Making "lighter/fluffier" bread

[JPinFla]

Hello All,
I'm new here!! I've been making bread for a little over a year now. Doing okay but would like to make higher rising, lighter/fluffy type bread.

My basic reciepe is:
2 cups of warm water
5-6 cups of basic cheap flour
1 packet of instant yeast
1 egg
1 tbl of sugar
1 tbl of salt

I use a stand mixer and mix/kneed for about 6 minutes (making sure the dough is pulling from the sides of the bowl.

I cover and let rise (sometimes I set the over to warm) until it doubles.

I then throw it back in the stand mixer for about 2 minutes to knock it down.

I then form into loafs (most of the time I'll cut slice diagnol or long ways)and let rise for about 20/30 minutes (not quite double).

Prior to putting in the oven, I'l brush with water and add seasoning and/or sesame seeds.

I bake at 375 with a convection oven (which knocks down the temp to 350) for about 35 minutes.

My loafs are coming out good but what I'd like to get is a lighter and fluffier loaf.

What I get are tight loafs which are pretty much good the day I bake them.

I'm thinking that if they were lighter, I could get at least another day out of them or even use them (if they would rise more) as sandwhich bread.

Any thought would be greatly appreciated.

JP
Should I use more yeast? Should I let the second rise go longer?

[Bolas De Fraile]

I would use strong bread flour(high gluten), leave out the egg and check out either the Biga or Poolish methods on the tinternet.
Bread making is a science and it took me a long time to perfect it, 40yrs later I still make a "brick" now and again when using wholemeal flour.
Ps there are some very good bakers here

[JPinFla]

Mucho gracias Bolas De Fraile. I have recently added the egg. Seemed to make the crust harder which is what I was looking for. What are your thought on putting the dough back in the mixer after the first rise? Should I just manually punch it down and not rely too much on technology? Also, any thought on adding the salt after ther first rise?

[JPinFla]

Also, talking about bricks, I have bricks.......just when I think I know what I'm doing, daaa-daaa a brick.

[Bolas De Fraile]

Paul Hollywood is probably one of the best instructors we have over here for bread baking on top of that he is a good looking scouser like me
I would suggest that you go to his baking section then clic all recipes and start with the white bread recipe.
BBC - Food - Chefs : Paul Hollywood recipes

A good tip is to check your ovens temp with a thermometer.

[Aunt Bea]

If you want a harder crust throw a couple of ice cubes in the oven to create some steam.

I agree with Bolas, leave out the egg on this recipe.

Less flour and a longer second rise may make it a little lighter. The amount of flour is hard to judge, it varies each time you make bread. This can be frustrting.

[dcSaute]

I recommend punching down by hand after the first rise - the mixer can readily deflate the dough.

are you baking the loaves on a stone? that helps with the initial oven spring.

[FrankZ]

I find that after the first rise it is time to be gentle, a stand mixer is a great tool just not at that point.