[rolling.....]

When I am rolling out dough into a stick shape I always end up with one side being thinner than the other.

I assume this is because one hand is stronger than the other?

Any solutions or techniques for this problem?

[chow mein sauce?]

That thick and cream coloured sauce that one finds in chow mein?

What is it composed of?

And how does one make it?

[Bread Tips & Techniques: Not Sourdough]

Would the fact that my recipe is about 40% rye affect the ovenspring

I noticed with whiter breads the part of the loaf that surfaces through the score is much smoother after baking than with my rye (a kind of grainy texture with the smoother crust around it)

Sorry about no pic, my camera is busted right now, getting it fixed.

[Bread Tips & Techniques: Not Sourdough]

Are you baking on a stone or in loaf pans?

on a stone

You have a couple of choices:

1) Using a razor blade, sharp knife, or lame, slash the breads. This not only lets you be artistic, but it also gives the expanding loaf a place to expand without the random cracking.

2) Keep the top of the loaf of bread moist enough during the ovenspring that it won't set too early. This can be accomplished by periodically spritzing the inside walls of your oven with hot water or placing a pan on the bottom of the oven that you throw 1/4 cup of water in. This should be done about every 2 minutes after the loaves go in and up until about 8-9 minutes into the cooking time.

I am slashing the bread with a razor. What is happening is not just a bit of cracking, it is much more extreme. For example in between the scores I am getting massive gaps. The bread is literally bursting open. Let's say I am doing a tic tac toe score - by the time the bread is done the score is almost unrecognizeable....The bread tastes fine...It just doesn't look good. I would be ok with some random cracks but the tops end up looking destroyed...

To clarify about the bulge. On some loaves it looks like the dough has leaked out to one side. So the effect is that it almost looks like a min loaf is attached to lengthwise down the side to the main loaf.

[Bread Tips & Techniques: Not Sourdough]

2 problems - I do not know if they are related

- i am getting a bulge down one side of the bread after baking.

- on other occasions the tops of my bread are tearing apart... it still looks ok in a rustic sort of way... but I want more structural integrity

So what can be happening?

Am I over proofing?

Under proofing?

Am I not sealing the seams tightly enough?

Am I sealing the seams too tightly - creating too much tension on the surface skin?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you

[Sacre bleu! It's the SAQ topic!]

Screw the saq. I've been enjoying home brewed wines for years now and have not stepped feet into a saq in the same amount of time. They will never see a single solitary cent from me ever again.

[Culinary School in Montreal / Quebec]

lol- why the lack of love for chef green?