On Wed, 16 May 2007 22:09:18 +0000, Dick Adams wrote
>):


> "Felix Karpfen" > wrote in message
> news >
>> Hard science dictates to use a temperature of 110°C+ to get the
>> Maillard reaction off the ground. From the humperdickel photos, it
>> looks to me as though the crockpot temperature was too low for the
>> Maillard reaction to do its stuff.
>
> Have another look at the humperdickel photos:
> http://www.prettycolors.com/bread_culture/humperdickel/

I did look and noted that the second attempt gave a lighter colour and was
found to be easier to slice.

> It is not likely that the internal temperature of a bread loaf could
> rise above the boiling point of water while the dough remains moist.
>
SNIP

> Long ago high school students were taught about how a solute can modify
> the boiling point of a solvent.

I believe solutes raise the temperature of the boiling point.

Which might mean that the temperature inside a loaf of Pumpernickel could
be somewhat greater than 100 deg. C by the end of the bake.

However, according to Flanders & Swan (UK presenters of witty songs; c.
1960s), the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics states that:

"Heat don't flow from the colda to the hotta;
you might think it does, but you'd much betta notta."


> case humperdickel, that whatever browning process occurred at or below
> the temperature of the water in the crock pot.

It is possible that the browning process - which takes seconds at 220
deg.C (the temperature of my coffee beans at the end of their roast) -
takes 16+ hours at temperatures near that of boiling water.

Forgetting about Rocket-Science, these postings suggest that I will be
pushing the cart uphill if I try to bake an edible loaf of bread that
has an internal temperature significantly greater than 100 deg.C by the
end of the bake.

Thank you (and the other respondents who were good enough to share their
experiences) for the posted advice.

Felix

--
Felix Karpfen
Public Key 72FDF9DF (DH/DSA)