Breads/Biscut making, advice, help, recipes. Pics pg 3

[Dace]

2 raises yes, one bowl one pan let it rise couple inches over pan, when I moved it would fall.

I another question, chewy crust??????????

Yep, it is rising too much...allow some room for rising in the oven as well. If it is infact overproofing that is the problem, your bread would have a slightly sour flavor and come out fairly pale.

One suggestion is to let it proof (rise) in a microwave. First heat up a coffee cup full of water and then push it aside to make room for your bowl of dough. This way you have a nice warm humid space for your dough to proof in. No need to cover the top either. Check on it after 1 hour. The dough should double in size but spring back slowly when lightly touched.

Once it is properly risen place it into a pre-hated oven. You can brush the top lightly with warm water to help give you a little bit crustier crust.
Hope that helps

 

[freemotion]

You can also put a shallow pan of hot water on the lower rack for more crusty crust. Think french bread.

 

[Dace]

You can also put a shallow pan of hot water on the lower rack for more crusty crust. Think french bread.

Yes, absolutely!

 

[Beekissed]

We've had some great threads on bread making on here....have you done a search? Plenty of recipes to be found! Good luck!

BTW, a fella as talented as yourself should have no problems with bread, heck, even my teenage boys make great bread!

 

[gettinaclue]

I use the same biscuit recipe that jnr1971 does. Add cheese for cheese biscuits. I had trouble for years with biscuit recipes from everyone and everywhere and they were either hard or never rose or both. My worst failure ever - they were almost like crackers except thicker and tastless. That's when I pulled out the betty crocker cook book mom had used when I was a girl. I followed all direction (use pastry blender to cut in shortening until it looks like cornmeal) and the rest is easy. They come out perfectly every time.

Funny enough, I've never had problems with bread (just biscuits). I guess this is because I used to help mom with it when she made it.

As far as your proofing goes...you only need a very little bit of honey - 1/4 tsp to proof your yeast. Stand over it one time and watch it. It'll take a couple minutes but eventually you'll see what looks like the tops of miniture mushroom clouds. When you see that, you can go ahead and use your yeast. You can use it when it has just a little froth on top of the yeast..but dear ol' mom said to not to let it go to far after that.

Another secret...

When you are kneading your dough, knead until it feels like ummmmm, uuuhhhhh, sorry for this but this is the way it was explained to me and I don't know how to say it any better, but shall try to do it with tact- knead it until it feels like one of the girls. Ahem.

After I shape my loaves, I let them rise for the second time for a max of 20 minutes.

I make bread often now but didn't make any for about 20 years, but my bread always comes out perfectly.

I did have to relearn how to make a loaf though. They weren't pretty to start off with but they sure were yummy.

Good luck to you and I hope this helps.

 

[smithx9]

I learned to make biscuits from my mother, and she did not use a recipe...I have never used a recipe, either. Its basically dump enough flour in a bowl to make as many biscuits as you want. Add some sugar, and an egg size scoop of shortening...(the size of the egg size scoop depends on the amount of flour you use...banty eggs for a small batch...goose eggs for a larger batch). Then you add milk and mix it until it "feels right". :/
Honestly...I never used to understand that! My husband does not understand it yet!
(I cheat on the flour and use self rising). I don't roll out, but pat out the dough and use the lid of a canning jar for cutting.


The basic recipe on the back of your bag of flour will do for starters.....the VERY BEST way to BAKE your biscuits in a HOT oven, (400 - 450) is in a cast iron skillet, with a little butter melted in the bottom of the pan and then more butter slathered on top! Totally unhealthy, but UMM UMM GOOD!

By the way...I have taught my daughter the above method of biscuit making...and danged is she does not make better biscuits than me!

 

[modern_pioneer]

When you are kneading your dough, knead until it feels like ummmmm, uuuhhhhh, sorry for this but this is the way it was explained to me and I don't know how to say it any better, but shall try to do it with tact- knead it until it feels like one of the girls. Ahem.

Look, gnc, I gotta say I was ROTF when I read that. I was going to say, " so basically make love to the dough with some foreplay " wait.....wait..... I had to get a giggle out, as per the way it should feel, when your kneading. Thanks

Beekissed
Today 8:34 pm We've had some great threads on bread making on here....have you done a search? Plenty of recipes to be found! Good luck!

BTW, a fella as talented as yourself should have no problems with bread, heck, even my teenage boys make great bread!

Hi bee, I haven't done a search, Lori just pointed the way to the recipe area today for me as stated before your post.

Is that a personal jab you just took at me? Or a vote of confidence?

BTW, your statement was a double negative, 1. you said "a fella as talented as yourself should have no problems with bread" 2. you said "even my teenage boys make great bread" So what your saying because I am talented, I am less because I can't make bread?

That's okay, I am seeking advice, advice that YOU feel I should know. Sorry I haven't filled your expectations, I am just doing my own thing, being who I am, and looking to make a good loaf of bread.

There is not very much I can salvage from your statement, so I will take the better ground and ask you to share the recipe your sons use to make great bread.

 

[Homesteadmom]

Lard in the biscuts instead of shortening are a whole lot better tasting, mine rise better too with lard.
In your bread recipe are you subsituting the honey for sugar? If so the ratio is 3/4 cup honey/agave to 1 cup sugar. I would agree you are letting your second rise go too long. Also kneading dough is not beating it to a pulp & working it over it is a gentle method. That might be some of your chewy crust problems too. Bread making is not a given for everyone at first, some require time & patience(I did) especially if you are working with whole wheat. Hodgson's mills makes a yeast for whole wheat that works a little bit better than fleishmans or red star yeasts. Another thing too, are you freezing or refrigerating your yeast? If so then let it come to room temp before trying to proof it & use it. Same with the flour. Don't get too discouraged, I fed my family lots of heavy loaves of bread till I started getting the hang of it. Good luck!

 

[Beekissed]

When you are kneading your dough, knead until it feels like ummmmm, uuuhhhhh, sorry for this but this is the way it was explained to me and I don't know how to say it any better, but shall try to do it with tact- knead it until it feels like one of the girls. Ahem.

Look, gnc, I gotta say I was ROTF when I read that. I was going to say, " so basically make love to the dough with some foreplay " wait.....wait..... I had to get a giggle out, as per the way it should feel, when your kneading. Thanks

Beekissed
Today 8:34 pm We've had some great threads on bread making on here....have you done a search? Plenty of recipes to be found! Good luck!

BTW, a fella as talented as yourself should have no problems with bread, heck, even my teenage boys make great bread!

Hi bee, I haven't done a search, Lori just pointed the way to the recipe area today for me as stated before your post.

Is that a personal jab you just took at me? Or a vote of confidence?

BTW, your statement was a double negative, 1. you said "a fella as talented as yourself should have no problems with bread" 2. you said "even my teenage boys make great bread" So what your saying because I am talented, I am less because I can't make bread?

That's okay, I am seeking advice, advice that YOU feel I should know. Sorry I haven't filled your expectations, I am just doing my own thing, being who I am, and looking to make a good loaf of bread.

There is not very much I can salvage from your statement, so I will take the better ground and ask you to share the recipe your sons use to make great bread.

No jab, a vote of confidence! You jump too soon, grasshopper! Was trying to give you a compliment but will not be repeating that mistake any time too soon!

 

[keljonma]

I would recommend you get a good oven thermometer and check the internal temperatures match the oven dial.