most likely baked an odd shape. Here’s why. When you shape the dough before putting it on the baking sheet, you create a lot of pressure that holds the gas inside.

When exposed to the heat of the oven, the pressure locked inside the dough finds its way out. This results in the dough becoming crookedly shaped loaves.

How do you mark bread correctly?

Scratching may not be an easy technique to master, especially if you’re trying to get pretty patterns on the bread. Here are the basic rules to follow to help you score your bread to perfection.

1. Choose the right tool

There are different tools that you can use to score bread. However, there is one thing that they must all have in common: the edge. Trying to score the dough with a dull tool won’t help.

Professional bakers use a scoring tool called a lame. This handy tool features a double-sided blade attached to a handle for comfortable use. You can also use a regular razor blade, scissors, or a sharp knife.

To facilitate the task of marking, we recommend moistening or oiling the sheet. This trick is especially useful when you are working with a dough that is too sticky or wet.

2. Watch your movements

One of the main rules for a perfect bread scoring technique is to do it with confidence. Make a quick move and don’t stop halfway. The faster you make the strokes, the cleaner they will come out.

When making the cut, don’t just move your wrist. Instead, it moves the arm to get a consistent cut across the surface of the bread. Hold the cutting tool at a 30-45 degree angle.

3. Don’t apply too much pressure

Don’t apply too much pressure on the dough. If the tool you are using is sharp, you do not need to press the bread. Make a quick and safe movement and the blade will do its job.

4. Choose the right pattern

If you are new to the world of baking and scoring, we recommend looking into different scoring patterns for different types of bread.

For starters, the striped pattern with the hashtag symbol is the safest option with loaves that are round in shape. For loaves that have a long, baguette-like shape, diagonal cuts would be perfect.

An oblong shaped loaf needs a few diagonal cuts or one long cut across the length of the loaf.

Once you’ve mastered a few simple bread scoring techniques, you can proceed to learning how to make the cuts in the loaf so they create a nice pattern when the bread bakes.

Why does the bread deflate after scoring it?

Many bakers run into the problem of bread falling flat once it is scored. The slumping of the bread after scoring it may cause you to skip this step on your subsequent baking attempts.

While doing this will make the bread well-done, it won’t look very good.

If your bread sags after scoring, it’s because you’ve made it too sturdy . Over proofing the dough is the most common mistake new bakers make.

As you already know, fermentation is the last rise of the dough. When you ferment the dough, the yeast begins to ferment. During the fermentation process, gas is released and the dough expands.

If you ferment the dough for too long, excess gas builds up in the dough. Over proofing the dough also causes the gluten structure of the dough to weaken.

When you test the dough too much, the excess carbon dioxide accumulated in it causes it to collapse.

Another reason your bread may fall apart after scoring is because it’s too wet. Moist masses do not maintain their structure well. When scored, they quickly expand all over the baking sheet.

How can I prevent my bread from sinking?

There are a few things to keep in mind to prevent the bread from sinking when you score it.

• Do not stir the dough too much . If you are a beginner in making bread, there is a simple trick to know if your bread is too waterproof. Press the dough with your finger for two seconds. If the dough does not recover, it is that it is too done.
• Fix your overpressed dough . If you find your dough is too sourdough, don’t bake it hoping for the best. Instead, press to release any excess gas that has accumulated in it, shape it once more, and let it taste. The second attempt will allow you to ferment the dough correctly. And in case you were wondering, yes, it’s perfectly fine to let the dough rise more than twice.
• Do not score a wet dough . If your dough has turned out too wet, don’t score it. Sprinkle a little more flour when kneading it. This will make the dough firmer and you will be able to score it without the bread going flat.
• Mark the mass correctly . Don’t make cuts too deep or too shallow. Shallow cuts should be about 1/8 inch deep. Deeper cuts, on the other hand, should go into the dough about ½ inch.

If you don’t make deep enough cuts in the bread, the cut won’t work. The bread will crack as a result of the pressure. Likewise, if you make cuts too deep, the bread will split open and squash when scored.

Other reasons why bread sinks

Aside from scoring the dough when it’s too hard or wet, there are other reasons that can cause bread to collapse. Here are three of the most popular mistakes that can cause dough to deflate.

First, the bread can collapse if the oven temperature is too low . As you know, a warm environment is perfect for fermenting the dough.

So if your oven temperature is lukewarm and not hot enough for the bread to cook, it will rise to the max and then slump.

Second, you may have added too much liquid or too little flour . The bread can fall apart if it is too wet. Try adding a tablespoon of flour at a time until the bread reaches the desired consistency.

Or, remember to use a few less tablespoons of water or milk the next time you make the bread using the same recipe.

Lastly, you may have used too much yeast . If you use more yeast than necessary, the dough will rise so much that it will eventually collapse.

If you think that adding more yeast to the dough will make it rise better, you are wrong. Follow the recipe and use the amount of yeast indicated in the instructions.

Related questions:

Is it necessary to mark all the bread?

It is not necessary to score all the bread. Whether you should score the bread after proofing depends on the degree of hydration of the dough. If the hydration level of the dough is higher than 85%, it should not be scored.

Not only is it difficult to score a dough that is too soft and wet, but it is also pointless and will ruin your bread. As we’ve mentioned earlier in this article, scoring dough that’s wet causes it to collapse.

Avoid scratching varieties of bread where the dough is supposed to have a high level of hydration. Also, you don’t need to score the bread if you’re baking it below 375°F.

Therefore, the breads that need to be grated before being baked are those with a relatively lower hydration level and that are baked at higher temperatures.

How do you know if the dough is ready to bake?

You’ll usually be able to tell when your dough is ready to bake and hasn’t been over or under-tested by prick testing.

All you have to do is poke the dough and keep your finger there for 2 seconds. If it bounces back quickly when you remove your finger, the dough is ready to bake. If it sinks in, it may be undercooked or overcooked.