Posted: 7/29/2011 5:16:12 PM EDT
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Here's a few tricks I've picked up from all of my baking:
Try to use all room temp ingredients, except the hot water. Room temp eggs, especially, make lighter, fluffier baked goods. I have found bread machine yeast works best, even when not using one. Many recipes call for salt to be added to the yeast and water mix. I have found bread rises better when the salt is added with the flour. Some recipes have the yeast proofing for only 5 min. 10-15 gives a much better rise IMO. The biggest secret is to add 1 tbsp vital wheat gluten per loaf. The rise it gives is phenomenal. Always try to let the bread rise somewhere as close to 80 degrees as possible. Don't over rise the bread. Cook it past its peak rise and it will fall in the oven. 
If you have trouble on the second rise in the pans, you can put them in a 170 degree oven for 20 minutes then bump the temp and finish baking. I'll add pics when I think to take some. I may add to this. Some things I do are just habit now. Oh, and if you don't want to bake bread a lot, don't start. My husband won't eat store bought now.  . I probably cook twenty loaves a month.
Here's some white bread. When I make rye or Foccacia I'll try to remember to take pictures. 
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Very nice! I've never added gluten to my loaves. I don't think they need it. I use bulk bread flour and bulk yeast from Sam's. They work pretty well for me. My oven has a proof setting that heats it to about 100* and that seems to work pretty well too. I keep a pan of hot water in the bottom of the oven as well throughout the rise and baking. First rise I go for 90 minutes, second rise for 60 minutes.
I hear you on the storebought bread. It's pretty nasty after being used to home made. The only bread we buy from the store now is bakery hamburger buns, haha. I only make a loaf a week though. I can't imagine 20 a month. 
This is what a typical loaf of mine looks like. It's half white, half whole wheat. 
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Quoted:
Very nice! I've never added gluten to my loaves. I don't think they need it. I use bulk bread flour and bulk yeast from Sam's. They work pretty well for me. My oven has a proof setting that heats it to about 100* and that seems to work pretty well too. I keep a pan of hot water in the bottom of the oven as well throughout the rise and baking. First rise I go for 90 minutes, second rise for 60 minutes. I hear you on the storebought bread. It's pretty nasty after being used to home made. The only bread we buy from the store now is bakery hamburger buns, haha. I only make a loaf a week though. I can't imagine 20 a month.
This is what a typical loaf of mine looks like. It's half white, half whole wheat. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/GaelicVyk/food/bread8.jpg Living in CA, we have very low humidity, so I think it retards the rise a bit. The gluten helps. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Very nice! I've never added gluten to my loaves. I don't think they need it. I use bulk bread flour and bulk yeast from Sam's. They work pretty well for me. My oven has a proof setting that heats it to about 100* and that seems to work pretty well too. I keep a pan of hot water in the bottom of the oven as well throughout the rise and baking. First rise I go for 90 minutes, second rise for 60 minutes. I hear you on the storebought bread. It's pretty nasty after being used to home made. The only bread we buy from the store now is bakery hamburger buns, haha. I only make a loaf a week though. I can't imagine 20 a month.
This is what a typical loaf of mine looks like. It's half white, half whole wheat. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/GaelicVyk/food/bread8.jpg Living in CA, we have very low humidity, so I think it retards the rise a bit. The gluten helps. Interesting. Low humidity is not a problem in FL  . I saw your pictorial in the breadmaker thread and I'm going to try adding eggs and buttermilk to my next loaf like you do. I've never done that before. I use honey instead of white sugar though. It's hydroscopic and keeps pulling in moisture which keeps it from going stale so fast. My loaves will last for over a week before being too stale. It doesn't sound like yours make it more than 2 days without being eaten though so you probably don't have that problem, haha.
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| One other thing I saw we do differently is baking time and temp. You do yours at 425 for 30-35 minutes, and I do mine at 375 for about 45 minutes. I tried it at the higher temp for a while but my tops seemed to get over done and crunchy. Do you put anything on the top of your loaves to keep them soft or moist? I put a little oil on mine from advice from Chef here. |
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One other thing I saw we do differently is baking time and temp. You do yours at 425 for 30-35 minutes, and I do mine at 375 for about 45 minutes. I tried it at the higher temp for a while but my tops seemed to get over done and crunchy. Do you put anything on the top of your loaves to keep them soft or moist? I put a little oil on mine from advice from Chef here. The eggs and buttermilk keep it moist. But I make more of a French crust too and like it crunchy. |
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Quoted: Quoted: One other thing I saw we do differently is baking time and temp. You do yours at 425 for 30-35 minutes, and I do mine at 375 for about 45 minutes. I tried it at the higher temp for a while but my tops seemed to get over done and crunchy. Do you put anything on the top of your loaves to keep them soft or moist? I put a little oil on mine from advice from Chef here. The eggs and buttermilk keep it moist. But I make more of a French crust too and like it crunchy. Same here...  |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
One other thing I saw we do differently is baking time and temp. You do yours at 425 for 30-35 minutes, and I do mine at 375 for about 45 minutes. I tried it at the higher temp for a while but my tops seemed to get over done and crunchy. Do you put anything on the top of your loaves to keep them soft or moist? I put a little oil on mine from advice from Chef here. The eggs and buttermilk keep it moist. But I make more of a French crust too and like it crunchy. Same here... http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i245/jimp6995/DSCN0620.jpg Dayum that looks good! |
