# Bubbles in bread



## lazeegurl (Apr 2, 2007)

I make bread every week and most of the time it is really nice. But once in awhile I end up with huge air pockets.  What am I doing to cause that??? When I go to shape the dough for the pan I roll it out with a rolling pin and then roll it up, tightly I think, to place in the pan. But once in awhile it really gets big bubbles of air! Good joke at our house--our bread comes with a handle! Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

It's the way you're forming your loaves. Next time, don't roll it out so flat -- you're completely degassing it, which isn't a good thing. Be gentle. Let the loaves rise in the pan until they're about 2/3 of what you want, then use your knuckles to gently press the bread down about 1/2 way to create a channel all the way down the length of the bread, and let the bread sits until it's about 3/4 of what you want. Now you can bake. 

You'll like the traditional sandwich loaf with a heart-shaped top the final "punch down" gives. 

Good luck,
BDL


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## jerry i h (Aug 11, 2008)

Unfortunately, there is no simple answer to your problem. It could be any number of things. I should say, however, that big bubbles or tunnels, by themselves, ain't no thing. As long as the flavor, crumb, texture, are yummy, big bubbles=so-who-cares?
OTOH, I consulted one of my pro baking books that I rely on often (Professional Baking, Gisslen), and these are the potential causes:
too much yeast, too little liquid, incorrect mixing time, improper fermentation, overproofed, pan too large. So, basically, anything in your reciipe could be the cause 
My initial reaction was that you should knead your dough a little longer, or that you should punch down the dough more often, but a quick peek at my books said otherwise.


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## siduri (Aug 13, 2006)

You said "bread with a handle" which makes me think you mean a large bubble near the top crust. In that case, it would be from too warm rising. The top layer gets the room's heat and rises quicker than the rest of it that's inside the pan. Happened to me many times.


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

It's commonly called "flying crust." There's a lot of discussion about it in the dedicated bread forums, like The Fresh Loaf.

Your explanation is half right -- too much rising is part of the problem. However your analysis of the room's heat concentrated on top isn't right.

I'm tellin' ya, the solution -- at least in this case is better handling. The OP is totally degassing the bread (bad!), and breaking down the gluten chains that hold the structure together (worse!) through rough handling. Then she allows it to rise too much before it goes into the oven. This leads to an uneven distribution of sizes of gas-formed cells (larger ones on top because they have less to lift). The best solution is to handle the dough more gently in loaf formation which will leave cells more evenly distributed through the yeast; partially depress the top to get relatively smaller cells in the top (there's a reason for the traditional sandwich loaf shape -- and preventing flying crust is it); and not over inflating the dough outside the oven, i.e., allowing the proper amount of oven spring.

Another solution is to form the loaves, allow them to rise partially, then remove them from the pan, turn them over and repalce in the pan. More of a PITA than handling the dough properly to begin with. The partial push down along the long axis of the bread, creating the sandwich loaf shape, is additional insurance.

Believe it or don't, 
BDL

PS. If you're at all serious about bread you ought to scope out _The Fresh Loaf_ (The Fresh Loaf | News & Information for Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts) now and then. There's a truckload of really good bakers over there with a lot of expertise. It's nice to get some other viewpoints ... which is a segue to a _caveat_. They have a sort of "house" take on how to bake artisanal breads involving autolysis, little to no kneading, etc., which is not only not the only way to bake, but not particularly mainstream either. Not to say that it isn't a great way to bake. Without going too far off on a tangent, you've got to allow for the institutional propaganda.


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

I have to agree with BDL. Sounds like you're overworking the dough, and degassing it in the process. Then you're probably over-proofing as well, waiting for it to rise back up. 

Then, because the gluten strands aren't doing their job, gas rises through the dough and collects just under the crust, forming those large bubbles. 

Frankly, I'm not familiar with anyone who uses a rolling pin on bread dough. And I don't understand the point of it. It's not like rolling out a pie crust. 

To form a sandwich loaf, put the dough on a floured work surface and gently form it into a rectange, degassing as little as possible. The long side of the rectangle should be the length of your baking pan. 

Working from the side away from you, bring the edge to the middle (sort of like a three-fold when you seal a letter). Bring the side near you back over that, tucking it underneath. Transfer this log to the baking pan, and let it rise until it's an inch or so higher than the sides of the pan. 

See if that doesn't solve the problem. 

>As long as the flavor, crumb, texture, are yummy, big bubbles=so-who-cares?<

Those of us who don't like the filling falling out of our sandwiches care.


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## lazeegurl (Apr 2, 2007)

Thank You! to all who answered my post. You have solved the problem!:bounce:


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## sandwich shop (Mar 1, 2014)

Who cares??! Try making a consistent sandwich with holes in the bread. Believe me, the customers care quite a bit.


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

It's totally YOUR fault.  You're micromanaging way too much.  Just let it slip and gliiiiiiiiiiiide.

Overhydration is certainly a good thing.  Something that I never learned in my day.


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## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

In 5 1/2 years, perhaps the "bubble" has collapsed? /img/vbsmilies/smilies/rollsmile.gif


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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