What's the secret to making unbrick-like bread???????

[puff]

I follow the recipes, but still end up with walnut and raisin brick, olive brick etc etc.

don't want a bread maker - just secrets of good hand made bread .

More kneading and proving for longer and more slowly.

I quite like a brick though.

Fills yer up.

Are you sure the yeast you are using is within it's sell by date?
Agree with MD more kneading, and every so often pick up the dough and whack on the counter top a few times then resume kneading. If you imagine the function of kneading is to stretch the gluten molecules you may get a better techinique; pulling dough and folding back in so it really stretches rather than pummelling it.
You may also try turning up your oven a further 10 degrees that recommended on the recipe and putting a baking dish of water on the oven floor as the steam can help the rising action

I don't use the sachets of yeast, I use dried yeast.
1 tsp of sugar in 200 ml hot water , dissolve, top up to about 600ml with cold water so that it is tepdi and stir in 3 tsp dried yeast. Leave to froth
900g of whatever flour you like as long as it is strong. Add 2 tsp salt and microwave flour for 20secs so it is warm when the yeast hits it. After yeast has frothed up add 3 tbsp oil to liquid. Mix yeast liquid into flour and knead until an elastic dough- about 5 minutes forme.
Leave to rise in a clean bowl with damp clean tea towel over the top. When about doubled in size, knock back, shape into tin or laof or rolls etc. Leave until risen a bit more and bang in a hot oven.
when kneading it is not a pummeling but a stretching action you need. check yeast is in date.
Off to do mine now.
Good luck

that's what I said
not pummelling and check the yeast is in date

Good tip about warming the flour in the microwave

How often do you make bread Puff? I am an intermittent baker - will do loads for a while, then abandon it for months. When I come back to it, I always find it takes me a few batches to get my 'touch' back, and the loaves initially are very bricky as a result. Maybe just keeping at it, and following the very good tips here, would get you into the swing of it.

Certain ingredients effectively cut the gluten strands, reducing the dough's ability to hold the CO2 generated by the yeast's fermentation, and so the bubbles are smaller and the bread turns out brick-like. I find that things like wheatgerm, seeds, grains all have that effect. Also using wholemeal or granary flour. When I use such ingredients I add a miniscule pinch of Vitamin C powder (aka Ascorbic Acid). I don't know what it does but it's called flour improver on ingredients lists of bought bread and it helps retain the rise. You may need a bit of trial and error using it and working out the precise quantity you need (less than 1/4 tsp per lb of flour), becuase if you use too much or with ingredients that don't need it you get a loaf that is too high and too loose-textured at the top, so it doesn't slice properly, just crumbles.

Are you perhaps adding the walnuts, raisins, olives etc too soon? IIRC they should be the last things added, after the first proving has been knocked back. Again, this is to allow the gluten strands to develop before they are interfered with by the additional ingredients.

Wow, wealth of tips and info here - thank you .

I think I need to practice more - I'm definitely an intermittent baker - make a brick and feel defeated !

I think I make the dough too dry or too wet - it doesn't get properly elastic and then one time, I left it to rise for the recommended time and it had kind of exploded and overflowed the bowl .

I want to get good at it, because I really enjoy making bread - it will be even more therapeutic if I can get good results !