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bread too dense
"Kenneth" > wrote in message
...
> On 5 Apr 2004 20:15:19 -0700, (judith) wrote:
>
> >WHat could be the reasons for my bread to be too dense? It tastes like
> >it contains too much flour, although I used the amount the recipe
> >called for. Is it a problem that I didn't sift the flour? I used
> >regular nonbleached flour to make the bread.
> >
> >Could it be that I kneaded the bread too much?
> >
> >Judith
>
> Hi Judith,
>
> Others have given you great tips, but here is another thought...
>
> It sounds to me as if the loaf did not rise sufficiently.
>
> That said, there are a ton of variables that affect the results when
> baking. The amount of flour, the amount of liquids, the amount of
> yeast, the degree of kneading, the temperature of the ingredients, the
> temperature of the surroundings, and more, all matter.
>
> Many recipes specify the amount of rise by describing an appropriate
> amount of time. ("Knead the dough, form the loaf, and allow it to rise
> for two hours...") But that approach makes things difficult unless one
> knows the impact of all the other variables.
>
> I find it best to allow the dough to rise to a specific increase in
> volume ("Form the loaf and allow it to rise until doubled in
> volume...") rather than by the clock.
>
> But even that simple matter has a hitch because evaluating the
> increase in volume is extremely difficult when we are looking at
> typical loaf shapes.
>
> And so, this suggestion:
>
> Get some sort of small, clear, cylindrical plastic container (a pill
> bottle might work well.) Be sure that it is a cylinder, that is, that
> the sides are parallel.
>
> When you have kneaded your dough next time, tear off a lump about
> large enough to fill 1/4 of the plastic bottle. Toss it in, and tamp
> it down gently. Mark the top line of the dough in the bottle (a rubber
> band, or piece of tape works well.)
>
> Then, form your loaf in any way you choose.
>
> Put the loaf and the bottle in the same location and allow them both
> to rise. Try to ignore the increase in volume of the loaf (remember
> that it is extremely tough to estimate accurately) but focus on the
> rise of the dough in the bottle. It will tell you very clearly when it
> has doubled, or tripled. It will be rather like reading a
> thermometer...
>
> Again, different breads want different volumes, but try to triple the
> loaf volume and I'd bet that it won't be dense...
>
> I hope that this is useful, and wish you the best with your baking,
Or, you can simply press a finger into the risen loaf. If it is fully
risen, it will not spring back.
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