Vinegar odor while baking bread

I posted this on another newsgroup, but didn't get any thoughts about it, so I will try here. It's a puzzlement for me. I'm trying to figure out why a bread while baking will 'sometimes' give off a vinegary smell.

Here goes:

While the bread was baking (see previous posting: Dough Soup in FP - Hydration Formula) consisting of

14.6 oz. bread flour (my interpretation of 3-1/4 cups flour) 1-1/2 cups water (90 degrees) 2 tsp. instant yeast 1 tsp. salt

The hydration was 82% (proud that I can say what my hydration was, thanks!) baked in a 425 degree oven (2 stones heated 45 minutes) water in container inside oven, spraying water in oven 3x, baking 25 minutes, I detected an odor of vinegar - maybe it could even be described as a slight amonia odor. I am familiar with this odor while cooking bread, as it happens occasionally, but seldom. I am certainly aware of this smell, as one time I had visitors and at that time it was a heavy vinegar odor that occurred and I got a thorough teasing by some non-bread bakers.

After sitting 30 minutes and smelling the bread, it has no hint of this odor. I haven't cut it yet, but the outside color is good, and the crust is a medium softness. I did take the inside temperature - 205.

This smell is not similar to a sourdough starter gone astray. Thanks so much. Dee

Reply to
Dee Randall
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On the information you have given I would think it would be a yeast problem. insufficient first rise or a partly dead yeast.

The other possibility if you are using your normal kitchen oven is a contaminent (grease spatter on oven walls) which is being activated by your water spray.

Reply to
marks542004

Thanks for your reply. In the last bread baking that prompted me to post a query, I have since used the yeast from the same container and there was no problem with a vinegar smell coming from the bread while baking.

I did write an email wondering if a dirty oven would prompt an odor to taint my bread, but I would expect in that case for the odor to remain in the bread. The smell I am describing comes only while baking the bread and doesn't remain. It is quite strong while baking, an amonia-type smell. Thanks for your consideration, My best, Dee

Reply to
Dee Randall

Could you be overproofing the dough? If I let dough rise too long it will sometimes turn sour. When the yeast feeds on the sugar in the dough it forms carbon dioxide and alcohol. The carbon dioxide is what makes the bread rise and the alcohol evaporates during the baking process. If the dough rises too long then the alcohol breaks down even further into vinegar.

Reply to
djs0302

Thanks so much for this explanation. I will, indeed, pay strict attention the next time it does release this odor, to recall any overproofing of the dough. I'll bet this is the problem; sounds scientifically reasonable to me - but I have limited brain capacity when it comes to logic and science.

You know, sometimes a recipe (on the first rise) will say "let it rise until double, or two hours; if it rises to double before the 2 hours, degas it, then let it rise to the point where it would have been double, if it hadn't been degassed." So, do you think that the degassing (when it has risen to the double point before the 2 hours) does eliminate the bread turning sour?

More questions, but My appreciation, Dee

Reply to
Dee Randall

Acetic acid is a by product of bread fermentation. Yeasts throw off alcohol, carbon dioxide and acids with acetic acid being the most prevalent. Acetic acid levels are highest in breads made with a poolish (did you do that) or with natural yeasts (and you did say you weren't making sourdough). The longer the fermentation, the higher the levels of acids. How long did your dough ferment?

I've noticed when I've had this problem that the smell dissipates by the time the bread is cooled and ready to eat.

marcella

Reply to
Marcella Peek

Looking back over my notes, I see that the last time I had the vinegar-odor problem was when I made the bread using 1/2 cup less flour than it called for (from "Bread" Pan Ordinaire - p. 72.)

2 tsp instant yeast, 1-1/2 cup water, 3-1/2 cup bread flour instead of 3-3/4 cup bread flour, 1-1/2 tsp. salt, but when I shaped it, I gently shaped and incorporated 'quite a bit' of flour into it. I had no problem with the recipe rising enough in the first rise; as a matter of fact, it rose faster than I wanted, and I punched it down to let it rise again to double. It had no trouble rising (45 minutes) while I was heating the stone. I did not slash the bread.

I later made this same recipe beginning with 3-3/4 cup bread flour and it did not have this vinegar smell. As I recall even though I did not slash the first vinegary-smelling bread, I did slash this second bread. I usually do not use 2 tsp. for this amount of bread flour, so my thoughts at the time were that I would reduce the yeast to 1-1/2 tsp., as I usually use for this amount of bread flour. I did not reduce the amount in the second bread.

In the first vinegar-smell baked bread, as you say, the smell did dissipate. My vinegar-bread wasn't made with a poolish, but the hydration was abt. 82%, so the whole thing was poolish material!

Any comments always appreciated, Dee

Reply to
Dee Randall

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