What did I do wrong with my bread?

[Pretttywaste]

I'm new here! -waves-

Tonight I attempted my first loaf of bread. I went out and bought some yeast and king aurther whole wheat flour and decided on a recipe someone on this board posted from meanmeals.com.

Well the bread came out looking great, and a sliced off an end peice for a taste and it tasted great too! Only problem is that when I sliced through the rest of the loaf I found it was a bit under cooked in the middle, towards the bottom. I think it's fine to eat,just a bit doughy in that one spot on all the middle peices. I put tried putting it back in the oven for 10 minutes, and then another 15 minutes with a cover thinking that might help. Only made the outside crust slightly crispier. I did make a few changes to the original recipe... I used vanilla yogurt instead of plain, and made one big loaf (about the size of the storebought pepperidge farm loafs) rather than 2 smaller ones, and I sifted the flour.. not sure if I was supposed to do that or not. Perhaps those things had something to do with it. I'm betting on the bigger loaf size.

Overall I am thrilled with the bread, considering it's my very first try - but what can I do next time to prevent the under cooking? Longer cooking times or maybe a higher temperature? I look forward to your suggestions. Thanks in advance!

 

[obiwan9962]

try baking it for 50 minutes at 325

 

[baking fool]

if you sliced a slice off immediately after taking it out of the oven the inside will be all gummy, so to avoid that you have to let it cool completely before slicing. as peter reinhart says, the last step to baking bread isn't baking, it's cooling! if you want warm bread it's better to wait until it cools completely then reheat it.

 

[obiwan9962]

if you sliced a slice off immediately after taking it out of the oven the inside will be all gummy because the starches haven't set. so to avoid that you have to let it cool completely before slicing. as peter reinhart says, the last step to baking bread isn't baking, it's cooling! if you want warm bread it's better to wait until it cools completely then reheat it.

good point

 

[Katie H]

I have to second these comments. I know how tempting it is to want to slice off a piece of the yeasty bread and slather it with butter, but you need to wait. It's a little like letting a roast "rest" until you cut it. Your patience will be rewarded.

 

[baking fool]

I have to second these comments. I know how tempting it is to want to slice off a piece of the yeasty bread and slather it with butter, but you need to wait. Your patience will be rewarded.

that's right. good bread is all about patience.

 

[Treklady]

What I have learned in my scratch bread making is that I preset my oven to 355, and then upon opening the oven, I kick it down to 340 for 40 minutes.

Once you open the oven you are automatically dropping the temperature anyhow, so bringing it up higher than needed, you can open your oven and keep the desired temperature you need to bake perfect bread.

 

[justplainbill]

Sour Rye

CREATING & MAINTAINING A RYE SOUR
To start a rye sour-
Day One
By noon combine ½ cup rye flour,1/8 TSP dry yeast, 1 cup warm water, 1 TSP minced onion, and (optionally)
1 TSP crushed caraway seeds and ferment covered at 70F – 80F (75◦F = 24◦C ) for up to 24 hours.
Day Two
Between 07:15 and noon the following day add 1 ½ cup rye flour and 1 cup water. Ferment covered overnight.
Day Three
Mix thoroughly, remove a cup for the bread to be baked that day, add ½ cup each water and rye flour to the
remaining sour and refrigerate in a sealed 1 ½ quart glass mayonnaise jar.
MAKING ONE 1 ¾ POUND LOAF-
See above for rye sour which is originally made from rye flour, water, yeast
and chopped onion and may be kept for months in the refrigerator.
Ingredients: 1 cup rye sour, ¾ cup warm water, 2 cups high gluten flour, ½ cup first clear flour, 1 ½ TSP yeast, ½ TSP diastatic malt, 1 ½ TSP salt
Night before- remove 1 cup rye sour from refrigerator and supplement refrigerator supply with ½ cup water and ½ cup rye flour.
07:15- mix ¾ cup warm water with yeast and diastatic malt
07:30- blend first clear flour, 1 cup high gluten flour and rye sour into above mixture
07:40- blend in salt and then enough additional high gluten flour to form plastic dough
07:50- turn out onto floured surface and knead for 15 minutes.
08:00- place ball of dough in oiled bowl and coat surface of dough with oil from bowl
cover bowl with towel and allow to double
09:10- turn out and knead for 10 – 15 minutes
09:25- begin second rising in covered bowl and prepare baking sheet by sprinkling with coarse corn meal
10:25- turn out, knead lightly to remove large bubbles. Roll and shape into loaf
10:30- set on baking sheet and cover. Prepare corn starch and water solution
turn on oven set to 400◦F = 204◦C with pan of water on top shelf rear
11:00- paint loaf with warm, but not hot, corn starch solution and cut 3 diagonal 5/8" (16mm) deep slashes
11:10- place loaf in oven
11:13- spray loaf with water mist
11:16- spray loaf with water mist
11:20- rotate baking sheet 180 degrees and spray with water mist
11:25- spray loaf with water mist
11:30- turn oven down to 375◦F = 191◦C
11:40- move loaf off sheet and onto stone
11:45- remove pan of water
11:50- turn off oven
12:00- remove loaf to cooling rack

 

[baking fool]

CREATING & MAINTAINING A RYE SOUR
To start a rye sour-
Day One
By noon combine ½ cup rye flour,1/8 TSP dry yeast, 1 cup warm water, 1 TSP minced onion, and (optionally)
1 TSP crushed caraway seeds and ferment covered at 70F – 80F (75◦F = 24◦C ) for up to 24 hours.
Day Two
Between 07:15 and noon the following day add 1 ½ cup rye flour and 1 cup water. Ferment covered overnight.
Day Three
Mix thoroughly, remove a cup for the bread to be baked that day, add ½ cup each water and rye flour to the
remaining sour and refrigerate in a sealed 1 ½ quart glass mayonnaise jar.
MAKING ONE 1 ¾ POUND LOAF-
See above for rye sour which is originally made from rye flour, water, yeast
and chopped onion and may be kept for months in the refrigerator.
Ingredients: 1 cup rye sour, ¾ cup warm water, 2 cups high gluten flour, ½ cup first clear flour, 1 ½ TSP yeast, ½ TSP diastatic malt, 1 ½ TSP salt
Night before- remove 1 cup rye sour from refrigerator and supplement refrigerator supply with ½ cup water and ½ cup rye flour.
07:15- mix ¾ cup warm water with yeast and diastatic malt
07:30- blend first clear flour, 1 cup high gluten flour and rye sour into above mixture
07:40- blend in salt and then enough additional high gluten flour to form plastic dough
07:50- turn out onto floured surface and knead for 15 minutes.
08:00- place ball of dough in oiled bowl and coat surface of dough with oil from bowl
cover bowl with towel and allow to double
09:10- turn out and knead for 10 – 15 minutes
09:25- begin second rising in covered bowl and prepare baking sheet by sprinkling with coarse corn meal
10:25- turn out, knead lightly to remove large bubbles. Roll and shape into loaf
10:30- set on baking sheet and cover. Prepare corn starch and water solution
turn on oven set to 400◦F = 204◦C with pan of water on top shelf rear
11:00- paint loaf with warm, but not hot, corn starch solution and cut 3 diagonal 5/8" (16mm) deep slashes
11:10- place loaf in oven
11:13- spray loaf with water mist
11:16- spray loaf with water mist
11:20- rotate baking sheet 180 degrees and spray with water mist
11:25- spray loaf with water mist
11:30- turn oven down to 375◦F = 191◦C
11:40- move loaf off sheet and onto stone
11:45- remove pan of water
11:50- turn off oven
12:00- remove loaf to cooling rack

i think you replied to the wrong thread. this is about a loaf that was gummy & sticky inside.

 

[fliggie]

I use a digital thermometer to check before I take it out--it should read 190 degrees in the center.

 

[Pretttywaste]

Hey guys,

I've made the bread a few more times since I posted this and it's turned out good - despite little mistakes. The first time I meant to set the oven to 355 then turn it down, but accidently forgot to turn it down hehe. And the second time I was at my BF's brother's house and their oven doesn't work... so I could only bake it at 335. Turned out great both times though. Even got the BF who refuses to eat anything whole wheat to eat it and like it haha.

I'm currently attempting to make a loaf of white bread using another recipe I got off this forum so we'll have to see how that turns out. This weekend I want to try some kind of breakfast/desert type bread as well.

I bought a thermometer but didn't realize it was a meat thermometer that you actually leave in while you bake..whoops.

And this has nothing to do with bread - but does anyone know where I could get some dog themed cookie cutters? I've been making dog treats for my dogs and would love to make them in cute little shapes!

 

[skilletlicker]

Prettywaste, it seems you are well on your way as a home bread baker. The lessons learned, as outlined in todays post, are proof of it. Whole wheat bread is more than a little tricky.

As to thermometers, I might make suggestions, but strongly suspect you will have figured it out before getting around to considering this post.

One thing that helped me was to monitor my ovens temperature curves during its on-off cycle. That told me how long it took to get to temperature and how much preheating was required to achieve the minimum recovery time after door opening.

good to hear from you!

 

[jpmcgrew]

When you think bread is done thump or rather flick the bread with your finger if it sounds hollow its done if not bake a few more minutes

 

[Dave Hutchins]

Here is a soft roll formula I have used for years it is a lot like my fav aunt use to make for me
1 cup 105-110 *F water
2 pkg fresh yeast (ckeck expire date)
1/2 cup Butter melted (1 stick)
3 eggs
1 tsp salt
4-4 1/2 cups flour
-_____________________________________________________________
Combine yeast and warm waterin a mixing bowl let stand till bubbles form (proofing) Use a stand mixer with a bread hook or have some streong arms to
kneed. stir in butter, sugar, egg, salt and beat in flour one cup at a time till doug forms a ball and pulls away from the sides ( if kneeding by hand kneed till dough is firm but has lots of give when you touch it) Remove dough from bowl and greese the bowl with nostick spray and return dough to bowl and let rise till double in size. punch down and form into rolls or loves of bread
and let rise again till double in size. bake at 375* for 15-20 minutes for regular size rolls if loves 25 minutes or more .. Check bread with a instant read thermomiter it should read 205*F bread is done at that temp or thump it it should sound hollow . Good luck and happy baking Dave

 

[nroberts]

I have to second these comments. I know how tempting it is to want to slice off a piece of the yeasty bread and slather it with butter, but you need to wait. It's a little like letting a roast "rest" until you cut it. Your patience will be rewarded.

You know, I've heard this time and time again but I still don't buy it. There is simply nothing better than bread fresh out of the oven. It tastes great later too but this one period of time is the absolute best. It's not about patience, it's about missing this great opportunity. You can't just reheat it...not the same.

Yeah, it can tear it a bit. So what... I've never had it alter the bread any. I did have one failure like the one being mentioned here but it was due to my desire to have the crust a little less browned this time and took the loafs out too early. It wasn't a major disaster but it was a setback. Had I not cut into it right away I wouldn't have even known and would have served it that way at the party the next day!

Now, the loaf I'd cut into and found wasn't done couldn't be fully saved. About an inch in from the cut was ruined. But that's it. If I hadn't screwed up already cutting into it would have been fine. So I realize all the experts say, "Don't do it," but I just don't agree.

 

[jpmcgrew]

OK! Im going to say it again get an oven thermometer and check actual temp of oven it might be off another thing is you might have a moister flour than we get in the southwest so you need to learn the feel of the dough before you bake.On the other hand I love just baked bread even if it gets smusshy with lots of good butter

 

[Fisher's Mom]

My kids and I can never wait either - everyone magically appears in the kitchen the moment the bread comes out!

 

[jpmcgrew]

OH and yes a fresh loaf of crispy french bread fresh out of the oven that is soo hot with a bunch of really good butter that melts into bread is heaven especially with a glass of ice cold milk.

 

[Fisher's Mom]

Definitely with a big glass of ice cold milk, JP. (The butter's a given!) Have you ever noticed how many adults don't drink milk? And not just because of a lactose intolerance. There are a lot of grownups who think milk is for kids. What's up with that? Oh well, I guess that leaves more for me and JP!