Hi all,
I've been playing around with breads lately. I have resurected my bread machine, using it to make bread from start to finish and using it to make dough which I am baking in the oven.
I have some interesting tips which may help you with baking.
1. Don't use IODIZED salt, I use sea salt (no IODIDE). It interferes with the yeast reaction, your bread will NOT rise as high as it should.
2. Use a teaspoon of vital gluten when baking whole grain breads. It helps with volume.
3. Test your yeast to make sure it is still ALIVE! Add water 115 to 120 degrees and the yeast and watch to make sure it foams. Add a little sugar to feed the yeast and wait about 7 minutes before you add it to the flour.
4. Check your dough, if it is not a fully formed ball add a tablespoon of flour at a time. If it is hard to knead, add a tablespoon of water and knead it in.
5. Oil your surface rather than using flour as it will keep the consistancy of the dough and you won't come out with tough over worked and over floured dough.
6. Let the dough rest between risings.
7. Use a cooked cornstarch glaze to coat the top of the bread. Microwave the solution till it just starts to boil, apply a thin (1 to 10 parts)glaze on your bread.
I'll be back with some bread recipes as soon as I've experimented with some more of them!
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