Making bread

11 years ago

I am making bread. We will see how it comes out. I found an old Better Homes & Gardens Bread cook book at the library yesterday. I am trying the Perfect White Bread. I could choose the easy method, in the mixer, and finish mixing and kneading by hand, or the conventional method. Well, my hands won't do the old fashioned way, so I did it in my KA, including mixing in the last of the flour. I just can't stir it by hand. But I did knead it by hand for the whole 10 minutes! I may not be able to do anything else for the rest of the day, but I did it! It is now rising for the first time. Of course, I didn't think fast enough. DS came and helped unload the canned goods and other food stuff that can't be left in for the winter, and a few other odd jobs for us. DH has the day off today because it's election day, so the two of them got some yard stuff done. DS took baking and pastry in high school at the vocational school. He got the master bread maker award. I should have made him stay until it was ready to knead! He would have known when it was just right. Oh, well, now I can honestly say that I did it! Here it is rising in the bowl.

Tami

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Comments (21)

dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
11 years ago
"It's alive! It's alive! It's alive!"

dcarch
coconut_nj
11 years ago
Yum Tami! Looks great. I can almost smell it baking. I need to get some no knead bread going now that I'm back home...oops... no stove yet, well no propane. Now I really want it. LOL
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Way back when, in my college days, where there was no decent bread available to purchase, I would make a white bread from an old Joy of Cooking recipe. The recipe called for the bread to be baked in a cold (not preheated) oven. One lovely day in May, I set about mixing the bread. When I put it aside to rise, I'd go out, do whatever I had to do, come back, punch the bread down, and go out again while the bread rose. On the second rising, I saw a number of people headed for one of the lecture halls, and I realized that the symposium that I thought was that evening was that afternoon. So I went to the symposium and watched the clock. When it was clear that the symposium wouldn't be over in time to punch down the dough, I called a friend and asked her to do so (she ended up liking the punching down so much that she started baking bread, too). When I finally got back, I shaped the dough into loaves and let the loaves rest for an hour before baking. Just before baking, the electric wire that served my building was blown off the pole and thus my electric oven was non-functional. So I punched the dough down again and started calling around to friends to find one with a cold oven. Got one, reshaped the loaves, let rise, and traveled with my loaves to the other house. The final product was the MOST delicious, best textured bread I ever made from that recipe. All it took was 3 extra risings.
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1. Could you have accidently used the QUICK dough cycle instead of the regular dough cycle? If so, there wasn't sufficient proofing time. 2. Dough rises according to the temperature, moisture, and the strength of the yeast - not a clock. It takes longer the colder the ambient temperature. After the 1-hr. rise was it double in bulk? 3. You may have had too much dough for the pan size. Did you weigh the dough before choosing the pan size? Jumbo - 10x4-1/2" - 4-5 c. of flour - 2+ pounds of dough Quick Bread Pan - 9x5 - 4 c. of flour - 2-pounds Standard - 8-1/2x4-1/2 - 3 c. of flour - 1-1/2-pounds Medium - 7-1/2x3-1/2 - 2-1/2 c. of flour - 1-pound Small - 5-3/4x3-3/4 - 1-1/2 c. of flour - 8-oz. 4. After you removed the dough from the bread machine and deflated it did you round the dough and allow it to rest (covered) for 10-minutes before forming it? 5. Is it possible you used the wrong measuring spoon for measuring the yeast? I have a 1/2 T. measuring spoon that can accidently get pulled when I needed 1 teaspoon. 6. Cracks and shredding on the side of the loaf are often caused by too much flour OR old flour. If you haven't been using your flour because you have been making gluten-free breads, it may have been too old to make good bread. -Grainlady
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I make both fresh and dried bread crumbs, process them in a FP, or grate the dried bread on a box grater or stick in a zip-lock bag and attack it with a rolling pin, and keep them in the freezer. I put too much work and expensive healthy ingredients into our breads (freshly milled flour, chia seeds, high maize resistant starch, multi-grain cereal blends, flaxmeal, etc.) NOT to use every bit of it - even that last heel. I have gone through old cookbooks gleaning recipes that use bread crumbs and use them in recipes for cookies, pie crust (similar to a graham cracker crust), pancakes and waffles, muffins, and even a recently-found brownie recipe (that's not too bad), along with other more traditional uses. In some recipes the bread crumbs are used instead of flour; in others used in combination with flour. CHOCOLATE CRUMB BROWNIES 1/3 cup margarine or butter 6 tablespoons cocoa powder (I use Hershey's 100% CACAO) 2 3/4 cup medium-fine soft bread crumbs* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 cup chopped nuts, optional 1 egg 2 tablespoons water 1 cup brown sugar, packed Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease an 8-inch square baking pan. Melt margarine and cocoa powder together over low heat, stirring occasionally. If using a microwave, cook on LOW power for 1 1/2 -2 minutes or until margarine is melted; stir to combine. Cool. In medium mixing bowl, combine bread crumbs, baking powder and nuts. In separate bowl, beat egg and water together. Stir in cocoa mixture and brown sugar; beat until combined. Combine cocoa mixture with bread mixture until all ingredients are moistened. Spread evenly in prepared pan. Bake 25-30 minutes or until done. Cool completely on wire rack. Makes 16 brownies. *Do not use commercial dry bread crumbs. Bread that is at least 3 days old works best. Using a food processor, blender, or by hand, shred bread into medium-fine crumbs. Nutrient Analysis. One brownie provides: 128 Kcal, 1.6 g protein, 18.4 g carbohydrates, .3 g dietary fiber, 6 g fat, 13 mg cholesterol, 82 mg potassium and 122 mg sodium. -Grainlady
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Just as you thought. To "retard" bread dough you sit it in the refrigerator. Make sure it's tightly covered with plastic wrap (or you can place it in a large zip-lock bag) so it doesn't dry out. Naturally-leavened breads take much longer to proof than bread made with baker's yeast. It's an all-day process which starts the night before when you feed the starter. Chilling dough "retards" the action of the yeast (and that's why it's called "retarding" the dough). Retarding the dough also influences the texture by opening it a little more and it also creates more flavor. The down side to retarding the dough is that it reduces the volume. You can compensate for this by dissolving 1/2 t. of yeast in a few tablespoons of warm water and knead this into the dough before shaping. There are recipes specifically for refrigerator dough recipes and they usually have mashed potatoes (or other mashed vegetables) in them (or instant mashed potatoes can be substituted). The potatoes add moisture and keep the dough from drying out in the dry confines of our frost-free refrigerators. These recipes often have more yeast in them than a standard recipe. Betty Crocker Refrigerator Dough is a good classic recipe that contains mashed potatoes, and the dough could be left in the refrigerator for up to 5-days. So on day one you could make the dough, and each day thereafter you could bake something different - dinner rolls, hamburger or hot dog buns, braided dinner rolls, Parker House Rolls, Crescent Rolls... -Grainlady
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lindac
11 years ago
coco!! You are alive!!...Even if no propane....yeah!!!
Bread looks lovely....post another picture of it soon!!
tami_ohio
Original Author
11 years ago
Well, it's in the pans, finally, and in the oven with the light on for warmth, for the final rise. I forgot to take pics of it before I did that. Sorry. I'll try to remember to take one before and after baking! Now I remember why I don't like making my own bread. It seems to take forever! And I always end up baking it late at night. It shouldn't be much longer before I put it in to bake tho.

Coconut, I am so glad to see you post! We were worried about you.

Tami
tami_ohio
Original Author
11 years ago
Well, 45 minutes later, it hasn't risen. I am letting is go for another 15 minutes to see what happens. I am not happy.
lakeguy35
11 years ago
Looks like it's starting to rise to me....just give it some more time. Love, love homemade bread!

Great to see you posting Coconut! Hope y'all are doing okay!

David
dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
11 years ago
What is the temperature of your kitchen?

I know people always say use the oven light, but the oven light gives very little heat. The bulb is insulated from the oven so that the bulb will not be damaged when the oven is on.

dcarch
tami_ohio
Original Author
11 years ago
The kitchen is never very warm except in the summer. The oven light in my oven is actually VERY warm. I have to use a pot holder to touch the bread pans. They have been in there for an hour and a half, and I just set the timer for another half hour.
tami_ohio
Original Author
11 years ago
Ijust put it in the oven. It still hasn't risen as much as I expected it to. They will be very short loaves. Oh well. It's 9:30 now. There is no way I can stay up late enough to let it rise any more. It will have to do. I'm ready for bed now. Meds are kicking my butt. When it comes out, I'll take it out of the pans and cover them with a towel until morning.
agmss15
11 years ago
If you can't touch the pans then it may be too hot a spot to rise dough. FWIW I have a very chilly home. I just let the dough go slow even overnight. Much better flavor and texture. Plus then I am not waiting in frustration. Your dough is beautiful!
annie1992
11 years ago
I also have a very cold kitchen and sometimes bread just seems to take forever to rise.

I'd have just stuck those pans into the fridge and baked them in the morning!

I'm sure it will be delicious anyway.

Coconut, I knew you were OK but couldn't post on the "hurricane" thread on conversations because it's full, I suppose I should start another one, since I've also heard from Woodie...

Annie
tami_ohio
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks. I have an appointment first thing in the morning, so I can't let it go overnight and bake it in them morning.
tami_ohio
Original Author
11 years ago
Annie, we must have been posting at the same time! The bread is out of the oven. I won't cut it until morning, but it smells good! It rose some more in the oven. Couldn't bake it in the morning, as I have an appointment, probably two if I can get into the chiropractor after my hair appt.
annie1992
11 years ago
Yes, there's always a bit of "oven spring" but I never know how much I'll get if I don't let the bread rise long enough before putting it in.

That looks perfectly delicious, though, and I bet it was.

Annie
tami_ohio
Original Author
11 years ago
Well, pictures are in my phone. I haven't emailed them to myself yet. I have to bricks! They are eatable, flavor is ok, but they are very dense. I got to thinking about it, and decided there might not have been enough yeast in it. The recipe called for .25 oz of yeast. Well, my scale doesn't read that way. I can do .2 oz or .3 oz, but not .25 oz. So I went to .3 and took some out. If I can remember, I will post the pics sometime tomorrow. Phone is on the charger now.

Tami
lindac
11 years ago
Your oven was too hot.
For a quick rise, I put a quart glass conatiner of water in to the micro and run the micro until the water boils. Then put in the dough to rise. It's warm in there and steamy and bread pops right up.
However you get a better flavor with a longer rise.
Should have pout the bread in the refrig over night, taken it out and put it on the counter when you came home from your appointments and baked it just before dinner.
arkansas girl
11 years ago
OH Lindac, thanks for that idea! I've been putting my bread on the stove with a pot of water on a burner on low simmer next to it covered(the loaf) with plastic! (for more heat in a coldish kitchen) This is a much better idea!

IMHO, I think that you just didn't allow the dough to rise high enough on your loaves. I'm new to bread baking and learn something new each time and my first loaf I did as you did and didn't allow enough rise time but second loaf I allowed it to rise what I was afraid was too high but it was perfect!
cloudy_christine
11 years ago
That's a beautiful Polish pottery bread pan.
tami_ohio
Original Author
11 years ago
Linda, I'll try to remember to try that next time! I may not have put in enough yeast either. It called for .25 oz. My scale doesn't do the that, only .2. I guesstamated after that.

CC, thanks! We just bought it this summer! DH is Polish. I didn't expect anyone to recognize it as Polish Pottery. I wouldn't have before we bought it.

Tami
annie1992
11 years ago
That IS a lovely pan, Tami.

I've also been known to put my bread dough in a cooler with a canning jar full of hot water to give it a warm place to rise, especially if I want to use the microwave for something else (like a cup of tea while waiting for the bread to rise!).

Annie
coconut_nj
11 years ago
Thanks everyone. I was in the hospital during the storm, so couldn't check in until I got home earlier in the week. I appreciate your concern.

Tami, you wouldn't believe how long it takes in my cold house for bread to rise. I like Annie's idea of the cooler. Only thing is Christy won't be happy with me bringing it inside since she'll be the one to drag it back out to the garage when I'm done. Our garage is not attached. LOL. I do seem to have better luck with my no knead bread since it's doing so much slow rising in the fridge before the last rise after you shape it. Still... takes time.

Making bread

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dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m

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