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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THIS is a BUMP cause I want Hil to see my BREAD!!!(lol)
~~t...............
hil, look at the pictures...then later I got it right!!
Promise to look more tomorrow. Some of us poor sods don't have "the package" and it still takes yonks to catch up. Looking good Tracy. You, if not the bread HA! Hilary
**Hey, you sure did get it "right" Tracy. Wow. I have never cooked bread from scratch except in a breadcooker. Hmm, I had to read that whole discussion......I'm exhausted HA! Danny's Mum gave me a recipe for things called refrigerator rolls once and didn't tell me the recipe made enough to feed an entire army. Your kitchen looked great compared to the mess I had ;)).
Oh, and by the way those cupboards look GREAT!!! Well Done all round. Hilary
Thanks Hil....after all that trouble, it was sure worth it to taste such yummy, warm home made bread.
Funny about the recipe that fed an army!
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