Bread - bumpy outside, chewy inside

This week I tried kneading the dough for 9 minutes (one more than last time) and let it rise three times instead of one or two. This bread is definitely chewier. Now we're getting somewhere.

But while the inside is improving... good grief, what happened to cause that krinkly, bumpy outside? It wasn't exactly a beauty queen when it first came out of the oven either, which is when my loaves normally look their best. Maybe I should go back to just shaping the dough before putting it into the loaf pans rather than rolling it as I've done the last couple of times.

"Why did she change two variables instead of just one?" you may be asking. I am asking that myself since I now can't tell whether it was the extra kneading or the extra rising, or the combination, that changed the texture and the loaf shape.

The next question is - what causes the sides to tear like this, as if the top is going to blow right off? Maybe I'll put more butter on the pans next time in case it's a matter of the dough sticking.

Today we stopped in at a bakery near the airport where they make their own flour. None of their loaves had krinkly tops but they sure had some funny shapes. One loaf was a good inch higher along one side than the other, and their loaf ends were no neater than mine. So, I guess I shouldn't worry too much about the shape as much as the taste and texture.

Soon I may try making rye bread, which I like but Glenn doesn't.

Bread

I tried a few variations on bread making this week. First I kneaded the dough for 8 minutes instead of 5 or 6, then let it rise twice before setting it in loaf pans.

For an experiment with crusts, before baking I brushed the loaf on the left with water, which is supposed to give a crispier crust.
The funny shaped loaf on the right was brushed with milk which is supposed to give a soft crust, the same as if it was brushed with butter after baking (or just left it alone, I find).

The bread brushed with milk came out with a few tiny black spots. I don't know why. They weren't there when the dough went into the oven. Also, it stuck a bit to the pan.

The loaf shapes might not be perfect but the texture is more what I'm looking for - chewier rather than crumbly. So, it's getting closer to Mom's bread.... but was it the extra kneading or the double rising, or both?

There really is something marvelous about baking bread. Along with the wonderful smell, I love the way the dough rises and changes, like some creation erupting out of the earth. And every loaf is different.