Bread Tips

General Tips:

• I always put my whole wheat flour in the freezer.  I've been told it'll go rancid if it just sits on the shelves for a long period of time, and considering I don't  know how long they've sat at the store, until I can grind my own, I'll stick them in the freezer so they keep well.  Before I bake my bread, I like to let it sit on the counter and warm up a bit - it kneads much nicer that way.

• I also let my yeast warm up for a few minutes on the counter also before using it.

• Rapadura or raw cane sugar can be used in place of regular white sugar.

• When baking bread, I keep foil over the top of the pan until 3-5 minutes before the baking is to be done, then I remove the foil so the top can brown a little more.

• Bread rises best in a warm area.  While I'm preparing the dough, I turn my oven on warm.  Just for a few minutes, then I turn it off and let the oven wait for the dough.  If the oven is too hot, a rough skin will form on the dough.  You don't want it warmer than a nice summer day would be in your home - room temperature or slightly higher is fine. If you don't have an easy way to warm your oven and keep the temp. low, just be sure to keep the dough away from drafts.

• When recipes call for very warm water, the best temperature is 120-130 degrees F.  Any higher and it'll kill your yeast.

• For the sake of yeast, keep ALL of the liquids added to your bread recipe warm.  Yeast doesn't work well when it's cold (or too hot - it'll die) so if you add cold water or milk after proofing the yeast, you take a few steps back and your end result won't be as nice.   Also be sure that the temperature of melted butter is not too hot when you add it to your dough mixture!

• Kneading helps with gluten development.  Your dough should feel smooth, elastic, and pop out when you poke it,  Too much kneading will make the dough too tough.  If you are kneading using a machine, watch the dough carefully. It will require less kneading time.

• With time, you'll know when you've added enough flour to your dough.  You never want to make your dough too dry because you will never be able to replace the needed moisture.  Ideally, you still want the dough sticky to a point, but not so sticky it's impossible to knead and keeps coming off in chunks on your fingers.

Yeast:

• Store your yeast in the fridge if you'll use it soon, or the freezer if there will be a lapse between use.

• For best results, use in 4-6 months.

• I buy my yeast in bulk, in a 2lb package.  Once I get it hope, I package it in smaller packages with my foodsaver.  I keep everything but one package in my deep freezer, and a package in my regular freezer on top of my fridge (in the back).

• If you store your yeast in the freezer on top or of next to your refrigerator, store it in the back so that frequent freezer door openings wont' negatively affect the yeast.

• Yeast is a living organism!

• Yeast works by eating sugar and produces alcohol plus carbon dioxide gas.  The alcohol bakes away, but the gas creates the air bubbles you see in your bread, which is what makes your bread light and fluffy (or hard and tough on a less than successful loaf of bread...)

Experiment:

• Basic choices for liquid base in your bread is water, juice or milk.  Water bread keeps the best.  Milk bread tastes the best and has added nutritional value.

• Syrup, molasses, and honey will make bread that is moist and stays soft and edible longer than it would have otherwise.

• Bread recipes need 'shortening.'  In my recipes, I use butter.  However in place of butter you can use any fat - butter, lard, bacon grease, margarine, olive or vegetable oils, banana or avocado (high fat fruits)

• Salt is not absolutely necessary!

• Add other items such as fruits, vegetables and other misc. scraps around your kitchen!

For loaves that don't rise well:

• Check to make sure your yeast is still good.  Frequent temp. changes, leaving out at room temp. too long or age can kill yeast, leaving your loaves flat.  To test your yeast, mix some yeast and sugar in some warm water.  See if the yeast "bubbles" or becomes frothy.  If it does, your yeast is still good. 
• Be sure you aren't using too much salt.  Salt will inhibit yeast growth.  If you can taste salt in your bread, you're using too much.  Cut the salt in half, or try omitting it all together.
• Try to "proof" your yeast before adding it to your bread.  I didn't have success with bread baking until I began doing this.  Combine the amount of water, yeast and sugar in your recipe into a bowl and let it sit out for 5-10 minutes.  The sugar will "feed" the yeast and activate it. Try it even if your directions say to add the yeast to the flour before adding water.
• Be sure if you are proofing your yeast that the water isn't too hot.  Too hot will kill the yeast.  Yeast sure is finicky, isn't it?!?
• Make sure your dough has a warm place to rise, that is also free of drafts.
• Keep boisterous children away from rising dough.  Bumps and vibration can cause loaves to fall.

For loaves that are too hard/brown:

• Cover your loaves with a sheet of foil during baking. If necessary, remove it for the last 5 minutes or so.  You can re-use this piece of foil - I've been using the same old piece of foil just for baking bread for about the past 6 months!