Bread

[paintedpanda]

Is there anyone who can help me with my poor bread making skills?!! I just can't get this right! I've tried a couple different recipes, including Paul Hollywood's basic white loaf today but they all come out wrong. They all seem heavy and claggy and I can't tell what I'm doing wrong. I thought I was under kneading them but I've kneaded today's loaf until I could do the windowpane test and it's still not right. The outside looks fab and I get the hollow sound when I drum it, but it still seems doughy in the middle. But not raw. Just heavy and dense.

Try Richard Bertinet or Bake with Jack

Thank you. I just don't know what I'm doing wrong 😕

Buy a bread machine, I still bake in the oven but it rises it perfectly

1. Is your yeast in date?
2. Don't let the salt touch the yeast until you are mixing well.
3. Your flour is Strong Bread Flour?

A much wetter dough. It should be sticky af and nearly impossible to knead, but as you keep going it’ll become more and more silky.

High moisture produces a lovely soft crumb with a good structure.

You can also add ‘conditioners’ - things to soften the crumb. Egg, milk, cream, butter etc. I’ll hunt down my lovely bread recipe for you when I get back home.

@4merlyknownasSHD yes, yes, and yes. The yeast was brand new, I've been using Allisons strong white bread flour. I watched a video of Paul Hollywood and used his technique of putting salt on one side, yeast on the other, and mixing each one separately.

The Paul Hollywood recipe was possibly the worst one I've made! He uses oil for the mixture and to kneed with but it was dreadful. I used a really simple Tesco recipe and it tasted much better but I'm still not getting the rise.

How do I know when I am over / under proving?

Apart from his baguette recipes I have never been pleased with PH's recipes.

I have been using Dan Lepards recipes and methods for years. Basic one here I especially like the folding rather than vigorous kneading which my wrists aren't up to. You can use the method for your Tesco or any other recipe. His milk bread is one I make most often.

First rise you are looking for doubling or thereabouts, dough should be nice and elastic. Second rise I go off it being at the top of my loaf tin or if your gently press a little finger on it should spring back slowly, leaving a small ident.

Going back to the loaves being doughy, you really have to cook them out, maybe your oven temp isn't high enough or you haven't left them in long enough. I occasionally get a bum loaf, mainly if I have rushed it or left it too long, keep trying it is worth it and it will come

Pre make the yeast (1 Tsp) water (400ml tepid) mix with one Tsp sugar, leave to activate - should form a bubbly head.
Put 600g strong bread flour with 1 Tsp salt in a large bowl, mix well.
When the yeast has activated pour into the flour bowl and mix with a large spoon. When it comes together, empty onto a lightly floured surface and knead. I add a little glug of olive oil, which helps to stop the dough sticking to the surface and my hands.
After 5 minutes transfer to a clean bowl, cover with cling film and leave to prove until doubled in size.
Then turn out on a floured surface and shape. I usually divide into 4 to make large baguettes.
Place on 2 trays and prove in a warm place, they should more than double in size.
Preheat oven to 220C and place 1 tray in centre shelf for 25 minutes, turning halfway through.

Are you over-kneading it? You only need to be thorough the first time.

Knocking back after the second proving should be careful not to squash all the air out of it.
I've tried not knocking it back at all the second time, but just letting it rise in the tin, then put it in the oven to cook and it came out fine.