How to use the online timer
Thirty-five minutes is a fair bake for a standard loaf in a hot oven, though a lean, crusty white wants longer and hotter than an enriched dough carrying butter, milk and eggs, which colours quickly and can catch. Tin loaves bake more slowly than free-standing rounds of the same weight, since the tin shields the sides and the heat has to work in from the top.
Steam in the first ten minutes is what lets the loaf expand before the crust sets. A roasting tin of boiling water on the oven floor does the job, and so does baking inside a lidded casserole for the first two-thirds and finishing with the lid off. Without it, the crust hardens early and the loaf stops rising, which shows up as a dense crumb and a split down one side where the dough forced its way out.
The most reliable test involves no looking at all: turn the loaf out and knock the underside with a knuckle, listening for a hollow sound. A dull thud means another five minutes, even if the top looks handsome. Then let it cool on a rack for at least an hour before cutting. The crumb is still setting as it cools, and slicing a hot loaf leaves it gummy and compressed.
Common questions
How do I know the loaf is baked through?
Turn it out and tap the base with a knuckle. A hollow sound means it is done; a dull, solid thud means it wants a few minutes more, however handsome the crust looks.
Why is my crust pale and soft?
Usually a lack of steam early in the bake or an oven that is not hot enough. A tray of boiling water on the oven floor, or baking in a lidded casserole for the first two-thirds, both help.
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