Bread making gone wrong

Guill

So I have been making bread On and off for a while now with mixed results. Someday it's fantastic light fluffy bread, others it's bots so good.

The thing is that lately I have got stuck in a rut where every loaf I make is "stodgy". The out side is fine but towards the middle it gets thicker and more dense. I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong.

I.have tried kneeding more.
Increasing rising time
More/less liquid
Different.recipes
Different baking temps

Still it comes out the same every time so I'm thinking that it's something basic I'm missing/forgetting.

Any ideas? Fool proof tips and recipes?

Thanks

huskerdu

Can you post the recipe you use, for us to advise on ?

dee_mc

Are you using fast action dried yeast? Are you adding the yeast to the flour or adding it to liquid first? Might be a good idea to try adding it to warm liquid first (as is called for in many recipes) if that's not what you usually do, to make sure the yeast actually is active.

Guill

huskerdu wrote: »

Can you post the recipe you use, for us to advise on ?

Flour 500
water 300
salt tsp
Sugar tsp
Yeast tsp
Oil tsp


On the move at the moment so hard to type more detail, generally mix the dry together and the wet together and then combine, knead, rise, knock back and quick knead, bake at 180 (electrical oven) I also use Hugh fernleys recipe which has honey instead of sugar and slightly.more oil.

Guill

Guill wrote: »

Flour 500
water 300
salt tsp
Sugar tsp
Yeast tsp
Oil tsp


On the move at the moment so hard to type more detail, generally mix the dry together and the wet together and then combine, knead, rise, knock back and quick knead, bake at 180 (electrical oven) I also use Hugh fernleys recipe which has honey instead of sugar and slightly.more oil.

Didn't realise I had these

Curry Addict

Guill wrote: »

Flour 500
water 300
salt tsp
Sugar tsp
Yeast tsp
Oil tsp


On the move at the moment so hard to type more detail, generally mix the dry together and the wet together and then combine, knead, rise, knock back and quick knead, bake at 180 (electrical oven) I also use Hugh fernleys recipe which has honey instead of sugar and slightly.more oil.

you need to do a second rise or "proof" after shaping the dough for baking. it should grow by at least 1/2 its size on its second rise before baking.


a method that works really well is to start the night before.
put your yeast, 300g flour and 300g of tepid water in a bowl and mix it gently just to combine the ingredients. leave it over night(its called a poolish at this stage). In the morning add the reset of the flour (200g) and the salt (9g is optimal) and mix and need for about 10 minutes. shape it and proof it for 1.5 hours at around 25 degrees. then bake for 40mins at 200degrees.

the overnight poolish gives it great flavour.

breen_og

Firstly depending on what flour you are using I would add more water. Say about 320 to 350 ml. As you work the dough it will dry out slightly if you still find it too wet it's ok to incorporate a bit of flour while kneading.
Salt should be between 5 and 10 g.
Oil I usually go 15 g.

Another tip is to use the autolyse method. It doesn't take as long as the poolish bit doesn't add any extra flavour it just shortens the kneading time.

For autolyse just add all the ingredients except the yeast mix together and leave to sit for 45 mins. You don't have to have kneaded the dough at this stage just mix until incorporated.

After 45 mins add the yeast and knead into the dough. Continue to knead for 10 mins or until smooth and elastic. Richard bertinet has a great technique for kneading should be on youtube.

As others have mentioned. Proof either in the fridge over night or at room temp until doubled.

Shape and let proof again till almost doubled in size.

Cook at the highest oven temp as possible. Check after 5 mins if Browning too quickly turn the oven down to 200-180 for the rest of the bake period.

Guill

Cheers for the advice folks, got much better results. One thing I noticed myself was that I was trying to make too much in a go (doubling up on ingredients) which was affecting my kneading.

I let it proove in the fridge over night too.

It's out of shape cause I left it covered an when i rose the second time it got a bit squashed, lesson learned!



Lovely with sausages:



thanks all.

Curry Addict

looks great! i think its better to leave it out of the fridge overnight so the yiest remains active.

genuine leather

Bakers above have given great advice Guill.
Lovely looking bread there:)
My twopence worth.
For loaf bread i make, 500grms(100%) of strong white will take 325- 340(32-34%) mls of warm water,anywhere between 30-45 deg C temp, more often 34-36deg, when mixed it will come down to 27deg ish, perfect for proving.

9 times out of ten i will make a poolish(curry addict mentioned) prior to any bread making,proving in the fridge or on the counter depending on where my time is at,it really enhances flavour,crumb and crust. Do try the overnight in the fridge sometime, excellent results.

You mentioned you bake the bread at 180 deg. Before i place the breads,my oven is pre heated at full temp(mine 250) for a min of 10 mins, its really important for the oven spring.I will spray the bread with cool water prior to placing in the oven, it stops the dough forming a crust to soon for a higher risen bread. I normally cook all loaves in thirty mins(two breads at 1750grms each).250-10mins(spray water while turning),210/220-10 mins( spray of water),180/200-10 mins, depending on your oven and how the loves are browning adjust to suit. The slightly higher temps i cook at gives a lovely carmelised crust.Its just what works in my situation.
Different hands make different bread.

I noticed the butter sliding of your bread:)
When taken from the oven bread continues to cook for another half an hour or so,with the residual heat. For me, tempting as it is, i will leave the bread for at least an hour to cool, bread loaves cut while hot will squash the crumb and become firm and heavy in the middle. Or at least until the bread is only warm to the touch.
Happy baking
GL