Could A Knowledgeable Baker Help Me Fix This Botched Bread Job ASAP?

Question

I'm attempting to make amaranth bread.

I was supposed to add active yeast...I know one package was active, but I’m not sure about the other—though I believe it was.

I substituted honey for brown sugar and stone ground whole wheat flour for: white flour, quiona flour and corn meal.

The yeast didn’t foam up after 10 minutes, so I added dry ingredients anyway.

I’m kneading...
And kneading, but the mixture is too wet.
I imaged it would be smooth...like rolling pin smooth.
So, I added more dry ingredients until I had none left.

The dough is still too sticky.
I covered it and set it aside.

I’m to wait 1.5 hours
Knead again
Let rise 2nd time
Punch down dough
And form into two loaves to bake at 350 for 1 hour.

QUESTIONS

1. Will it turn out okay even though the dough is so sticky now?
2. I do not have 9x5 loaf pans...what else can I use?

Answer 1

If the yeast didn't foam up, your bread probably isn't going to rise, and in that case, you're making bricks, not bread.

There are two types of packet yeast these days - active dry, and instant yeast. It doesn't really matter which one you use, if you're making the bread by hand. The instant yeast saves you a little time, but slow-rise breads generally taste better.

Generally, you can't use 100% whole wheat flour, because there isn't enough gluten. You're not "attempting to make amaranth bread" because you're using whole wheat, not amaranth flour. You can use 100% rye flour, and if you get the *light* rye flour, it's pretty good. Most other flours need to be mixed 50/50 or so with white flour.

Yeast responds more slowly to honey than to sugar, but if you have patience, you'll be OK.

If the dough is too sticky, you need to add more flour. If you're out of dry ingredients, the bread is not going to say, "Hey, that's all right, I'm going to turn out OK anyway." It is hard-headed, and is going to say, "Hey, dummy, I'm going to remain too sticky until you fix things."

So get some more flour.

I don't see anything about fat in that loaf. You need to be adding some. The "shorter" the fat, the crustier the bread, the "oilier" the fat, the softer the crust. And the more fat you have, the moister your bread will be.

Yes, you can fix your dough, but I'm not sure it's worth trying to redeem it at this point.

If you don't have bread pans, simply make up a couple of lumps and bake them on cookie sheets or half-sheet pans as "hearth breads".

Answer 2

The problem is probably the honey. For one thing, it has more liquid than brown sugar. What was the ratio you used? When you sub honey for white sugar, you should use about 3/4 the amount of sugar (i.e., 1 cup sugar=3/4 cups honey) and reduce your liquid (1/8 cup for every half cup sugar called for). You also want to reduce the baking powder and up the baking soda; about 1/2 tsp more soda and 1tsp less powder per cup of honey.

It's quite possible this loaf will not work because you upped the flour (and possibly the baking powder?), which threw off the chemistry that allows rising. If you try it again, adjust for the honey as I outlined (both my Mom & me always preferred baking with honey), and it should come out less sticky.

Answer 3

This is real life issue and only exerienced persons, bakers can solve,, Logical answers will not help you , theoratic answers will not help you.. may be you waste your ingredients and time ,, enegry and money.. but let some experienced baker tell you what is exactly wrong.. try and error methods are dangerous.

Answer 4

Roll the dough up and slice into rolls! I would lightly dust with a bit of flour to make them a bit less tacky!Roll each mini roll into a mixture of cinnamon and sugar! Bake on baking sheet!