BREAD FAULTS AND THEIR CAUSES

Sometimes some changes will arise during production of bread. It will be different from normal bread
quality standard. It is known as bread faults.

Following are the most possible causes for the faults in bread.

1. Wrong quality of raw materials and wrong quantity / inaccurate measurement.

2. Inadequate knowledge about raw materials and its functions.
3. Unbalanced formula and wrong processing.
4. Incorrect time and temperature for fermentation and proofing conditions.
5. Incorrect methods of knock back, dividing moulding and panning.
6. Improper baking temperature, time and humidity.
7. Inadequate cooling before slicing and packing.
8. Improper storage conditions.
9. Less knowledge, skills and experience of the baker.

A skilled baker should examine the bread carefully and by reasoning, deductions, elimination and if
necessary by experimentation should be able to detect the cause of fault and subsequently find the
solution.

The bread faults are classified into two ways. They are external and internal bread faults.

EXTERNAL BREAD FAULTS AND THEIR CAUSES

Lack of volume

1. Wrong quality of flour

2. Wrong quality and quantity of yeast
3. Wrong quality of water
4. Too much salt and sugar
5. High bran content of dough
6. Improper mixing
7. Under fermentation of dough
8. Too chilled dough
9. Insufficient dough weight for pan size
10. Improper proofing ( under proofing)
11. Improper baking temperature ( too hot oven)
12. Too high dough
13. Improper humidity in proofing room
14. Too much milk powder, improvers and chemicals.
Too much volume

1. Too little salt

2. Too much yeast
3. Over fermentation
4. Too slack a dough
5. Dough weight too much for pan
6. Loose moulding
7. Too much proofing
8. Too low oven temperature.

Crust colour too pale

1. Too little sugar or milk and salt

2. Too much of yeast
3. Low diastatic capacity in the flour
4. Under mixing
5. Too slack a dough
6. Too much temperature for fermentation
7. Over proofing
8. Too much dusting flour used
9. Under baking
10. Too low oven temperature and time
11. Hot proofing room
12. Too low oven temperature and time

Crust colour too dark

1. Too much sugar or milk, egg, fat and salt

2. Too low dough temperature
3. Too much diastatic activity in the dough
4. Too high oven temperature
5. Lack of humidity in the oven
6. Too long baking time
7. Too young dough ( under fermented or oven mixed)

Cracking of crust

1. Dough skinning before baking

2. Short processing of bread preparation
3. Over proofed dough
4. Uneven baking temperature
Crust too thick

1. Poor quality or too strong flour

2. Too little sugar or fat
3. Less diastatic activity in the flour
4. Over fermented dough (old dough)
5. Too low oven temperature
6. Over baked (baked too long)
7. Low humidity in oven
8. Low humidity in proofing area

Crust too hard / Hardness in bread

1. Too strong flour

2. Low fat in the formula
3. Excess water in the formula
4. Over mixing after water has been added
5. Insufficient fermentation
6. Too much of improves or bleaching agent
7. Too tight dough
8. Excess flour while rolling and holding before baking

Crust blisters

1. Too much liquid

2. Improper mixing
3. Loose moulding
4. Young dough ( under ferment dough)
5. Excessive top heat in oven

Leathery crust

1. Too strong flour used

2. Too slack dough
3. Insufficient cooling before packing
4. Uneven fermentation
5. Excessive humidity during proofing or baking
6. Insufficient kneading.

Irregularity of shape

1. Too strong of weak flour

2. Wrong quality of water ( Alkaline water)
3. Less bread improvers
4. Improper mixing (oven or under)
5. Rough handling the dough
6. Too slack or stiff dough
 7. Over ripened dough
8. Excess dough as compared to bread pan size
9. Rough handling of bread
10. Improper fermentation or proofing
11. Over loading in oven
12. Loose moulding

Shelling of top crust

1. Low diastetic activity of the flour

2. Too stiff dough
3. Young dough
4. Under proofing
5. Insufficient sugar
6. Too high baking temperature

Lack of cleanliness

1. No sieving or cleaning of flour and other raw materials

2. Carelessness while working
3. Excessive fat used for greasing
4. Use of uncleaned working table, machinery , mould and equipments
5. Handling of bread with dirty hands ( before and after baking)

INTERNAL BREAD FAULTS AND THEIR CAUSES

Hotels and Tunnels

1. Too weak flour or too strong flour

2. Too much of yeast
3. Too hard and granular fat
4. Too little salt
5. Too much chemicals
6. Uneven mixing of raw materials
7. Too slack dough
8. Too much of raw flour
9. Too hot oven
10. Improper processing (knock back, dividing, moulding) etc.

Poor taste and flavour

1. Poor quality of raw materials

2. Poor quality of flour
3. Too much / low salt
4. Too low sugar
5. Too much yeast
6. Over fermented dough or under fermented
 7. Dough temperature too high
8. Too low baking temperature and time
9. Burned crust
10. Un cleaned trays or pans
11. Too much pan / tray greasing
12. Poor stale yeast.

Coarse grain

1. Too much yeast

2. Too much liquid
3. Uneven mixing of raw materials
4. Under mixing of dough
5. Improper fermentation
6. Over proofed
7. Dough weight too much for pan
8. Too low dough temperature
9. Improper make up ( dividing, moulding and panning)

Gray crumb

1. Excess fat
2. Excess or less salt
3. Excess mineral improvers
4. Less moisture content
5. Slack dough / tight dough
6. Under fermentation
7. Over fermentation
8. Too high temperature

Streaky crumb

1. Insufficient water
2. Improper mixing
3. Poor makeup (moulding, panning)
4. Too must dusting flour used.

Poor keeping quality

1. Poor quality of flour

2. Insufficient salt, sugar and fat
3. Too much improvers
4. Too stiff dough
5. Too high dough temperature
6. Insufficient fermentation
7. Too slacky dough
8. Improper moulding
 9. Over proofed
10. Too much dusting flour
11. Too low baking time and temperature
12. Leak of steam in oven.
13. Over cooling
14. Slicing of hot bread
15. Wrong quality of raw materials
16. Poor storage conditions

Poor texture

1. Too weak flour

2. Too little salt
3. Excess fat / water
4. Insufficient quantity of yeast
5. Too much improvers
6. Wrong quality of yeast
7. Improper mixing
8. Too slack dough
9. Too long or short fermentation time
10. Too much of dusting flour
11. Improper moulding
12. Too much pan grease
13. Over proofed or under proofed
14. Too low oven temperature
15. Slicing of hot bread
16. Improper processing (not given knock back).