Need advice: making bread without a breadmaker

wornoutmumoftwo

I do not own a breadmaker though I will invest in one at some point this year.

I can make the dough ok, make it rise, pop it in the oven and just wondered how on earth do you get the bread/rolls to be soft. Mine are cooked in the middle and rock solid on top?

Tried numerous recipees and now pulling out hair. :eek:

Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

rockie4

When OH makes bread rolls he cooks them for a slightly shorter time - 15-20mins and then covers them with a slightly dampened tea towel as they cool on the rack.It took him a while to get it right but they work beautifully now!

thriftlady_2

Rockie's right tea towel is the answer. I don't use a damp tea towel though, I just wrap them well as soon as they come out of the oven. I also use a slightly different recipe for rolls which includes some milk. you can find it on this thread which should also give you more advice;)

wornoutmumoftwo

I got Maw Broon's cookbook for my christmas and I was trying out the recipe for scottish rolls/morning rolls?

It uses milk in this one, rose really well and on closer examination that are not as rock hard on the top as my other attempts with other recipes have been, and the middle tastes great and is cooked so I'm getting there.

As they say, practice makes perfect.

I put a tea towel on them as I posted here just after taking them out of the oven

Thank you very much for your help :beer:

Seakay

I get a softer crust on bread and rolls by laying the wrapping papers from butter on top when they come out of the oven and are placed on a wire rack (or lightly grease a piece of greaseproof paper) and then covering the lot with a towel until the bread is cold. This holds in some of the steam.