Tried 20 recipes, floured my brain out. I get it to rise, I get the yeast to proof, I roll "like a homie" but every time my bread is coming out crusty outside, dense to almost undercooked inside. I am getting poor, tired, and figuring I wont bake bread anymore. My husband bought a Kitchenaide mixer with the expectations I make bread like everyday. He is not like my attempts. Any tips?
well heres the thing I tried the Kitchen aide mix one. I have done everything to a tea. I let it rise 2 times, I punch it down, I proof yeast, I thought I was killing yeast but it rose and rose everytime. I roll it to the rectangle get the bubbles out, grease the coated Bread loaf pans. pre-heat to 400. I cook on lower rack 35 minutes. Its suppose to just be good ole white bread. I tried the dry active yeast as well as the Rapid Rise. Had better luck with Rapid Rise. I am to the point of buying frozen dough, hiding it from my husband and making it look like a herculean effort on my part.
Think I am going with the Artisan Bread in 5 minutes thing, lots of you are telling me about it so its got to work right? LOL
I had the same problem as you until I bought an excellent book called "Artisan Bread in 5 mins a day". It's on Amazon and the reason I bought it is because it has close to 800 4-5 star reviews. It is amazing. I really only use the master recipe. The bread requires no kneading and you just keep a weeks worth in the fridge, take out a handful, let it rise and cook it so you could easily make it every night.
I have a bread machine and love it. Basically I add the ingredients and it does the rest. I get a perfect loaf of bread, that yummy fresh baked bread smell and when it's convenient and easy--I make more of it. I do have a KitchenAid Stand Mixer and although it is a wonderful machine, I have never used my dough hook.
Hi martha-
DO NOT GIVE UP!! lol
I had what I describe as a 'defective baking gene'...NOTHING I baked would turn out well...Then I searched on line for 'five minute a day bread' (I think that is what it is called...) Three cups warm water...3 teaspoons yeast (I use a bit more lately)...three teaspoons salt...6.5 cups of flour. Throw it all in kitchen aid...(well...water and yeast proof first...then flour bit by bit). It is sticky...but let rise...put in a container covered in fridge...(it will continue to rise after a pound down into fridge container). After chilled...cut off a grapefruit size piece...(flour hands...still sticky)...shape in a mound...slash it a bit...and let it rest while oven preheats to 425 (with stone if you have one) and a pan of water in oven to keep things steamy. Throw loaf on stone (with cornmeal tossed on it)...and bake 30 mins...I 'spritz' mine every 10 minutes personally for extra crustiness)
It will NOT fail!
Dough will yield about 2 more loves...and lasts about 10 days or so...with flavour improving.
I sometimes add herbs to shake it up some...
Give it a whirl! I am embarrassed to tell friends how easy this is...
Best luck!
michele/cat
My mom has tried to teach me how to bake bread, but I can't get the hang of it. The best I can do is to use a bread mix, prepare it with a bread machine, then shape the dough into rolls and bake in the regular oven. It seems to cook better in the middle without burning on the outside when it's in smaller pieces. I use the mixer to make banana bread, muffins, and cake instead.
A couple of questions, first:
What kind of flour are you using? Different flours have different gluten properties. If you're using basic bargain white bleached supermarket flour, you might need a flour specifically for bread making (like Gold Medal's Better For Bread) or you might need to add gluten. Or malted barley.
Are you at a high elevation or sea level, and is it dry or humid where you are? That affects bread making.
How are you rising the bread? How long, where, etc? Single or double rise, punching it down, etc?
What kind of yeast are you using? Brand, type, etc. And how are you proofing it? What temperature is the water, and how are you measuring that temperature (with your hand, with a thermometer, etc).
How long are you kneading it in the Kitchenaide? And are you just using regular bread loaf pans? What temp are you baking the loaves at?
Don't give up! Just give us some more info and someone can help.
What temperature are you baking the bread at?
Are you using bread flour? I use the dough hook on my mixer and use that to do the kneading for me. I put the yeast and the water in the bowl of the mixer and let it proof (get bubbly), follow the recipe that's in the kitchenaid book, and when the dough starts to climb up the hook, it's done with the kneading. When I poke it with my finger and it springs back it's done. I don't knead by hand.
With the baking - bake it on the bottom rack. Make sure your oven is preheated before you put the bread in. Don't put it in a cold oven. It's done when you tap it and it sounds hollow. I've also heard of some people putting a pan of water in the oven to add moisture - but I don't do that.
Get an oven thermometer.
I have had the same luck with baking (or attempting to) bake bread. I would love some tips too.
Go to chowhound.com and type in "no-knead bread" in the search box. I found a delicious bread recipe that way. Basically, you combine yeast, water, flour, and salt until just mixed. Cover loosely, let it sit on the counter for several hours. Don't knead it!!! To bake a loaf, coat your hands in cooking spray, pull off a grapefruit sized ball of dough from the chunk in the bowl. Throw it in a dutch oven with a tight fitting lid, or alternatively, on a cookie sheet that you can put a big metal bowl over. Bake. The key is to trap moisture inside the cooking vessel to get good texture. PM me if you have any questions. I'll see if I can find the link. Oh, and check out a book called "Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a Day."
No-Knead Dutch Oven Bread
1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting. You may use white, whole wheat or a combination of the two.
1 1/2 tsp salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran for dusting
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add the flour and salt, stirring until blended. The dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest at least 8 hours, preferably 12 to 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
The dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it. Sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let it rest for about 15 minutes.
Using just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface or to your fingers, gently shape it into a ball. Generously coat a clean dish towel with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal. Put the seam side of the dough down on the towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another towel and let rise for about 1 to 2 hours. When it’s ready, the dough will have doubled in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
At least 20 minutes before the dough is ready, heat oven to 475 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in the oven as it heats. When the dough is ready, carefully remove the pot from the oven and lift off the lid. Slide your hand under the towel and turn the dough over into the pot, seam side up. The dough will lose its shape a bit in the process, but that’s OK. Give the pan a firm shake or two to help distribute the dough evenly, but don’t worry if it’s not perfect; it will straighten out as it bakes.
Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake another 15 to 20 minutes, until the loaf is beautifully browned. Remove the bread from the Dutch oven and let it cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.
Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/2007-12-01/Easy-...
No tips but I will say I cannot make slice and bake cookie dough though I have not resolved whether it is my fault or an inherent flaw in the product. :p
Okay seriously you are either killing the yeast or cooking at too high a temperature.
I'm not an expert bread maker, but I have had some success. It sounds like it's not rising long enough for the second rising, before baking.
Can you afford a bread maker? They are really great. You add the ingredients, set the timer and walk away. Fresh baked bread everyday! Voila!
OK, this is what I do: I go to the frozen section and buy pre-made frozen dough and follow the directions on the package. Yes yes, I know that doesn't help you one bit, but believe me no one and I mean NO ONE wants to eat the bread that I HAVE tried to make. I just want you to know that your not alone and I think that all of you that can actually make homemade bread, or have even tried more than the one time I did, are awesome and I want to come to your house for dinner :)
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These are the tips my gram gave me and she made the best bread. Weigh your flour instead of using dry measure and make sure you use bread flour. Make sure you put your yeast in 110 degree water for proofing and dissolve any sugar in the water prior to adding the yeast. You also have to make sure you knead it adequately. It should be stretchy and kind of shiny when you are done. You should be able to stretch a piece of it several inches without breaking it. Cover it with a damp cloth when it is rising. When it doubles the volume, punch it down and then knead again for a few minutes. Put it in the loaf pans and let it rise until about an inch above the rim. Don't bake in an oven above 350 degrees. Good luck! If the above fails...I suggest letting your husband bake a loaf. See if he has the magic touch.
Look for bread books that have sections on the science of bread. Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book has a terrific section like that, but it's all whole-grain, so some of the chemistry will be different.
Once you get the feel for bread, just about anything works. Getting that "feel" is a long learning process, though. You'll get there! Be persistent.
From your description, I would guess you are adding too much flour in the kneading process. This is the usual reason beginner's loaves are dense. You may also want to try a longer cooking time at a lower temperature, or turn the oven down after the first 10-15 minutes of baking. You can also change the crust by brushing the top with oil, butter, beaten egg, or water for various effects.
When you take the loaves out of the oven, thump the bottoms. If they sound dull, stick them back in to bake some more. If they sound hollow, they're done.
I do whole wheat loaves, and they generally take 45 minutes to an hour to bake.
Good luck!
I have switched to a bread machine. So much easier. If I didn't have that I would vote for the artisan bread. Good luck.
I'm also voting for "Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day." It's even written by Mpls/St. Paul chefs. I bake bread almost daily now. The bad news is that you don't really need a Kitchen Aid for it :)
Save your Kitchen Aid mixer for other things and get the "Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day" like others have said. I was never a bread baker, and now we have fresh bread almost every night. There will be a small initial investment for the "equipment" (large container w/ lid, pizza stone, etc.), but after that you're just paying pennies for the ingredients. I will warn you though, follow the instructions on not cutting the bread while still hot from the oven. It does require some sitting time or it will be gummy. Good luck!
Yes I concur, Artisan Bread or Healthy Bread in 5 minutes a day books, and a bread machine (you don't have to buy an expensive new one, they were a fad for a while and everyone got one for a gift for their wedding andnever used them, so there are lots of barely or not at all used ones out there, you can get nearly new ones at Goodwill or Salvation army stores for 5-10 dollars, and download the manuals online). A Kitchen Aid mixer is good to have for other things than bread, including cake, cookies and other great yummies!
I made all our bread whole grain and other specialty breads that are close to $3 or $4 per loaf, at the store, for 70 to 95 cents a loaf at home, all last year from September through June - once it got hot, I quit the baking, and we bought bread all summer - but I am starting back into it - there is just something so good about homemade bread, even if it is made in a bread machine.
Barometric Pressure and humidity in the air can screw up things too, so it really could just be the weather in your area.
From reading your question and the follow up it seems like you are doing everything right. One thing that can really mess you up ( and I know cause it happend to me) is your oven. I suspect it is off by some many degrees and that can mess with your baking results. Mine was so bad I did not bake for 2 years untill I finally had enough and begged my landlord for a new range. Now everything is within 10 degrees and baking is once again a joy.
Have him buy you a breadmaker instead. It can do all the work and then you can put in a loaf pan and bake it. I think you will both be happier.
