I've been having fun with the Breadman machine DH gave me for Hanukkah.
First couple of loaves were fine, next one I forgot to put the paddle
in (3 hours later it took me a second to realize that we'd baked the
molassas to the sides of the machine), had a couple of edible, if not
truely successful, loaves of pumpernickel.

Last night, I set it up for a loaf of light wheat, following the
directions from the booklet that came with the machine. Used the same
yeast, same batch of flours, salt, etc. Only changes I made were to
use molasses and cinnamon instead of honey.

With 20 minutes left to go on the baking time, it was pushing the top
of the machine up! Is molasses more sweet or something than honey??
I've been told in the past that too much cinnamon will slow the yeast
down, but that sure didn't occur.

I did add a quarter cup of ground flax seed. Could that have caused
the overgrowth?

inquiring minds want to know,
maxine in ri

maxine in ri wrote:
> I've been having fun with the Breadman machine DH gave me for Hanukkah.
> First couple of loaves were fine, next one I forgot to put the paddle
> in (3 hours later it took me a second to realize that we'd baked the
> molassas to the sides of the machine), had a couple of edible, if not
> truely successful, loaves of pumpernickel.
>
> Last night, I set it up for a loaf of light wheat, following the
> directions from the booklet that came with the machine. Used the same
> yeast, same batch of flours, salt, etc. Only changes I made were to
> use molasses and cinnamon instead of honey.
>
> With 20 minutes left to go on the baking time, it was pushing the top
> of the machine up! Is molasses more sweet or something than honey??
> I've been told in the past that too much cinnamon will slow the yeast
> down, but that sure didn't occur.
>
> I did add a quarter cup of ground flax seed. Could that have caused
> the overgrowth?

Nope, flax contains no gluten, if anything it would inhibit rise.

> inquiring minds want to know.

Forgot the salt... little extra shortening?

If anything excessive sugar will retard yeast activity... was not the
sugar... and honey has more sweetening power than molasses. If all
your ingredients were measured properly then perhaps your ingredients
were warmer than at previous times, perhaps your kitchen was warmer...
weather hotter, oven on? A little extra volume such as an extra 1/4
cup flour can easily overflow an ABM. Overflow happens to me
sometimes, never do know exactly why, but I've learned to check near
the end of the last rise and if the dough seems too high I give the top
a few slashes with a sharp knife, so that it collapses a bit. I also
try to remember to be there just as the last rise begins, to reach in
and remove the mixing paddle, it's job is done... and now I won't have
a big hole in the loaf from ripping it out.


Sheldon

That's a great idea, never thought of removing the paddle before the
baking starts. Must give that a try! I hate that hole in my loaf.

KD

KD wrote:
> That's a great idea, never thought of removing the paddle before the
> baking starts. Must give that a try! I hate that hole in my loaf.

Well, there'll still be a hole, but more virgin like.

Sheldon wrote:
> maxine in ri wrote:
> > I've been having fun with the Breadman machine DH gave me for Hanukkah.
> > First couple of loaves were fine, next one I forgot to put the paddle
> > in (3 hours later it took me a second to realize that we'd baked the
> > molassas to the sides of the machine), had a couple of edible, if not
> > truely successful, loaves of pumpernickel.
> >
> > Last night, I set it up for a loaf of light wheat, following the
> > directions from the booklet that came with the machine. Used the same
> > yeast, same batch of flours, salt, etc. Only changes I made were to
> > use molasses and cinnamon instead of honey.
> >
> > With 20 minutes left to go on the baking time, it was pushing the top
> > of the machine up! Is molasses more sweet or something than honey??
> > I've been told in the past that too much cinnamon will slow the yeast
> > down, but that sure didn't occur.
> >
> > I did add a quarter cup of ground flax seed. Could that have caused
> > the overgrowth?
>
> Nope, flax contains no gluten, if anything it would inhibit rise.
>
> > inquiring minds want to know.
>
> Forgot the salt... little extra shortening?

Salt's one thing I rarely forget, since I mix it with the warm water,
oil and sweetener.

> If anything excessive sugar will retard yeast activity... was not the
> sugar... and honey has more sweetening power than molasses. If all
> your ingredients were measured properly then perhaps your ingredients

I've been using a scale for a while now, makes a wonderful difference
in my non-machine baked goods. Both types of flour say 4 cups to the
pound.

> were warmer than at previous times, perhaps your kitchen was warmer...
> weather hotter, oven on? A little extra volume such as an extra 1/4

The water _might_ have been a bit warmer, or the two hours of sitting
on the counter at 65 degrees might have warmed up some of the
ingredients that I keep in the freezer more than usual for the first
rise. After that, I can't see the room temperature making that great a
difference, since the oven wasn't on, and the weather, while warmer
than normal for this time of year (mid-40's) doesn't affect the indoor
temps much.

> cup flour can easily overflow an ABM. Overflow happens to me
> sometimes, never do know exactly why, but I've learned to check near
> the end of the last rise and if the dough seems too high I give the top
> a few slashes with a sharp knife, so that it collapses a bit. I also
> try to remember to be there just as the last rise begins, to reach in
> and remove the mixing paddle, it's job is done... and now I won't have
> a big hole in the loaf from ripping it out.

Two good ideas. I will try them both with the loaf that just started
and see how they work for me. I was spoiled by the last machine, that
always made a great loaf.
>
> Sheldon

Thank you for the suggestions.
maxine in ri

maxine in ri wrote:
>
>
> I've been using a scale for a while now, makes a wonderful difference
> in my non-machine baked goods. Both types of flour say 4 cups to the
> pound.

Why are you measuring with cups if you have that nifty new scale...
there's your problem... flour runs darn close to three (3) cups per
pound (5-5 1/2 oz/cup)... check it with your wonderful scale. You
stuffed a whole extra cup's worth into your ABM.... that's fine if it
were your Olga! And unless you have some little rug rat to play with
them toss those measuring cups in the trash, they have no culinary
value whatsover... there isn't a professional baker on the planet who
uses dry volume measuring cups... an idiotic concept initiated by those
homemakers simply too cheap to buy a kitchen scale. The only measuring
cups interest me are bra cups... and yes, I've checked their accuracy
with a scale, double checked, double D checked even.

With ABM recipes, before using it's best to do the math, be sure all
dry ingredents add up to one pound and all liquid ingredients add up to
one cup... with baking, fats (even cheese) are considered liquid.
Additions such as nuts and fruit need to be figured in too... if you
like to add more nuts/raisins cut back a bit on the fat/liquid/flour.
With baking, as all cooking, to be sucessful you need to develop a
sense for extrapolating... no, extrapolation is not a kinky sexual act.
hehe

Sheldon wrote:
> maxine in ri wrote:
> >
> >
> > I've been using a scale for a while now, makes a wonderful difference
> > in my non-machine baked goods. Both types of flour say 4 cups to the
> > pound.
>
> Why are you measuring with cups if you have that nifty new scale...
> there's your problem... flour runs darn close to three (3) cups per
> pound (5-5 1/2 oz/cup)... check it with your wonderful scale.

Not measuring by volume, but the number of 1/4 cup servings in a bag
(where do they come up with the idea that you're going to eat a 1/4 cup
of flour??) comes out to 4 ounces per cup. Which goes along with what
you're saying about a pound of flour plus a cup of liquid

You
> stuffed a whole extra cup's worth into your ABM.

No, just described it differently. The flour I use weighs out to a
pound.
....
> With ABM recipes, before using it's best to do the math, be sure all
> dry ingredents add up to one pound and all liquid ingredients add up to
> one cup... with baking, fats (even cheese) are considered liquid.
> Additions such as nuts and fruit need to be figured in too... if you
> like to add more nuts/raisins cut back a bit on the fat/liquid/flour.
> With baking, as all cooking, to be sucessful you need to develop a
> sense for extrapolating...

Interesting. The machine I'm using calls for 1-3/4 cups liquid per
pound of flour. Just tried that same recipe again, and this time it
didn't get quite as close to the top on the second rise, but it seemed
pretty high, so I slashed the top as you suggested, deflating it a bit,
but the result was fine. Used honey this time, also, so if more
sweetener will decrease the CO2 output of the yeast, that may have been
the problem before. Goes against everything I knew up til now, but
that's what learning's all about.

Thanks for the pointers.

maxine in ri