Help With My Bread Please

[Katie H]

All interesting information. I've been baking all our bread goods since Hector was a pup and have never had any challenges.

One thing I do do is to use an electronic scale to measure my ingredients. (Use it in all my cooking.) As you might guess, humidity can make a difference in how much flour to use.

I also use my microwave as a proofing box. I put a microwave-safe bowl into the microwave - with about 1 cup of water - microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes. Leave the door closed.

Shape my loaves and put into the, now warmed and moist, microwave cavity along with the bowl of water.

Usually I allow nearly 60 minutes for proofing. When ready to bake, put loaves in oven at 400F and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes. I use glass pans most of the time FYI.

 

[pacanis]

Thanks Pacanis. Of course, now as I actually read Betty's remarks without 3 kids in the room, I see she was saying the recipe said to let it rise for an hour after the loaf is shaped so the doubling doesn't apply. But I'm pretty sure it's over-rising that is causing the air pocket - that was what caused mine. You may even have to cut the rise to 30 minutes.

Your welcome
Like I just said, it seems like in baking you really have to be able to adjust a recipe, just depending on the weather. I can see where having something to physically compare the size to could really help. Especially when doing other things.

 

[suziquzie]

at work when i make bagel dough, we measure the water and flour all by weight.
in the summer we cut about a half a pound of water out of some batches.
Of course now that we have new owners they just might fix the air conditioning for us......
something new every day.

 

[Fisher's Mom]

All interesting information. I've been baking all our bread goods since Hector was a pup and have never had any challenges.

One thing I do do is to use an electronic scale to measure my ingredients. (Use it in all my cooking.) As you might guess, humidity can make a difference in how much flour to use.

I also use my microwave as a proofing box. I put a microwave-safe bowl into the microwave - with about 1 cup of water - microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes. Leave the door closed.

Shape my loaves and put into the, now warmed and moist, microwave cavity along with the bowl of water.

Usually I allow nearly 60 minutes for proofing. When ready to bake, put loaves in oven at 400F and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes. I use glass pans most of the time FYI.

Ever since you mentioned letting the dough rise in the microwave, that's what I've done and it works perfectly!!! Do ya'll have high humidity in Kentucky? It's relatively high here, but at the coast - it's really high. I had to screw around with my flour to liquids ratio a lot down there. I really want to start baking by weight like you do so I can bake anywhere!

 

[Katie H]

Ever since you mentioned letting the dough rise in the microwave, that's what I've done and it works perfectly!!! Do ya'll have high humidity in Kentucky? It's relatively high here, but at the coast - it's really high. I had to screw around with my flour to liquids ratio a lot down there. I really want to start baking by weight like you do so I can bake
anywhere!

Oh, yeah. We have very high humidity where we are. Sometimes we have to cut it with a machete. It can get very oppressive during the summer months. For that reason, I'm sooooooo glad I cook by weight.

 

[BettyR]

Just my two cents. I bake at least once a week, and like you I do most of my kneeding with my KA mixer. I do things more by look and feel than time. When adding flour, I measure what the recipie says, then I add about half of that and mix / knead. The last half goes in about 1/8 cup at a time. I am looking for when the dough will not adhere to the side fo the bowl after a few minites of mixing. I then raise the head and scrape all the dough off the dough hook. I then mix again. If the dough comes off the side of the bowl again I have the liquid balance that works for me.

Rising I also do by look. First rising is till the dough ball doubles in size. Then punch down, knead and form loaves. Second rising is till the loaves double in size, then bake. I brush the top of the loaves with water just befpore baking to help with oven spring. While heating the oven, I put a pie plate of water in the bottom of the oven to inject steam intoo the first 200 bimutes of bakiing or so. This also enhances oven spring.

If the big holes are always at the top of the loaf, I think the moisturizing can help. If the dough has a kind of skin on it when it goes in the oven then that can onterfere with baking.

Just a few thoughts.

AC

Brush with water? I'll give that a try.

How does the water inside the oven affect the crust? Does it make the crust harder or softer?

 

[sparrowgrass]

Try shaping your dough differently. I am pretty sure that when you fold it to make the loaf, you are trapping air in the fold.

If you were using too much water, your bread would have lots of large bubbles in it, not just one big one.

 

[miniman]

I would go along with the theory that the second rise is too long.

 

[BettyR]

Thanks everyone for your help.

Just for future use if needed one person sent me this link and it's very interesting. I thought you might like to take a look at it.

FARINEX - BIENVENUE

 

[archiduc]

Hi,
How much salt is in the recipe?

Salt conditions the dough, i.e., it makes the gluten more stable and controls the rate of fermentation and rising, and consequently the size of air hole. In addition, the points made by other posters regarding kneading and knocking back are relevant.

Some of the best advice, regarding bread, on the web, may be accessed through the BBC Food Messageboard, Food Chat site. Go there, post a question and you will be directed to the appropriate contact.

Archiduc

 

[Shani]

On the subject of weighing vs. measuring the flour (I'm sure this was in another thread too), my digital scales broke on me a week or so ago and I was using my measuring cups to make bread. I had my first failures in a long time that week, it was horrible. Then when I got new scales I weighed what my cup and a half of flour was and it was way over the 225g I was supposed to use. So it does make a huge difference.

 

[Katie H]

On the subject of weighing vs. measuring the flour (I'm sure this was in another thread too), my digital scales broke on me a week or so ago and I was using my measuring cups to make bread. I had my first failures in a long time that week, it was horrible. Then when I got new scales I weighed what my cup and a half of flour was and it was way over the 225g I was supposed to use. So it does make a huge difference.

I understand, Shani. I don't know what I would do if my scale died.

 

[BettyR]

This is the recipe that I use; I can't post a link to it because it's a recipe that has evolved over time in my family. It started out as a white casserole bread many long years ago.

Light Wheat Bread
(makes 2 loaves)

2 cups warm tap water
1/3 cup powdered milk
1/4 cup of sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4-cup vegetable oil
2 packages (4 teaspoons) instant yeast
1-1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
3 cups bread flour

Place first 5 ingredients into mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on low speed to combine.

Add whole-wheat flour, 1 cup of the bread flour and the yeast and beat on high speed for 4 minutes.

Change to the dough hook and add 1 more cup of bread flour and knead on low speed to combine.

Add the last cup of flour 1 tablespoon at a time kneading until you have a dough that is just barely not sticky and you get a good window pane test.

Grease and allow to rise covered in a warm place until doubled in size.

Shape into loaves…rise for 1 hour or until almost double in size and bake at 375° for 25 to 30 minutes or until loaves reach an internal temperature of 185° Remove to cooling rack and cool completely.

 

[Adillo303]

Strange that I should revisit this thread tonight. I baked bread today, Rye and another attempt at Sourdough. I reread the thread "The yeast of my problems" Post #5 by Dave Hutchins (To gove proper credit). His post is below:

Yeast breads are very critical of temperature so where you proofed you bread was on the cool side this might be your problem..Second It might have been the humidity if it was on the low side and you used the same amount of liquid as the day before the dough would not proof as well as it was to dry. When you are making your dough when you think it is ready to come off the mixer feel it, if it is firm to the touch you do not have the correct amount of water. also have a quick read thermometer your dough should be in the range of just past room temp. If you have a dish washer in you abode
run one cycle till the machine is very warm and the humidity is close to 100% shut off the machine and let your dough proof in there. It will raise much better in a humid environment. Tempature and humidioty play a big part in succesful bread baking
Just my 2 cents

Dishwasher, I thought. Well I can at least try it. I emptied the dishwasher and ran it thorugh a 10 minute quick rinse. The bread rose faster and since the outside was moist, I got a much better oven spring.

To answer how the water in the pan pn the bottom of the oven affect the crust. Maybe a bit softer, not a lot.

Why did I say another attempt at sourdough? My labradors stole the loaves again in the last rise. That's two weeks, no sourdough. Shame, It is rising nicely, and I feel that it will be geat, if I can get it past them.

AC

 

[BettyR]

My labradors stole the loaves again in the last rise.
AC

You should keep the dough out of their reach; yeast dough can expand and produce gas in the digestive system, causing pain and possible rupture of the stomach or intestines.