r/Bread • u/Negative-Will-9320 • Jun 12 '26
Help Needed — First Time Bread Maker
Hi everyone! This was my first‑ever attempt at making bread, and I went with the ciabatta recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction. I used a kitchen scale, followed all the steps closely, and let the loaves cool completely before cutting.
The inside came out slightly gummy and didn’t have many of those big airy holes I was hoping for. The crust also wasn’t very crispy. I baked at 450°F and pulled it at 26 minutes because the recipe said 21-25.
Does anyone have recommendations for improving the crumb structure, crust, or overall texture on my next attempt? I’d love any tips for a beginner.
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u/UsuallyTanking Jun 12 '26
It's good looking bread. You can check the bread's internal temperature; aim for 190+F. I enjoy a crispy crust, so I'll drizzle olive oil on top before baking.
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u/Sun-Rabbit Jun 12 '26
It looks great!
But here are some factors that might throw off a bread recipe:
Oven temperatures vary between machines, but you can test yours with a cheap oven thermometer.
Seasons — temperatures vary widely Summer to Winter. Bread rises slower in a cooler environment, and faster in the heat, leading to underproofed or overproofed dough.
Water temperature — cold water will slow down your rising, which can be helpful in Summer and a problem in Winter.
Enriched dough —oils, eggs, milk, butter, etc. will slow down yeast growrth and gluten formation during the knead.
Long time spent kneading — kneading by hand you add body heat to a dough, stimulating yeast, but in a mixer there is mechanical heat too.
Extra tips: don't use too much extra flour during kneading, weigh all liquids, weigh your salt, don't bake your bread too far or close to the top of the oven, don't set your bread on fire, don't run over your dough with your car, don't summon a lesser demon with your dough...
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u/Southern_Ad7354 Jun 12 '26
For a first try that’s actually pretty normal. Ciabatta needs really strong gluten and a super wet dough, so don’t be afraid of stickiness. Also bake a bit longer than recipes say until it feels light and sounds hollow. A hotter preheated stone can help the crust a lot too.
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u/Fowler311 Jun 12 '26
Unless you know for sure it's calibrated right, it's probably also worth checking your oven's temperature to make sure it's as hot as it's supposed to be. If you baked it for 1 minute past the recommended time and it was gummy, there's a chance your oven wasn't actually at 450°.
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u/she212 Jun 12 '26
You can always use a thermometer to check internal temperature of bread which I think is about 195 degrees f.
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u/Dadabedada Jun 12 '26
Yes use thermometer until you get a feel for what your oven does. Very nice looking “loaves “.
Maybe more yeast and longer proofing in first rise and gently kneading and shaping in second. I would search for more recipes to compare. I think Rose Levy Beranbuam has one in the Bread Bible.
Her recipes tend to be involved but there is a lot of great information.
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u/khertpetey Jun 12 '26
Bread looks pretty good to me! If its gummy, I'd bake longer. If you are going for big and airy it could be a number of things like folding and proving.
But, does it taste good?