Sometimes the bread turns out extra fancy lookin. I've made some procedural improvements since I last posted my recipe- I now wait for the dough to rise about an inch above the top of the pan, then preheat the oven to 475 degrees. The bread goes in for 15 min at high heat, then I turn the loaf around, reduce the heat to 350 for half an hour, and then turn off the oven and let it coast for about 10 minutes. It seems to make a pretty good loaf. I don't have a convection oven, if you do, take that into account when calculating times & temps. Also, I quit putting cracked wheat in it. It just made it extra bumpy, and swapping in an equal amount of additional oatmeal does just fine.
Posts
I can never get my bread to rise that much. It always comes out dense and underbaked. I'm in awe.
ReplyDeleteDon't loose heart! You should have seen my first attempts! But if you're having trouble getting a nice fluffy loaf, there are several things you might try- I let mine do the final rise in the oven with the light turned on and a hot kettle sitting next to it- it keeps it nice and warm. Also, if you use a whole grain recipe, the added gluten helps it keep its shape. Finally, don't be afraid to over-cook it. The first few minutes in a super hot oven really make the air bubbles in the dough expand. Your first couple loaves may be a little dry and crusty, but it will give you a point of reference to reduce cooking times by. Keep baking!
ReplyDelete