Did I BAKE BREAD...or WHAT??

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Did I BAKE BREAD...or WHAT??
24
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
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Thu, 11-06-2003 - 12:52pm
>>I know that my skin temperature is somewhere around 91 degrees.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Thu, 11-06-2003 - 1:09pm

I must just be a sucker for punishment(lol)


Thanks to you all for your support and help.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Thu, 11-06-2003 - 1:25pm
Wow .. yougogirl!
I want some when it's finished
BTW .. just printed off your Pumpkin Crunch* recipe to write ingredients down for market
Hopefully tomorrow or over the weekend

          Click & Join the fun!
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-22-2002
Thu, 11-06-2003 - 2:22pm

Don't get discouraged Tracy, it sounds like your dough is really stiff (2 1/2 cups of water to 7 cups of flour "feels" like a lot)!


The bread I make all the time, kind of modified from a Cooking Light recipe...


1 cup warm water (105-110)
2 1/2 tsp yeast (or one package)
2 tsp sugar


1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp chopped rosemary
1/2 tsp each of basil, thyme, and oregano
2 1/2 cups flour (bread or all-purpose)
1/4c shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)


For later:

Judie Image hosted by Photobucket.com

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Thu, 11-06-2003 - 3:34pm

Oh Judie, thank you for this recipe!!

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Thu, 11-06-2003 - 5:20pm
>>The bread I make all the time, kind of modified from a Cooking Light recipe...
Oh Judie, this sounds so healthy and I can only imagine how heavenly it must smell cooking, let alone eating!
The rolls I make are definitely from a different era lol but the family insists I not vary our Traditional meal!
Soo, I'm going to try your bread when I can. I have a feeling the family will love it.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Thu, 11-06-2003 - 5:48pm

IT WORKED THIS TIME!!!!!


I almost gave up on it and pitched this batch as it was very slow to rise, BUT, I gave it time...about 1 1/2 hours all together, then I did the punch down...but THIS time, I did NOT knead it any more, I just turned it around in the bowl a bit till it kind of sunk back down to previous size, then I stuck it in the loaf pan and let it rise till it got 1 inch above the pan....cooked at 350 for 30 minutes and

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Thu, 11-06-2003 - 10:40pm
Lol, see? Only your second attempt and it looks perfect! Yayyy Tracy!
Now where's the butter , yummy!!

~Golly~

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-22-2002
Fri, 11-07-2003 - 9:16am

HEY THAT LOOKS LIKE BREAD!

Judie Image hosted by Photobucket.com

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Fri, 11-07-2003 - 11:33am

Judie,
You reminded me that I'll also often cook something that will make the kitchen warm and steamy.
Since warm sunshine isn't always around to set them in to warm them for rising,
I've been known to put them on top of the warm dishwasher or above a warm stove with the door cracked too.lol. Bet we could raise some baby birdie eggs lol.

Your so's mom's recipe sounds like mine.
Handed down to me, mine's now spotted and faded but it's tradition to pull it out and use it. I should laminate it lol. Both sons do have the recipe now .
Hug's comment about taking recipes to the market was great and so I'm printing out some and heading out today.

~Golly~