Perfecting my Bread Making

[ruprick]

I think I've now perfected my bread making......been getting better over the past month or so.

Here are a few tricks I use:

1) I put my milk/water, salt, butter and sugar in a sauce pan - heat it up to melt/disolve everything then put it in the mixing bowl to heat the bowl.

2) Add 80% of my flower and start mixing.

3) I hold off on 1/2 cup of liquid.....use water .....heat to 120F.....disolve in 1 tsp sugar....mix in my 2 packages (2 x 2.25 tsp) yeast....stir it well into a batter = watch the yeast froth until it doubles to 1 cup......then add it to the flower in the mixer.....then add the remaining flower.

Note: I'm using a Kitchenaid big assed mixer with a bread hook.

Before I start - I place a pan of the hottest tap water I can run into a pan....place the pan in the oven.....this keeps the temp in the oven at about 90-95F = perfect draft free area to let bread rise.

Perfect 2 loaves today.

Fresh bread is impressive.

In the past I just did the all in "sponge" mix of the yeast.....never had good rise....this way has been perfect.

Best to learn this now while we have power and time on our sides.

[StackerKen]

Thanks for the Tips ruprick
I show them to my wife and ask her to make me some bread

[Saul Mine]

I use a bread machine to do the mixing. One thing I have learned is not to add the salt to the liquid. It will rise and then collapse. The instructions say the order doesn't matter, but don't you believe it. You add salt next to last, on top of the dry ingredients, and then put in the yeast.

The second thing I learned is to put a pan of water in the oven. About three cups of water. Use an old aluminum pie pan so you don't care about the scale and discoloration. That keeps humidity up so you get a soft crust. I am in a desert, so that may not be necessary where you live. If you think your crust is too dry, try the water.

The third thing I learned is after the machine is finished kneading, spray some non-stick spray on the counter and fold your dough a few times before putting it in the loaf pan. That will take about ten seconds and it makes a much nicer loaf.

I'll get back to you when I learn a fourth thing.

[Neesy]

I've been making bread for a couple of years now. Thanks for some good tips.

I've been thinking of getting some oven stones. Any advice?

[CrufflerJJ]

I've been making bread for a couple of years now. Thanks for some good tips.

I've been thinking of getting some oven stones. Any advice?

Baking stones are nice for giving you a crust on the bottom of the loaf. I used to use a baking stone (a cheapie 3/8" thick one) before I started using a dutch oven.

IF you use a baking stone, and want to humidify your oven during the bake (to give a nice KRUNCHY crust, like in industrial ovens), DO NOT spray water onto the loaf while it's sitting on the stone. This will eventually crack your baking stone, resulting in unhappiness.

Baking stones are quite nice when doing pizza. I like my Super Peel for placing an unbaked pizza directly onto the hot baking stone, without much drama. See:

http://www.amazon.com/Super-Peel-Sol.../dp/B001T6OVPO

[skid]

For a baking stone I use a large piece of left over Pennsylvania blue stone floor tile that we put in our mudroom and bathroom. Fairly smooth and imparts a great crust.

[Saul Mine]

I've been experimenting with oil in recipes. Oil is a little known trick for cakes: add 1/4 cup oil to a cake recipe and it will be magically moist. If you add more than 1/4 cup it will turn into something more like pudding. It has a similar effect on bread, except that the result is sometimes more gummy than moist. I kinda prefer it without the oil, but I haven't done many experiments yet.

[woodman]

I've been wanting to try that no-kneed bread that there was a thread with a video on at the old site. Like you Saul, I use my bread machine to do my dough.

[CrufflerJJ]

I've been wanting to try that no-kneed bread that there was a thread with a video on at the old site. Like you Saul, I use my bread machine to do my dough.

No-knead bread cooked in a dutch oven comes out most excellent. Nice crunchy crust, great flavor.