Sarah; Yes, I do try to follow the recipes exactly. So I really don't know what I'm doing wrong. I really can't tell you how to make perfect bread except by following a TNT recipe. I can tell by the feel of the dough when I've got the proper amount of oil and water. And I know that the amount of yeast affects both the texture and flavor of the bread. If you use less yeast, the bread comes out with a more bland flavor and takes much longer to raise. The end result, depending on cooking method, is a light, spongy texture, similar to french bread if you bake it with heat above 400 degrees, very crusty. If on the other hand, you bake it at 350, with a bowl of water in the oven, the crust and texture make the bread very similar to store-bought bread.
If you use more yeast, you get a stronger yeast flavor, with a coarse texture, you know, that home-made bread flavor. The dough should have a minimum of two tbs. oil for every cup of flour in the recipe. I put in three as I like my bread very moist. As for the water, I start with a cup of water, 2 tbs. honey, and 2 tbs. yeast. 3 cups of flour make one loaf of bread. I add water as I'm kneading the dough until it is sticky enough to make working in a bit cumbersome. I then add just enough more flour to keep the dough elastic, and still sticky, but not so that it sticks to your hands so easily.
When you get the knack for creating just the right texture in the dough, then you can begin to experiment with flavorings, how much sweetener and what kind of sweetener you use (corn syrup, honey, sugar, maple syrup, etc.) I took a batch of dough and devided it in half. I rolled one half into a flat sheet of dough, about a quarter inch thick and spread softened butter thickly over it. I then sprinkled brown sugar onto the butter and followed with chopped walnuts and cinamon. I then jelly-rolled it together and cut it into 1 inch rounds. I placed the rounds onto a parchment paper covered cookie sheet and allowed the rolls to double in size. I spooned caramel apple dip over the top and baked 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven. These were the best sticky buns I ever made. My family agreed. But it all started with a standard dough recipe, sweetened with an extra 1/8 cup of sugar.
You can make bread. It just takes a couple of tries to get the feel for the dough. And once you get the dough right, the rest is easy.
Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North
