Breadmaking - bread very light and falls apart !

[Deleted User]

I have been making bread for 37 years. This is one I made this week and it was fantastic with a wonderful rise, crust and crumb
1 1/2 lb strong flour (dove)
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp quick yeast
3/4 pt WARM water
splash of olive oil

Knead all (chef or by hand) dough should be soft as the water inside will turn to steam and help raise the bread. Leave an hour or so (covered). Gentle knead, stretch and fold to make a shape. Leave to rise dusted with flour and covered in cling film. I put it on baking parchment and I`ll tell you why.

I put my oven on as hot as possible and put a casserole dish with lid in the oven (mine is metal)when the oven is fully ready then I drop the bread in and quickly pop the lid on. The result is like cooking in a real bread oven and the steam generated raises the bread with a whoosh. I take the lid off after 20 min and reduce temp to 230 and bake about another 30 minutes. Tap the bottom, it should sound hollow. Result was a big golden loaf with splits that would sell in the best bakeries in London

ps. Kneading is NOT important. You can mix and stretch and fold several times over a period of time (hours if needed) and the bread will raise

ariba10

You have not said what Bread Machine you are using.

There are bread machines and bread machines.

MissMuppet

I had another disaster in my bread machine last night, I followed a chocolate bread/cake recipe in the actual breadmaker book... Well it didn't rise and it tastes like cardboard!! Just wondering whether I can rescue it and maybe make a bread & butter pudding with it...

odds-n-sods

most people who have a bread machine do so as they dont' have the time/inclination to make bread by hand..........................

trying-very-trying

I would love to make my bread by hand. I have tried it, but I don't have anywhere warm enough for the dough to rise(at least not during the day, when I have the time)

[Deleted User]

trying -very- hard. Bread will raise in a fridge, it just takes longer. You don`t need a warm room. Allow more time that`s all. I often do the first proving in the fridge overnight. Just take it out and gently stretch and fold and leave it covered in your kitchen. It will work just as well. Don`t look at the clock.

edit. damp dough works well and if you sprinkle flour on for the second (or more) proving (s) then it will feed the yeast. Try a soft flour (00) for sprinkling. Gives a very good result and the yeast likes it

kal25

sahararose wrote: »

Hi all - sorry for late reply, only just got in from work *sobs*

I've used lots of different recipes, putting dry ingredients in first then water - (usually hand hot). Most have included strong bread flour, yeast, salt and a glug of oil. But even the packet mixes turn out the same way !!

Hi, sorry you are having trouble with your breadmaker. You say you put dry ingredients in first? Is this what your manual says to do? It's just that my manual says to put water in first then dry ingredients,I would assume it does make a difference as you are not really supposed to wet the yeast until the machine is kneading/mixing the mix. Just a thought.

sambelina_2

I put the ingredients in the follwing order

water,
butter/marg/oil
flour
salt
sugar
yeast

i make sure i put the salt, sugar and yeast in different corners on top of the flour I have perfect results all the time.

lolarentt

Bread machines are fine if you don't have the time to make by hand. I have 2 (a Morphy Richards and a Panasonic)and both have been totally satisfactory, although the MR makes a granary that looks like the Rocky Mountains on top, and the Panasonic tends to produce a very light textured loaf. I have always added the ingredients with the yeast first, then flour and rest of the dry stuff (powdered milk,sugar,salt), finally water (cold, or tepid in winter) and oil.

odds-n-sods

the order yop put things in depends on the machine, some say liquid first others dry. If you chnage it around the bread may not turn out. We need ot know what make the OP has, I think, before we can offer any advice that might work!