Did I BAKE BREAD...or WHAT??
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| Wed, 11-05-2003 - 10:36pm |
Okay, I am lazy....but I just went thru major torture~!....I *baked bread* tonight....from 5:00 till 9:00. Really I just made a big mess.(lol)....anyhow, on the food board, we all got talking 'bout making bread and I just went for it.....I NEVER have luck with bread. So, I'm copying that post to post over here in case anyone can recognize my problem and help me correct it. I have 1 loaf in the fridge that I May or May-NOT try again with tomorrow. This breadmaking stuff really makes the house smell wonderful, but it is kind of disappointing when the darn thing flops. Oh well, Kept me from smoking!(lol)
Here's my post, check out the photos below.....
Hmmmmm. . . . . well, that was 4 hours of TORTURE!!(LOLOL)
Okay, it was fun.
I did Carries White bread.
Carrie, I used bread flour. When mixing in, it only *took* 7 cups. Is that bad/good? THEN, must tell you it took THREE times to get my yeast to cooperate!(lol)....I never really knew what to look for ...they say it will be foamy and spongy....well, the first one just sat there. I even found my instant read thermometer to check water temp....it was 103degrees. I followed some instructions that said to put 1 spoon sugar in the 1/2 cup water and let it fall to the bottom. Then sprinkle in the yeast and DON'T STIR!! HA HA HA!!! Nothing happened when I didn't stir!(lol)...that was 20 minutes of watching yeast sit on top of water!....I tried 2 times more before I got it right....THEN, the one that hadn't been doing anything, I stirred it up and va-va-va-voom, it started foaming all Over the place!
So, After that major workout beating and kneading the heck out of the dough till it got shiny and elastic....I let it rise in the oven that HAD been heated at 150. Now, maybe this is a problem?
Took it out...did the stick finger in and see if the impression stays...it did. THen I did what this one recipe said to do....I took the dough, punched it.....(and parenthetically, don't "OVER oil" the bowl cause the oil spurted out all over the place when I hit that blob)..and divided it into two blobs, THEN it said to roll out the dough to 12X18 rectangle, then roll back up and put in a loaf pan. THIS I'm confused....Breadmaking ladies...is this what you do? .....anyhow, then I let it rise again (in the oven again)....
I took one of the loaves, punched it down, and stuck it in a bag to make Thursday.
The other loaf, I brushed with egg white and dusted with a dab of cinnamon and sugar. . . . I think THat part messed it up. I cooked it for 30 minutes. I don't know how to tell if it is done. It looked burned on top....but this may have been the cinnamon/sugar deal.
So, cut it open, and I think something is wrong....the bottom part is thick and heavy dough-y. . . it does Not look done ....then, it seems very heavy....should it be heavy?
I have some photos so you can see what I did.....I hope someone can suggest something. I'm going to try the second loaf tomorrow.
So, check my photos and see what you think.....
~~tracy
THE first photo is a photo of the yeast that finally went to town ...
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Edited 11/5/2003 11:50:25 PM ET by stracy1

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First big hugs to you, bless your heart and second yayyy for diving in. :)
Now I need to see the recipe...the first bowl looks too runny-like it could use another cup of flour at least??
So let me post for tomorrow, if you can find the recipe, great and I'll share my rolls when we do our holiday recipes, k? Don't give up. Did the kitchen smell heavenly??
~Golly~
LOL - - Golly that first photo was a photo of the 2 yeast attempts I made in addition to the yeast I used......I was just showing how Foamy they got after I stirred them.
I admire you for even *doing* this
Hard for me to imagine you as Betty though for some reason
However my *hat* is definitely off to you
This breadmaking stuff really makes the house smell wonderful, but it is kind of disappointing when the darn thing flops.
I'm NOT BETTY or any
Humm, ok on the yeast.
I've never seen yeast quite like that, must be the addition of the sugar (I don't use) which helps it rise. I use the packaged yeast and not the cake as I've had too many failures and had to do over with the cake. Check the date on the yeast too.
I too use a pyrex measuring cup (one cup size) which I get good and warm running it under warm water.
Then I test the water with my wrist-hoping to get it a tiny bit warmer than a baby's bottle of milk. If I think it'll cool too fast, I'll set the cup in a pan of slightly hot water to try to keep it at the original temp. I started out with. My yeast doesn't look like it's doing anything and yes some granules are on the top. I do stir just a tad before using.
Let it rise 5 minutes (during the time mix the other ingredients)
For my first rising, I mix 1/2 of the flour in with my hand mixer just till mixed. The last 1/2 of the flour, I mix in with a spoon-a fairly light touch. I use one cup of flour to sort of adjust the dough to the consistancy I feel is right (perhaps add in 1/2 of that 8th cup).
Then, cover it with a cloth and put it in the sunshine if there is any or in a warm place to rise.
After it's first rising (it should be double or a tad more), using the same bowl (so no oiling at all though wiping the bowl with a paper towel that has oil on it shouldn't hurt), I punch once in the middle (a light punch), pull it away from the bowl and put it on some floured waxed paper. There's where I use the rest of the flour for my hands, the waxed paper and the dough and *work* it till it's elastic. I wrap
Well, Golllllllllllllllllley, I never expected such a helpful post coming at 12:23 in the morning!..Golly, I hope you got some sleep last night!(lol)...you are such a sweetheart!!
Golly, my yeast was that pack of Fleishman's dry yeast that comes 3 in a packet..the powder stuff. And, actually the yeast stuff that I used did not foam up THAT much....that foamy mess was After I stirred it and it had been sitting there about 20 minutes or so.
Barb
To be a Gardener is to believe in tomorrow
My SO's family won't let me in the door on a Sunday without a loaf of warm bread....
I don't make the yeast thing a lot of work, but...
Concentrating on bread making last night was a good thing for me Tracy. ;)
So a big ty for your share. :)
I used to use regular flour but the last several years, I use bread flour. It just seems to do better I think.
And if it makes you feel any better I have extra eggs and butter at room temp. waiting in case I don't feel my first batch is going to come out right and a few times, I've thrown out the first batch and started over.
~Golly~
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