Shape, Height and Volume (Instagram Recap # 1)

I thought I might try something a little different here. Those of you who were familiar with my old website “Breadwerx” know that I let it go rather neglected in the last few years of its existence (see this post for more info). But though I may not have been posting content to my blog, I did post plenty of informative content on Instagram during that timeframe (@trevorjaywilson).

Now, there are a couple problems that come with posting on Instagram. First of all, though it may be a great platform for visual content, it’s not so great when it comes to posting written content. It does provide a relatively generous area for description, but it’s nowhere near long enough to allow for in-depth, detailed and nuanced commentary on a subject.

The second problem is that posts on Instagram are quickly buried deep down in your gallery as they’re pushed further and further to the bottom every time you post something new. This means that folks who missed the post when you originally published it may never get a proper chance to see it — old posts simply get lost in the crowd. That’s not a big deal if you’re just posting pictures, but if you were taking the time to write informative commentary — as I often was — then these lessons get lost as well. Bummer.

So I thought it might be useful to collect some of my more instructive Instagram posts and arrange them into blog posts here. Unfortunately, Instagram doesn’t allow you to actually embed posts into your blog anymore (they cancelled that feature a couple years ago) so instead I’ve decided to just assemble the pieces together into “blog form” — those pieces being the pictures, videos and commentary that made up the original Instagram posts. It’s a bit more work, but I think it may be worth the effort.

Of course, since I’ll just be copying and pasting the original text it might seem a bit out of place at times, and there’s bound to be a few emojis sneaking their way into the text as well. But I don’t feel that editing the original text would be appropriate — I want to keep these posts true to the spirit of the original Instagram post as best I can.

And I should also point out that these Instagram posts were written off the top of my head right before I posted them — there’s probably more than a few typos and spelling errors. And did I mention that there’s not much space in an Instagram post to write with full clarity on a subject? I often had to limit my commentary to the bare minimum necessary for getting my point across — there was little room for nuance of discussion or subtlety of thought. So if my arguments seem a bit overly simplified at times, that’s because they were. Please keep that in mind as you read through these posts.

On the other hand, the space limitation was actually helpful in some ways. I tend to be overly wordy and nuanced to a fault as it is, so the limited space actually forced me to consolidate my thoughts in a more straightforward and (hopefully) clear manner. I think that was actually rather helpful for a number of those folks who prefer a more direct and focused discussion.

Alrighty then, let’s get to it already. This collection of Instagram posts were originally published as a series in July and August of 2021. As you can tell from the title, they focused on the subject of shape, height and volume (one of my favorite topics of discussion). And they were sort of a prelude to a much longer series of posts that focused on the use and benefits of folding your dough — I’ll use that series as my next Instagram Recap post after this.

Please let me know whether you find this idea of collecting and organizing some of my better Instagram posts over here useful or not. It’s kind of an experiment, and it’s going to take a fair amount of work, so if it’s not really helping anyone then I’ll probably just drop it and save myself the effort. Anyway, here’s the first in this trial. Cheers!

Link to Instagram post (7/5/21)

This was a fun little fella to make. Just wanted to see how far I could push the fermentation. My main goal here was just to get some nice shape, height and volume. Definitely came out tall and round (practically bulbous 😂) – – though I proofed it to such an extent that it came at the expense of a good ear (which I don’t really mind in this case). I’ll probably post some more pictures of this one and discuss a bit about some of the factors involved in achieving good shape, height and volume. Cheers! 😎

Link to Instagram post (7/6/21)

Shape, height and volume. These are not trivial things. Here on IG, crumb gets the most glory. And rightfully so. IG is a visual medium, so it’s only natural that crumb reigns king. After all, if you can’t actually smell and taste the loaf, then what else can you judge it by? Crumb tells you so much about the loaf that you’re looking at. It speaks of handling, it speaks of structure, but most importantly, it speaks of fermentation. And since fermentation is the core of the baker’s craft, crumb speaks volumes about the bread on display…. and about the skill of the baker who made it. Is it no wonder that IG is obsessed with crumb?

But there are other qualities of bread that can also be determined through nothing more than the visuals of IG. Shape. Height. Volume. In the real world world, these qualities are just as important. What good is a loaf with wide open crumb if its shoulders slope to just an inch tall at the ends? So you get two or three full-sized slices in the middle, and then what? The rest is just flat. What does that say about a loaf? To me, it speaks of structure – – or the lack thereof.

I see many who seek an open crumb. But I see few who also strive for shape, height and volume. And those who can achieve it all – – shape, height, volume, AND crumb – – well, they are a rare breed. I strive for all that myself. Sometimes I succeed, sometimes I fail. But the chase is just so much fun, how could one settle for anything less?

This loaf was pushed to its absolute limits – – proofed almost to the point of deflation. That’s not something I recommend in general, but pushing things to their limits is a useful method of learning. It’s only when you’ve gone too far that you can actually determine what the proper limits actually are. You can see the crumb of this loaf in my previous post. But more than just the crumb, you can see the utility of this loaf – – slices of even height almost to the ends. If you don’t think that matters, then you’ve never had to answer to customers representing resteraunts and delis. Believe me, they are not happy if they can only use the center of a loaf when they are paying for the whole thing. To be continued! Cheers! 😎

Link to Instagram post (7/9/21)

Continuing on from my last post. So let’s talk a little bit about dough structure as it relates to shape, height and volume. I don’t want to be too repetitive – – I know I’ve discussed these concepts in previous posts and quite in-depth in my book – – but I suppose a little review never hurts. First, let’s make a quick distinction between gluten development vs. dough development….
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Gluten is a material, dough is a structure. Gluten is a part, dough is the whole. Gluten is just one component of dough. An important one, to be sure, but it is not the “be-all and end-all” of dough. An equally important component of dough is gas. Gluten holds the gas, gas holds the dough. Gas provides form. No gas = no form. No shape.
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Since fermentation creates the gas, you should consider fermentation a vitally important factor in developing dough structure. And since fermentation can be managed, so can its contribution to dough structure. Less fermentation = less gas = less structure. More fermentation = more gas = more structure. So how does this relate to shape, height and volume?
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Well, these things are the direct result of your final dough structure. By adjusting the qualities of your final dough structure you can adjust the qualities of your finished loaf. If you are looking for a taller, rounder, shaplier, lighter, and more voluminous loaf, then you want to create a dough structure that facilitates those qualities. But since I’m running out of space here, I’ll have to get to the specifics in another post.
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Oh, and the pictures in this post are from the same loaf as my previous two posts. The first few are of the final shape (via simple fold and roll) and the last is the preshape at the end of the bench rest. Please note how inflated this dough was. Lots of gas = lots of structure. Consider fermentation an important step in your quest for better shape, height and volume. But it’s not the only step. More to come! Cheers! 😎

Link to Instagram post (7/16/21)

Same loaf as last few posts. Continuing here with our discussion of dough structure as it relates to shape, height and volume. If you’re just joining in, be sure to check out my last few posts to get caught up to speed.
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Now then, we’ve already discussed how fermentation contributes to dough structure. Increased fermentation leads to increased dough structure… up to a point. Too much fermentation can actually damage dough structure (from deflation caused by overproofing, or gluten degradation from proteolysis). But even if we don’t push fermentation to the point of causing structural damage, there is a danger we need to be aware of…..
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The tradeoff when increasing fermentation for greater dough structure is a decrease in the dough’s tolerance to handling. The more gas a dough contains, the more delicate the dough becomes. And therefore, the more difficult it becomes to handle the dough without causing excessive damage/degassing. This is especially true of wet dough (and other inherently weaker doughs). So the proofier the dough, the greater the skill required in handling it. If you push the proof beyond your ability to handle it then you are doing more harm than good. But there are ways to improve the dough’s tolerance to handling, even as you’re pushing the proof….
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One way to improve a dough’s tolerance to handling is through the strategic use of folds. Folding can be so much more than just a method of developing gluten. Next to fermentation itself, folding is our most potent means of developing dough structure. And when used intelligently, it can dramatically improve a dough’s tolerance to handling. But since I’m running out of space, I’ll have to continue this discussion in my next post. We’ll discuss using folds with intention in order to build various types of dough structure, and the effects of proofing under tension as they relate to dough handling. To be continued! Cheers! 😎

Link to Instagram post (8/2/21)

Continuing on from my previous post. I know it’s been a while, and this series of posts has turned out to be much longer than I originally imagined. But what can I say? Slow and deliberate seems to be my way. Now let’s talk about dough structure….
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This loaf is the exact same recipe as the loaf from the last several posts. The method is extremely close as well. But it is not *exactly* the same. And as I often say, the method makes the bread. So the different method I used here makes a different bread – – different height, shape, and volume. And different crumb. This loaf has a flatter profile, a more irregular crumb (and less lacy, but more creamy), less volume overall, and less “fullness” to its shape. But those are not negatives – – they are the “correct” qualities of this style of bread. I consider this more of a “Tartine” style bread (this is my personal consideration – – not necessarily a consensus). As far as I’m concerned, this is a beautiful example of that certain style of bread. But what makes this loaf what it is? Well, as is often the case, it is the *structure* of the dough that makes a bread what it is. So let me tell you about the structure of this dough….
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More structure tends towards more regularity. Likewise, less structure tends toward less regularity (or more irregularity, if you prefer). This dough had less structure, and therefore more irregularity. It was looser – – more lax. And that same laxity also led to its lower height, flatter shape, and reduced volume. You see, dough structure is a fundamental factor in a dough’s ability to retain tension (and therefore shape, height and volume). More structure = more potential to hold tension. Less structure = less potential to hold tension. And the more tension a dough can hold, the greater its potential shape, height and volume. The interplay of tension and dough structure is massively under appreciated. If you can learn to discern these two qualities in your dough, you can then learn to manipulate them. And by doing so, you can manipulate many qualities of your final loaf.
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Well, it looks like I’m out of space. Again. So I’ll discuss the difference in method next time. Cheers!

Link to Instagram post (8/23/21)

Well, it’s been a little while since my last post. I was posting a series about the variables that affect shape, height and volume. But it seems that since I was posting so infrequently, I kind of lost my train of thought. I think that’s probably a sign that I should post more often. 🤔 So maybe I’ll just wrap up this series of posts with a short summary…
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For a fuller shape, taller height, and greater volume; it’s helpful to build more structure in your dough. Assuming sufficient gluten development, the most effective ways of building structure are through fermentation and the intelligent use of folds…
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Fermentation creates the gas that provides structure to the dough. No gas, no structure. The more gas the dough contains, the more structure it has. Of course, the dough needs to be strong enough to hold the gas – – otherwise it’s going to deflate and lose structure…
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Folds – – besides just helping to develop the gluten – – can generate strength and tension that helps a dough to better contain the gas. How a fold is performed – – as well as *when* it is performed – – determine the fold’s effect on the dough. There’s much to be said about the strategic use of folds, but space here is running short. Perhaps that will be another series….😏 Cheers!