Bread making?

Question

Whenever I try to make simple bread it seems to become very hard and maybe use a chisel/hammer to cut open, so where am I going wrong too much yeast? it simply wont rise even after all the advice on the net I keep it for 4 to 5 hours on butter paper and all that, you make bread at home?! You please tell me how its done properly!
Thanks a lot,
Yaz

Answer 1

Yaz,

Making bread is both easy, and tricky. You are dealing with living organisms (yeast) and they need a stable environment to fully develop a colony, grow, digest the starch in the flour, and generate carbon dioxide to make your dough rise. (Bread making uses fermentation - like beer and wine making.)

Your yeast may be old - it only keeps about 3-6 months. Try using fresh yeast. To check if your yeast is viable, 'proof' it by stirring into about 1 cup of warm water (between 100-110 F) and waiting for it to bubble, between 15-30 minutes. If you don't see some foam at the top and it doesn't smell 'yeasty, then it's dead. Use warm water, neither cold nor hot.

You should also let your dough rise in a warm, draft-free area. I use a microwave oven - put it in large bowl, lightly coat it with olive oil or a spray oil like Pam, and cover with sheet of plastic. (Don't let anyone turn on the micro or it will kill the yeast.) It should double in 1-2 hours. Punch it down and make your loaves.

There is also the possibilty that you have chlorine in your water, which can kill or slow down the yeast. Either pour your water thru a charcoal filter (like a Britta) or use purified water.

The best way I've had success is to make a 2-part dough called a 'poolish'. French bakers have been using the technique for decades to make baguettes. It takes 2 days, but the results are great. Here is one article: < http://primesolid.com/chris/bread.html >

Good luck!

Answer 2

I never made bread from scratch only in a machine using a mix but I do have an idea. Is your yeast old? or maybe the water you use when mixing the dough is too hot that will kill the yeast. Or another idea. I don''t think Dough will rise in a cold environment. Do you leave it in a place where it might even get warm like the stovetop in back where the heat from the oven comes up?

Answer 3

Bread made with water always has a hard crust...whole wheat bread is heavy and dense. If I want a soft moist bread...I make milk bread, and for dinner rolls I use eggs as well. When I rise the dough, I put it in a buttered glass bowl, with clear wrap sealing the bowl and put it in a warm place...on top of the clothes dryer while clothes are drying, oven, microwave...

Answer 4

your ideal guess is to apply sparkling yeast, you will get a small bit from a baker, u will only pick 0.5 of what your recipie say because it truly is better and under no circumstances dehidrated, it ought to also be that in case your usa isn't a bread making usa then the flour u are utilising isn't solid adequate to help the aspects, this back i'd propose u to hunt a baker and ask for a number of there solid flour.

Answer 5

Buy a breadmaker. It's really worth the investment. I have used mine a dozen times and it makes the best bread everytime.

Answer 6

Follow the instructions for adding moisture to the oven:
http://www.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips/t--1100/bread-baking.asp

Hope that helps!