Question for bread bakers...

[miss_jayne]

i like keeping mine in paper bags, after letting it cool completely on a rack, OUT of the pan.

baking on a preheated stone or cookie sheet will give you more crust.

this month's Mother Earth's News magazine has a great bread recipe and it makes enough for a couple days worth of hot, fresh bread.

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:
How old is your yeast? And are you using bread machine yeast? I had a batch of yeast go bad on me and had several loaves of bread come out like doughy bricks before I went & got some new yeast. No more problem.

King Arthur Flour has lots of good bread recipes on their website--and a whole section on bread machine recipes.

Chickens LOVE dough bricks!

 

[Highlander]

Chickens LOVE dough bricks!

I have discovered that lol!

Thanks for the tips. It is a brand new breadmaker and I bought bread flour and yeast especially so nothing is stale.

 

[seismic wonder2]

cool in the pan for about 6 to 8 minutes to let it release easy.
then cool on a short rack, covered by a tea towel for at least 30 to 40 minutes bafore cutting, let cool for at least 1 1/2 to 2 hours before bagging (preferably overnight)

 

[seismic wonder2]

Quote:
How old is your yeast? And are you using bread machine yeast? I had a batch of yeast go bad on me and had several loaves of bread come out like doughy bricks before I went & got some new yeast. No more problem.

King Arthur Flour has lots of good bread recipes on their website--and a whole section on bread machine recipes.

Chickens LOVE dough bricks!

1. bread flour and "fresh" yeast.
2. "proof" the yeast in 1/4 cup warm water with 1 tsp sugar. it should get all foamy in a few minutes or so. If not, it's dead and you need new yeast.

 

[pinkchick]

Quote:
i brush my loaves with melted butter as soon as i take them out of the pan, then let them cool on wire racks. when they are completely cool, you can seal 'em in plastic bags without the fear of all that condensation. have fun!

Butter is a must, I agree! I always bake bread at night before bed and put on cooling rack, I cover with a lintless cotton towel. The next morning I transfer to plastic bag. Works great!

 

[luvmygirlsinAK]

I don't use a bread machine anymore (prefer the old fashioned kneading which gives more gluten in the loaf) but I do melt butter on top, then let it set until pretty well cool, and bag up. This keeps the bread good and moist.

For the person who was mentioning crumbly bread-you may be using too much flour.

Got a lot of ideas on this thread-something should work out for you! Good luck!

 

[jo-me]

Make sure you are not killing the yeast with to hot liquids. To test if your yeast is still good put a 1/4 c. warm water and add some sugar( since sugar helps the yeast grow ) and than add your yeast if the yeast grows and doesn't just lie flat like when you first put it in, If it doubles or triples in size than you known your yeast is good. It only takes about 5 mins. and it starts to grow. I also found that sometimes I wouldn't let my bread rise long enough, I go by the height of my dough now not so much by the time. I use my bread machine to stir it and bake it in the oven. Never had to much luck using the machine it either over raised or didn't. I did discover gluten so now I use it when I make wheat bread and no longer have heavy wheat bread. Good luck I hope my imformation wasn't too confusing.

 

[peeplessinNC]

The best insurance against doughy bread in the center of the loaf is an instant-read thermometer! I've been baking bread for 30-some years and I still check every loaf when it comes out of the oven.

Regular loaf recipes, white, whole wheat and multi-grain, rich egg and butter braids like challah should all register at least 190 F. Hearth type boules and baguettes that are baked on a baking stone should register 200-205 F. Remove a loaf from the oven, turn it out if it is in a pan, and insert the thermometer into the bottom of the loaf so that the end of the probe goes about half-way into the center of the loaf. If the temp fails to get high enough, put the loaf back in the pan or on the stone and bake another 5 minutes, then check the temp again.

With practice, you will begin to learn how the bread dough looks and feels when the ratio of flour to liquid is correct. Bread making is somewhat less precise than cake or pastry making. The temperature and humidity of your kitchen and the weather outside plus the growing and storing conditions of your bag of wheat flour can all have an effect on the amount of flour needed that day with that recipe. That is why many bread recipes may read " 5-6 cups bread flour, as needed."