The Fresh Loaf

News & Information for Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts

Internal Temps of bread (not exactly advanced)

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ActiveSparkles's picture

Internal Temps of bread (not exactly advanced)

Dont think this counts as advanced, but didnt really know where else to put it.

I am about to invest in a probe thermometer to measure the internal temps of my bread during cooking.
I was wondering if there is a website/guide/book I can look at to tell what type of bread has what temperature at the point of being ready. I know the basic 80-90c, but I am looking to move towards different types of bread and mixes, and am assuming that there wont be a universal bread ready temp.

Any help would be greatly appreciated,

Postal Grunt's picture
Postal Grunt

I'm not the most scientific or academically accomplished baker here on TFL by a long shot. However, I've found that 205F as an internal temp has worked out for me with the different types of bread I've made. At first, I shot for a 195F internal temp but after a couple years I've found the 205F works for me. I just use an inexpensive barbecue probe thermometer that I bought for $15 at the local Home Depot. My results are pretty good.

ActiveSparkles's picture

Ok, thank you for taking the time to respond :)

Will keep notes on the 205F. If i can ask, what kind of breads have you used the 205 for? (and found to be successful)

flournwater's picture

As "Postal Grunt" pointed out, 205 F (about 96 c) is a fairly good standard to use with just about any type of bread.  However, you will find that the formula you use as well as other factors that influence the loaf in the oven can sometimes produce a variety of results.

Because you already mentioned (" ... am assuming that there wont be a universal bread ready temp.")  I'm confident that you have a pretty good understanding of the bread making process.  Unless you have control mechanisms in place that you might find in a professional bakery, there is no precise answer to your question.  Go with what provides the best outcome for you.

ActiveSparkles's picture

Thanks for responding.

"Having a pretty good understanding of the bread making process" might be stretching it a little. I would say at this point, I know enough to know that the variables are important.

So, trial and error is what you suggest? Think you might be right, because I can not find any sort of guide anywhere.

Thanks again,

G-man's picture

I've pulled out loaves at 205F and had them turn out beautifully. I've pulled out loaves at 210F and found them to be gummy and inedible. The formula changes the way you need to treat the bread, plain and simple. One dough will act differently than another. Heat isn't just an incidental necessity, it is another ingredient.

ActiveSparkles's picture

So there isnt even guidelines as such? Just I am finding it hard to judge. Pulled out a loaf that felt/looked/sounded done, and it collapsed on me. Probably all part of learning I guess, just frustrating.

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

and you'll get the range.  I go predominantly by the flour used.  If mixing flours use the higher temperature so the loaf will be sure to bake completely.  Rye for example has a lower finished temp than wheat.  I have marked my metal meat thermometer and pyrex candy thermometer using the rotating arrow or just writing it on the plastic sleve that covers the metal shafts.  No sleeve?  Make one with a straw or wrap a piece of paper around it and tape to make a tube.  Use a disk marker or permanent fine line to write your favorite temps, saves looking them up all the time.  I can even mark the glass on the dial.

I bought a few simple metal probe thermometers a few years back and also travel with one of them.  (It must look wicked when they shine thru my bag!) I got tired of bread that acted done and wasn't.  Well worth the tiny investment.  I spent about $5 on each of them.  I marked them at 205°F (96°C) for an 85% rye.  I rarely stab anything else ;)

Chuck's picture

Start with the number 205F for "lean" breads or 195F for "sweet" breads (or maybe even 185F for some pastries). Add 5F if you like your bread "well done, almost dry", or subtract 5F if you like your bread "very moist".

Yes, crumb temperature is a better guide to doneness than most others (the "thump" test is awfully imprecise, "color" is just plain awful and shouldn't be used at all, etc.). But  crumb temperature is still just a guide. It can be fooled, especially when your goal temperature is quite close to 210F (i.e. very near the boiling point of water).

Use internal crumb temperature together with other guides such as wall clock time, the recipe, and especially what happened last time. It's good  ...but probably not so good it can be used all by itself all the time.

flournwater's picture

Hey There Chuck,

I recall reading several years ago, in a book having a title that apparently didn't register in my head, (I can't remember it anyway) that "bread is done when the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees to 215 degrees"   At that time I thought the author was terribly insecure with his own judgment.  Especially because he didn't make a distinction between types of bread and their formulas.  I've never had a loaf of bread "done" at 190 degrees and, although I've neglected the oven and allowed some to reach 215 degrees or more, I've always had better results with the higher finishing temperatures. 

Thanks for the added info. re: "lean" breads and "sweet" breads and including the variables to consider in the process.  That'll help me and, I'm confident, others who are looking for the magic bullet  -  or something closer than a SWAG. 

kolobezka's picture

I've always been taught that the internal temperature of well-baked bread should be 98°C / 208°F for all kinds of breads.
(Here in the Czech republic 55% sourdough rye is the most traditional.)

However I know home bakers who bake their breads for a too short time to achieve this temperature. The final weight of their breads is about 1.6 x the weight of the flour in the recipe (the coefficient stated in most textbook is about 1.4-1.5 for various breads).
But their crumb and crust look ok and they do not see a reason for baking longer.


My question is - how is "doneness" defined and what are its implications?
Can a little-lower-than-98°C internal temperature negativily affect shelf life? Microbiological safety? Digestibility? Taste?
How can one judge the bread is properly baked apart from the probe thermometer or knocking on the bottom? 
Why can the internal temperature for sweet dough be lower than for breads?
How can other ingredients affect the aimed internal temperature? 



macord's picture

I have been baking my bread (a sourdough whole-wheat rye) at 400 degrees, the oven having been turned down from 450 just before putting the bread in.  Overall, I am most pleased, but would like to have a firmer crust, with a less friable crumb.  I egg-wash the loaves and slash them fifteen minutes before going in, use a pan in the bottom with stones and sprays of water when starting. I bake to an internal temperature of 200-209 degrees, which usually takes 3-40 minutes, depending on conditions.

Any suggestions?


Mike Acord.