Bread

[missdiane]

How the hell can I get bread right?

I am using fresh yeast, using a nice strong mixer, I am proving for as long as necessary- in a hotplate which is constant temp, and I think I am doing everything else right- yet it still looks like cake.
Does anyone have a fail safe recipe that I can practice on.
Have tried a bloomer type shape- well that looked like a squished bloomer once it come out of oven, tried rolls- too small maybe?

Tried Iced buns today, bullets they turned out like, I don't even think the ducks will touch them

The only thing I have mastered is a foccaccia flat bread type thing with garlic, olive oil and onion

Edited by missdiane on Wednesday 15th April 18:39

[Shaw Tarse]

Are you knocking it back? (think that's the term)

[missdiane]

yup

[Shaw Tarse]

In that case I'm not sure what to advise?
Though at catering college we had to make bread rolls, others followed a recipie to the letter, me & mate apres pub
Guesstimated, buggered off for chips while the dough proved.
Knocked it back, shaped the rolls.
Wandered off again.
Came back & baked them.
Were some of the best rolls made there!

[missdiane]

I dunno either, I am thinking my standards are too high, and very dissapointed when they don't come out looking like the local bakers breads

[Coq au Vin]

So the dough is rising properly during that first prove? And the second one?

Is the bread collapsing once you put it the oven?

[missdiane]

Its definately doubling in size first time, I think it's doubling second time- pretty much- though bloomer type comes up and spreads out like cow pat,
then getting it from hot plate to oven- sometimes it flattens. once in oven it stays like it looked when it went in there, which is the idea anyway isn't it?

[Coq au Vin]

missdiane said:

Its definately doubling in size first time, I think it's doubling second time- pretty much- though bloomer type comes up and spreads out like cow pat,
then getting it from hot plate to oven- sometimes it flattens. once in oven it stays like it looked when it went in there, which is the idea anyway isn't it?

Sounds like you're over-proving it the second time. You don't need to let it double in size on that final rise - just give it 30 minutes (maybe an hour at the most) just until it puffs up a bit. It will finish expanding in the oven. This is especially important with softer doughss

[missdiane]

Oh lovely, thanks- I will have another practice tomorrow

[Mobile Chicane]

Are you using flour with the appropriate gluten content? 'Strong' bread flour or '00' is the thing. However personally I don't think there's a substitute for giving it a good old knead rather than using a machine. Hard work, but cheaper than the gym.

[missdiane]

I do bulk, so with hand is really hard work, plus I have other stuff to be getting on with

I use strong flour

[Rude Girl]

Maybe it's a bit wet? I use a bread machine all the time (yeah, I know, I know), and it's massively sensitive (to within about 2tsp) to the quantity of water.

[missdiane]

Thanks RG
I do literally just bung in what the recipe tells me to, it forms into dough straight away and by the end of my mixing, it does sometimes spread out in the mixing bowl, so this is something else I can try

[Coq au Vin]

Kneading by machine works just fine, although it's always good to finish it off by hand.

[Coq au Vin]

missdiane said:

Thanks RG
I do literally just bung in what the recipe tells me to, it forms into dough straight away and by the end of my mixing, it does sometimes spread out in the mixing bowl, so this is something else I can try

It's hard to describe the dough texture you're aiming for. Someone once said that it should feel a bit like a breast.

[missdiane]

Don't they all feel different? I only know what two feel like.

I can go on that though, good few pointers, thanks everyone

[Rude Girl]

missdiane said:

Don't they all feel different? I only know what two feel like.

I can go on that though, good few pointers, thanks everyone

My OH tells me that implant-enhanced ones are rock solid. I doubt that helps much...

[missdiane]