"Alex Rast" wrote in message
...
at Thu, 15 Apr 2004 20:22:24 GMT in
,
(Tony) wrote :

I have a good recipe for making an egg/raisin bread for Easter (white
bread), and it always comes out great, except that the bread is a bit
too weak and crumbly. A slice of it can fall apart on you while
eating, and if you try to butter it with anything but those spreads in
tubs, you usually just tear the slice into pieces trying to spread the
margarine.

Any advice on what to do to "toughen up" the bread? I've always used
all-purpose flour; would changing to a bread flour produce a stronger
loaf that holds together better?

Some particulars: 9 cups of flour, 2 yeast packages, 2 sticks of
butter, 5 eggs, other small items like salt and sugar and vanilla,
makes 3 loaves. I use the quick-rise yeast, might regular yeast make
the difference I'm looking for?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Tony


That's a lot of butter. Since butter is a shortening, it could potentially
make the dough crumbly by inhibiting gluten development when you knead.

However, of more importance - how much water are you using? Hydration has
a
major impact on crumbliness and without good information on that it's hard
to tell whether it's contributing as a factor.

Furthermore, what's your specific method? Sometimes differences in method
will account for poor texture.
--
Alex Rast

(remove d., .7, not, and .NOSPAM to reply)

Yes, and switching to a higher gluten flour would certainly help. It's
pretty hard to develop enough gluten for a good chewy bread with AP flour.
That's why your local bakery doesn't use it for bread making.

Fred
The Good Gourmet
http://www.thegoodgourmet.com