# Dough is soggy after being baked



## Liviu (Oct 2, 2018)

Hi guys,

I am developing/testing a dough for dumpling/empanada/pierogi/call it as you want it/ .
I used as fat either unsalted butter 65%, 80% or lard. For the dough i just add water, flour ( 9-10 % protein ) and salt.
After i bake them, it seems to me that the inside is a little soggy , not dried as the rest of the crust; although the taste is good. 
If I have a wetter filling ( spinach + cheese ) the fillings pops out just about at the end of the baking time.


























































How can I correct the following:
1. Soggy interior after baking 
2. Filling pops out 
3. before making the circle disk dough, it seems too elastic and shrinks


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## Liviu (Oct 2, 2018)

I think the images are not properly linked here and I will add the URLs:
https://prnt.sc/l151yo
https://prnt.sc/l1525b
https://prnt.sc/l152ax
https://prnt.sc/l152qn
https://prnt.sc/l1530v
https://prnt.sc/l153bw
https://prnt.sc/l153h8


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

I think you’re trying to fight the law of physics, and the law says:
Water+ heat= steam

You need to vent your items so the steam can escape. Either that, or a filling with hardly any moisture content to it at all.


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## lagom (Sep 5, 2012)

Have you tried just baking some empty to see if the dough turns out the same? Like foodpump stated you have steam forming in a pocket, but you may have more moisture in your dough that needed. Id look to that first, with and without vent holes. 

Edit: try rolling them thinner?


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## Liviu (Oct 2, 2018)

Hi guys,
I found the issue, seems it has something to do with their thickness.
I am looking to make 500+ empanadas in one day ( with a home oven , about 18 with the tray changed during baking process to get evenly done ) and was looking to improve the pre-bake assembling process.
For this I thought that instead of taking the whole dough and rolling it and cut it in circles, i could make individual pieces of dough of about 80grams-70grams each and make circle disks with a tortilla press.
It seems that the tortilla press didn't make them thinner enough and that caused the sogginess/moist inside.
Any idea how to do it more efficiently ?

Now on to the next issue.
1. The filling spills at the middle of the baking time, on the tray part that gets the most heat. Even if i add just a little cheese filling. It was baked at 190C.
http://prntscr.com/l1lcn4
The ones further from the heat seems to be ok.

2. the filling is not spread out the whole empanada and it stays only at the bootom.
http://prntscr.com/l1lt35


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## lagom (Sep 5, 2012)

Liviu said:


> Hi guys,
> I found the issue, seems it has something to do with their thickness.
> I am looking to make 500+ empanadas in one day ( with a home oven , about 18 with the tray changed during baking process to get evenly done ) and was looking to improve the pre-bake assembling process.
> For this I thought that instead of taking the whole dough and rolling it and cut it in circles, i could make individual pieces of dough of about 80grams-70grams each and make circle disks with a tortilla press.
> ...


Are you baking with convection or radiant heat?

What are you using for filling? Is it something that will maintain its shape and volume when heated? Is what you're putting in pre cooked?

Seems like you're oven has a hot spot, maybe rotate part way during the cooking process? Or skip the middle part of the pan and bake 14/16 at a time instead of 18


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