bread

[dazza]

Hi
Why am I having trouble with bread, just basic bread.
Followed recipe to the letter. Have tried it on numerous occasions always the same result, lousy.
It's heavy, not a soft dough you get as with a bread maker.
Suggested time is not enough 
Why me!!!

Dazza

[cookie1]

Welcome to the forum dazza. You sound angry and frustrated. What recipe are you using? Are you using Baker's flour? Is your yeast fresh?
Let us know and I'm sure someone here will be able to help you.

[judydawn]

Hi dazza, welcome to the forum.  I had the same problem as you and could not make a decent loaf of bread until isi came on the forum and started posting recipes.  The following 2 are the first I had success with as either rolls or loaves - have a read through (many pages but you will learn a lot and we asked a lot of questions).


http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=2665.0

http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=2729.0

Check out Chookie's recipes too - she is another bread making whizz and I have success with her loaves too. Farfallina is another one with several bread recipes. I now feel confident making a loaf of bread from any posting.  I always add 2 tspns bread improver though as I find it does seem to help.  I don't experiment much with different grains, am happy to just use bakers flour and always use dried yeast rather than fresh because I had a problem with one lot I bought which obviously wasn't fresh and my loaves failed.

So the bottom line is read, read and read from the Bread section and don't give up trying because you will succeed in the end due to your persistence as a lot of others have.  There is no greater feeling than making a lovely batch of rolls or a loaf of bread - I still marvel at every single one I make and visitors are blown away when they are served up home made bread.

[CreamPuff63]

I make the basic bread recipe quite often because I love grinding up the wheat, and then I make it into 7 rolls and freeze for DD's lunch. Its also a nice one to have with soup. I would say it wasn't a 'heavy' bread dough, but its not 'airy', and its perfect for what we like to have with it. I think its good to experiment with different bread recipes until you find one that you like.

I find that by letting the dough rise for about 1.5 hours, knock back and make into rolls and turn the oven on while they do the second rise, by the time they have risen the oven has reached its temperature (approx 30 mins). Don't give up, just experiment (the ingredients aren't all that expensive) and I am sure success is just around the corner.

[achookwoman]

dazza,  keep trying because once you get the knack there will be no stopping you.   The recipe in the TMX ,  EDC book is fine, but the process is all wrong.  CP63 has found her way around it.  Basically it needs 2 DOUBLE rises.   If you don't need the machine,  let it rise to double in the bowl.  Then tip it out and form into what ever you want....loaf, rolls,bread stick.  Let it double again.  The temp should be between 20/25 for the yeast to produce gas and allow the dough to double.
Where do you live?  If it is in Vic and near me I can give you a hand.   I think the best advice has already been given by other members to you.   You MUST work it out before Easter next year so that you can make yummy Easter Hot Cross Buns.  We will all help you,  so try and ask for help if you need it.

[Kym]

Thanks for posting this Dazza.  I've been finding this loaf to be rather heavy and even though I like it DH is not a fan.

Off to read the other tips and try the double rise next time.

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

I haven't tried the basic bread from the EDC for almost a year, but gave it another go today.  After 2 double rises and a slightly increased oven temperature the rolls were fantastic.  I used spelt as my grain, but will use a little linseed also next time as I love the linseed taste in bread. Thanks for putting me back onto this recipe CP63. 

[earth mumma]

Hi Dazza. 

I too had problems with bread for a long time.  It sounds like we all have our own little quirky ways of making it work.  I use the EDC recipe but the biggest difference I had was by using a baker's flour and sachets of yeast (I use defiance brand and it seems to work every time).  I also like to use my thermoserver to prove my bread in (fill it with almost boiling water before making your bread - tip this out and lightly oil once you've made you dough) then pop it in a warm spot or if it's a really cold day I preheat my oven to about 50 oc then turn it off and put it in there with a damp tea towel over the top as it is proving.  I try not to have it proved in the 30mins and look more at what the dough has done in that time.  I try to have it nearly at the top of the thermoserver before I shape it or put it in my bread tin.  The other thing I do is I am quite specific about the order I put the ingredients in.  I grind my grains the put in the yeast the the plain flour then salt and oil and lastly I add 200gm of cold water and 100gm of boiling water.  Mix it all at sp 7 for about 5 secs and te I knead for 2 mins.  I tried making bread on and off for 18mths and had pretty much given up, but now I never have failures, so keep trying and you'll find the perfect loaf for you.    

[achookwoman]

Earth mumma,  this looks really good.   A couple of questions,  do you do a double rise,  that is a second rise once you have shaped your bread?  and second,  do you mix the cold and boiling water together before you tip it on to the other ingredients?

[earth mumma]

Hi achookwoman.  I don't always do a 2nd rise.  It depends on what I am making.  If it's a freeform - like a vienna loaf, I just shape it, cut lines in it and spinkle water over the top to make it crunchy (then pop some seasme seeds on) then put it in a cold oven on 180 -200 for about 30mins.  The oven coming up to temp does the 2nd rise for you.  If I am making a tin loaf I do usually let it have a 2nd rise so that the bread comes up to the top of my tin before I put it in a pre heated oven.  With the water I don't mix it first, but put the cold in 1st and the boiling on top.  I might try and get very techno and post a picture  .

[Thermomixer]

Welcome dazza - if it is the Everyday Cooking recipe, then don't follow it !

Lots of great ideas above and recipes that work on here.

[Nik2WIN]

I've just got some bread rising as we speak (I hope)  Its the first time I've tried to make bread in Thelma but, really, I can't believe that bread with so little kneading time is going to be successful??

Anybody got any reassurance to offer.

Nik

[katesjoy]

l haven't had a failure yet, Nik, and friends and family are always after some of my rolls or loaves.  Although l do pretty much stick to Isi's recipes.

[judydawn]

How did it go Nik.  Hope you had success with your first loaf.  If not, try and try again - we all start off wobbly but eventually get there and think ourselves so clever everytime we pull something out of the oven. Isi's basic bread recipe was my first success.

[Nik2WIN]

Well it looked OK, texture was good but I have to say I wasn't impressed with the taste but given that it went from flour to cooked loaf in about 2 hours I suppose you've got to sacrifice something.

I only gave it one rise and in future I'd definitely do two.

My middle son took one look at it this morning and told me they're learning about an artist that didn't use any straight lines in his work only curves and wants to take the remaining loaf to school to illustrate it (he's 5!)

Nik