Hi I'm a newby and have a bread problem

[Spice1133]

This is my first time posting here, just found your site. Hope you will let me come back.
I do a lot of baking but have never done much with beads.
Recently we discovered Portugese Sweet Bread and love it.
I got a recipe that sounded good and have made it. My problem is even after using more flour than called for my dough is still sticky and hard to knead. I'm afraid if I keep adding flour the bread will come out too heavy. It does come out fairly well a little on the heavy side (but I think most Portugese Sweet Breads are a little heavy) and very tasty, but I would really like to knead with abandon . Should I keep adding flour until it stops sticking so bad?

[pdswife]

Sorry... I don't do bread but, want you to know that you are very welcome here and that we all hope to see a lot of you. Some one will come along soon and give you an answer.

[Maidrite]

I too don't do bread but my sister does, If I can reach her I will post it here. By the way welcome to your new site we all have a good time here. Please feel free to make it your home page. My wife Barbara is on here too!

[Spice1133]

Looking forward to *meeting* everyone

[PA Baker]

Welcome, Spice!

I'm not a bread expert, more of a dabbler, so hopefully one of our members like subfuscpersona will see this thread. But from the experience I've had, I've always been able to add enough additional flour--very gradually, no more than 1 Tbsp at a time--to keep the dough from being too sticky. Make sure that you mix the dough throroughly after each small addition so that you end up using the minimum amount necessary. It's OK if you end up using more than the recipe calls for. I know in the past, I've probably used upwards of a half cup + more. Ultimately, it's the texture you're looking for. Also, make sure that you keep your kneading surface and hands really well-floured. Try putting some extra flour in a bowl so you can just dip your hands in or use a little to dust your counter without having to stick your doughy hands back into the bag.

Hope this helps!

[subfuscpersona]

Originally Posted by Spice1133

This is my first time posting here, just found your site. Hope you will let me come back.
I do a lot of baking but have never done much with beads.
Recently we discovered Portugese Sweet Bread and love it.
I got a recipe that sounded good and have made it. My problem is even after using more flour than called for my dough is still sticky and hard to knead. I'm afraid if I keep adding flour the bread will come out too heavy. It does come out fairly well a little on the heavy side (but I think most Portugese Sweet Breads are a little heavy) and very tasty, but I would really like to knead with abandon . Should I keep adding flour until it stops sticking so bad?

Welcome.

Maybe the dough is supposed to be sticky. Is the baked product supposed to have a loose crumb (that translates as holes) - these use a wetter dough. Also, wetter doughs do sometimes firm up with kneading even when you don't add much flour during the kneading process. If you have a flat scrapper implement (even a wide spatula will do in a pinch) it can help with scrapping the dough off the board for the initial kneading. If you add significantly more flour than the recipe calls for, you will change the final product. Is it baked in a pan or freeform?

Can you post the recipe? That would help. If you do so, include instructions as well as ingredients. That would help to trouble-shoot.

[Spice1133]

Here's my recipe. The bread has a great flavor and the texture is fairly good, no holes at all. My only real complaint is it is frustrating to have it stick with each turn. After all, isnt kneading half the fun of bread baking. (The other half must be the eating).

Portuguese Sweet Bread


2 packages active dry yeast

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup warm milk

1 stick softened butter

1 cup granulated sugar

3 slightly beaten eggs

1 teaspoon salt

1teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon lemon extract

4 to 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour



Combine 2 packages of active dry yeast with 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1/2 cup of water in a large bowl and allow it to proof, between 5 and ten minutes for the yeast, sugar and water to react with each other and start bubbling up. To this mixture, add another mixture that consists of 1/2 cup of warm milk, 1 stick of softened unsalted butter, and 1 cup of granulated sugar Vanilla and Lemon extract, pre- blended, not beating the mixture to death mind you, but just enough to incorporate everything and dissolve the sugar. To the yeast, sugar, milk, butter, and water mixture, add 3 eggs that had been lightly beaten and 1 tablespoon of salt, mix well, add 4 cups to 4 1/2 cups of all purpose flour, one cup at a time. Knead 10 to 15 minutes. Form it into a ball and placed it into a buttered bowl, tossing it around a few times to coat the mass and then covered it with cling wrap and set it in a warm dark place to double in size. About 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Punch down the dough and shape into 2 balls. Place each into a buttered loaf pan. (You can also use a round pan. Cover with clean kitchen towels an place them in a cold oven with the light on for a little warmth. Let the dough double in bulk yet again.

Preheat oven to 350º. Brush the top of each loaf with well beaten egg and bake for 30 minutes or till the top is a rich dark shining color and sounds hollow when rapped on top and bottom.

[subfuscpersona]

hi spice

sorry I didn't answer earlier - anyway, the recipe seems straight-forward and shouldn't need more flour than it calls for.

One thing I'm wondering - by any chance are you dissolving the yeast in an extra 1/2 cup of water and then combining it with the 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup of milk, 3 eggs - this would up the liquid portion of the recipe. That's the only thing I can think of...

[Spice1133]

Hi subfuscpersona,
Thanks for getting back to me. I'm just using the one 1/2 cup of water in the yeast. I wonder if it doesn't have something to do with the way I'm measuring the flour. I fluff it up and then spoon it into the measuring cup. I found a chart showing the equivalent of cups to weight chart for flour. Next time I'll try using that.

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Indeed, bread flour doesn't need to be sifted. Sifting incorporates air into the flour, producing a lighter porduct, but with less substance.

Try rubbing a littel shortening, or butter on your hands before working the dough. It will help prevent the bread from sticking to your hands. And as was earlier stated, occasionaly dipping your hands in the flour will help.

I was taught to remove sticky sough from my hands by placing my hands in a bowl of flour, then rubbing them together over the bread bowl and letting the crumbs fall in. The little crumbles are absorbed into the raw dough as you knead it.

I know that my whole wheat bread recipe requires a stickier dough than does my white-flour recipe.

My advice to you is to make two batches of dough, one with the original recipe, and one with enough extra flour added to make a less sticky dough. Bake side-by-side, and compare the final product. Then choose which dough you like better.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North