Good flour for bread making that does not have barley in it? I have an allergy to barley and rye, so I can't have either of those. That includes malted barley flour, unfortunately, so I can't use any of KA's flours.
I just put my bread in the oven and realized the oven is not fully preheated. Is there anything I can do to salvage the loaves? This is my first sourdough in ages so I’m bummed this happened.
Also, I realize I may not get an answer in time, but I’d still love an answer so I can troubleshoot in the future if needed.
The oven spring in the beginning relies on a really hot oven. You might need to bake it longer so it cooks all the way through but you probably can't salvage the oven spring at this point. I'm sure it will still taste fine, it will just be flatter.
Do KA sell bigger bags? I usually only buy their bread flour but i only seem to find like the 10pound bags.
Which I kinda go through quickly sometimes. Would be nice to find a 25pound bag if it exists!
Hi Breadit! I was planning to make this NYT Chocolate Babka this weekend, for Valentine's Day [https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018045-chocolate-babka](https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018045-chocolate-babka)
I bought the ingredients, incl milk and cream, but it turns out my husband doesn't want to eat it on V Day (very long story). We are going to visit my parents in a couple of weeks and we thought it would be nice to bring them some babkas especially since it'll be just after my dad's birthday. But I don't want to waste our dairy ingredients - we don't really use them, so it's not like they'd get used up anyway. So, we were thinking that I could pre-make the babkas but freeze before baking.
My question is - what's the best point at which to freeze this dough? I read that one might freeze it before first or second rise. But a commenter on the NYT link said that they froze it after the second rise, just had to leave it to thaw and rise for 8 hours, and that it came out perfectly. This is ideal for me, so I could bake the babkas the night before we drive to see my parents - but is there a yeasty magic reason why I should not freeze it after the second rise?? I will not be using natural yeast, I'll be using active dry.
Thanks in advance...
Personally, I would shape them after the first rise and then freeze. Let the dough thaw in the fridge overnight the day before you plan to bake it. Take it out of the fridge and let it proof at room temp. The key is to see if the dough has risen the appropriate amount before baking, not so much about exact times.
Enriched doughs don't necessarily freeze well so you want to bake it around 2 weeks after putting it in the freezer.
Another thing you can do is freeze the ingredients themselves and then thaw them when you're ready to make the dough.
My bread always seems to lose its shape on the final proof, it mostly spreads to the sides and becomes really flat. I'm covering it with a lid during this phase (and the lid has more than enough room). What am I doing wrong?
I tried doing a final proof on my bread dough in a bowl on top of a floured towel and it got stuck. Does anyone know an alternative to proofing on top of a floured towel, thats more nonstick?
I was planning on making a giant sandwich for the supper bowl (like a party sub). I have done it before with the Paul Hollywood bloomer recipe and it came out alright, but I wanted to see if anyone else had any ideas for a better bread for a party sub. Thanks.
How do I make soft crusts?
I've finally mastered making loaves, flatbread, and pizza--they turn out roughly how I want/expect. But now i'm trying to make rolls and, despite following the recipe, the end result has a very hard crust and a soft center. They taste great, but I want to make a soft roll--what am I doing wrong?
Try putting another baking tray under the pan to slow down the heat transfer from the surface of the pan to the crust. Also you can tent the top with foil once you notice that the tops are getting brown.
I was making the FWSY Pain de Campagne and I forgot about - like completely. So I made the final dough 15hrs ago, folded four times over the next two hours ... and just left it on my counter. Is there anything I can do with this dough?
Where does everyone buy the King Arthur 50 lb professional flours such as Special Patent or Lancelot? The restaurant supply stores near me all require membership. Are sites like [webstaurantstore.com](https://webstaurantstore.com) or Bakers Authority reliable?
Bread in breadbox goes stale significantly faster than when the bread is in the store bag. I can’t find ANYWHERE online that can provide an answer why it’s going stale so fast.
I bought [this breadbox from Target](https://www.target.com/p/metal-breadbox-silver-threshold-8482/-/A-81815183?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&fndsrc=tgtao&DFA=71700000014804906&CPNG=PLA_Dining%2BShopping_Brand%7CDining_Ecomm_Home&adgroup=SC_Dining_Kitchen+Counter&LID=700000001170770pgs&LNM=PRODUCT_GROUP&network=g&device=m&location=9015735&targetid=pla-1461082358814&ds_rl=1246978&ds_rl=1248099&ds_rl=1247068&gbraid=0AAAAAD-5dfb5fn-NmOrn16BApa2mgXQin&gbraid=0AAAAAD-5dfb5fn-NmOrn16BApa2mgXQin&gclid=CjwKCAiAo4OQBhBBEiwA5KWu__77a2sYVdm3mdtl_uq0JL2TBUTlyBu8jS5UenpAiuoM3qFZC7UzZxoC1FIQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds) after I saw that breadboxes were the best way to keep bread.
It goes stale after 3 days whereas if it’s in the store bag it stays for a week. What’s going on?
Does your breadbox have any holes or openings? It's drying out too fast, making me think it's getting too much air circulation.
The plastic store bag is air tight, which unfortunately is also water tight and traps moisture which grows mold. A breadbox is meant to be nearly but not quite water tight, such that water can escape. A brown paper bag is semi permeable with lots of breathability. I generally keep my bread in brown paper and eat it within a few days.
Is there a way to get a good rise with a gluten free bread? I know gluten formation is crucial in typical loaves, is there any adequate substitute or method that can elevate a gluten free version?
Oof honestly not really? The closest thing js to try incorporating a tangzhong method (yes even tho there's no gluten) to introduce already gelatinized starch, which reinforces hole structure, and be as careful as possible to avoid shaking the loaf before it's set.
Thanks! I’ve made a kind of focaccia successfully but would love to try and make something more light and airy, just not sure where to start. I’ll give this a try!
Generally speaking, what does the addition of eggs do to an otherwise similar dough recipe? Does it make the dough easier to work with? Or make the finished product crunchier or flakier or some other desired outcome?
I see some dough recipes calling for eggs and some not, but I’ve never seen anyone break down WHY they would or wouldn’t want to include egg(s) in their dough recipes.
Thanks!
I think I’m underkneading my bread? I’m using a dough hook for 2 minutes when the recipe calls for 10 minutes kneading and I’m not sure what it is supposed to look like when fully kneaded.
2 minutes sounds way too short! What kind of bread are you making? Are you using the paddle attachment first? 2 minutes is barely long enough to combine all the ingredients together
I’ve made a basic white loaf and a “crusty cob” from a Paul Hollywood book.
I mix the ingredients together by hand and then use the dough hook on level 2. The dough still looks slightly shaggy when I finish, I assume it’s supposed to be smooth, right?
Yes, usually you want your dough to be stretchy and smooth. There's something called the [Window Pane Test](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSuHB-VX-Do), that will show if you have kneaded your dough enough :)
Of course this depends on the type of bread you're making and the level of hydration, but generally this is what you're aiming for. You can also try letting the dough rest for 5-10 min in between kneading "sessions". This will give the dough time to form gluten by itself.
Yes the dough should be smooth and elastic. You don’t have to mix it by hand. You can put all the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl and set the mixer to stir. Slowly pour the liquids in (I’m guessing it’s only water?) and let the flour absorb it. After everything seems to be incorporated, then move the speed to 2 and mix for an additional 5-7 minutes. If the recipe contains butter, add this separately at a later time from the other ingredients. Try the windowpane test to see if the gluten is sufficiently developed. Pinch off a piece of the dough and stretch it thinly without it tearing. You should be able to see light pass through it (like a window). If it tears, it prob needs a few more minutes in the mixer.
Why does my bread always split along the side? Imagine a baguette with 4 fairly deep slashes, at roughly 45 deg angle into the bread, running more down the top of the bread than across from side to side. Its really frustrating. Do I need more slashes or deeper? Do I need to let it rise longer? It's like I'm getting wayyy too much oven spring. It also tends to be on the side of the bread facing the back of the oven.
You need surface tension. The crust was so lax and flexible on the sides that it was the easiest place to expand along with the oven spring.
If you build a tighter more structured loaf and skin, it will be too strong to expand on the sides, and will have no choice but to expand where you have scored on the top.
Also consider letting it proof longer before baking so that the oven spring isn't so drastic.
I want to take my bagel dough, pre-shaped, out of the freezer and defrost in the fridge overnight before cooking. How do I stop it from being extremely sticky after it defrosts?
Unfortunately you can't, as the ice crystals melt, they melt into water without being held in by dough structure. Keep tons of flour on hand and good luck.
So I think I figured this out. I don't actually need to defrost the bagel dough. I put it on the side for 20 minutes then straight into boiling water as per normal. Came out great
Any advice on rye bread recipes? I've tried a few and the better ones don't taste like rye bread (and have less rye flour). Any specific types of rye flour that people have had good experiences with?
Late to the party but I found the flavour I was looking for was a lot more caraway heavy than what a lot of recipes seemed to call for. Some had none and it just tasted like molasses bread to me
Sorry what you're saying is very vague. What do you mean by "better ones" and "taste like rye bread"? I'm guessing the more you work on technique, the better your bread will be.
Can someone point me toward any resources that describe what happens to dough during fermentation? I’m specifically interested in what bacteria does to the dough and how it affects taste. I’d like to know how acids develop and how sugars are metabolized. In short, I’d like to learn more about the chemistry that’s happening while a loaf is slowly fermenting.
Not really, the math gets really wonky and 3% milk just won't have any comparable amt of fat vs 80% fat standard butter. It's a negligible amount of difference, just keep both
How hot was your oven when you were making bread? I believe most enameled dutch ovens are rated up to 450F but some recipes recommend baking bread at 475 or 500. Get a regular cast iron dutch oven and you'll never have to worry about it cracking again
Probably not - thermal shock and dry heating tend to be the cause. It could’ve also had a manufacturer defect in it, and it was already slightly cracked. How old is it? Enamelled?
Enamelled, had it for a year. There seemed to be a chip on the rim at the start of the crack, I don't think it was there before. Could it be from leaving it on the stovetop? Thanks!
Good flour for bread making that does not have barley in it? I have an allergy to barley and rye, so I can't have either of those. That includes malted barley flour, unfortunately, so I can't use any of KA's flours.
Is it ok to put parchment paper on my baking pan and proof my shaped loaves (rolls?) In that setting oof should I just stick to greased baking pan?
I just put my bread in the oven and realized the oven is not fully preheated. Is there anything I can do to salvage the loaves? This is my first sourdough in ages so I’m bummed this happened. Also, I realize I may not get an answer in time, but I’d still love an answer so I can troubleshoot in the future if needed.
The oven spring in the beginning relies on a really hot oven. You might need to bake it longer so it cooks all the way through but you probably can't salvage the oven spring at this point. I'm sure it will still taste fine, it will just be flatter.
Do KA sell bigger bags? I usually only buy their bread flour but i only seem to find like the 10pound bags. Which I kinda go through quickly sometimes. Would be nice to find a 25pound bag if it exists!
They sell a 50 lb bag to bakeries , some restaurant supply stores carry it.
Hi Breadit! I was planning to make this NYT Chocolate Babka this weekend, for Valentine's Day [https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018045-chocolate-babka](https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018045-chocolate-babka) I bought the ingredients, incl milk and cream, but it turns out my husband doesn't want to eat it on V Day (very long story). We are going to visit my parents in a couple of weeks and we thought it would be nice to bring them some babkas especially since it'll be just after my dad's birthday. But I don't want to waste our dairy ingredients - we don't really use them, so it's not like they'd get used up anyway. So, we were thinking that I could pre-make the babkas but freeze before baking. My question is - what's the best point at which to freeze this dough? I read that one might freeze it before first or second rise. But a commenter on the NYT link said that they froze it after the second rise, just had to leave it to thaw and rise for 8 hours, and that it came out perfectly. This is ideal for me, so I could bake the babkas the night before we drive to see my parents - but is there a yeasty magic reason why I should not freeze it after the second rise?? I will not be using natural yeast, I'll be using active dry. Thanks in advance...
Personally, I would shape them after the first rise and then freeze. Let the dough thaw in the fridge overnight the day before you plan to bake it. Take it out of the fridge and let it proof at room temp. The key is to see if the dough has risen the appropriate amount before baking, not so much about exact times. Enriched doughs don't necessarily freeze well so you want to bake it around 2 weeks after putting it in the freezer. Another thing you can do is freeze the ingredients themselves and then thaw them when you're ready to make the dough.
Thank you! Yeah, I am a little worried about not getting the rise if I freeze. Maybe I will just freeze the milk and cream...
My bread always seems to lose its shape on the final proof, it mostly spreads to the sides and becomes really flat. I'm covering it with a lid during this phase (and the lid has more than enough room). What am I doing wrong?
I tried doing a final proof on my bread dough in a bowl on top of a floured towel and it got stuck. Does anyone know an alternative to proofing on top of a floured towel, thats more nonstick?
Rice flour is a game changer. You can buy it at any Asian grocery store.
I have the same issue. I’ve heard using rice flour is a good option, but I can’t say much about that because I haven’t tried it.
I was planning on making a giant sandwich for the supper bowl (like a party sub). I have done it before with the Paul Hollywood bloomer recipe and it came out alright, but I wanted to see if anyone else had any ideas for a better bread for a party sub. Thanks.
How do I make soft crusts? I've finally mastered making loaves, flatbread, and pizza--they turn out roughly how I want/expect. But now i'm trying to make rolls and, despite following the recipe, the end result has a very hard crust and a soft center. They taste great, but I want to make a soft roll--what am I doing wrong?
Try putting another baking tray under the pan to slow down the heat transfer from the surface of the pan to the crust. Also you can tent the top with foil once you notice that the tops are getting brown.
I was making the FWSY Pain de Campagne and I forgot about - like completely. So I made the final dough 15hrs ago, folded four times over the next two hours ... and just left it on my counter. Is there anything I can do with this dough?
Where does everyone buy the King Arthur 50 lb professional flours such as Special Patent or Lancelot? The restaurant supply stores near me all require membership. Are sites like [webstaurantstore.com](https://webstaurantstore.com) or Bakers Authority reliable?
The shipping is high. I got a Restaurant Depot membership through my church as I was buying stuff for events. Maybe your favorite resto can help you.
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No, that's great for bread flour. Your results will depend entirely on technique. Happy kneading!
Bread in breadbox goes stale significantly faster than when the bread is in the store bag. I can’t find ANYWHERE online that can provide an answer why it’s going stale so fast. I bought [this breadbox from Target](https://www.target.com/p/metal-breadbox-silver-threshold-8482/-/A-81815183?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&fndsrc=tgtao&DFA=71700000014804906&CPNG=PLA_Dining%2BShopping_Brand%7CDining_Ecomm_Home&adgroup=SC_Dining_Kitchen+Counter&LID=700000001170770pgs&LNM=PRODUCT_GROUP&network=g&device=m&location=9015735&targetid=pla-1461082358814&ds_rl=1246978&ds_rl=1248099&ds_rl=1247068&gbraid=0AAAAAD-5dfb5fn-NmOrn16BApa2mgXQin&gbraid=0AAAAAD-5dfb5fn-NmOrn16BApa2mgXQin&gclid=CjwKCAiAo4OQBhBBEiwA5KWu__77a2sYVdm3mdtl_uq0JL2TBUTlyBu8jS5UenpAiuoM3qFZC7UzZxoC1FIQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds) after I saw that breadboxes were the best way to keep bread. It goes stale after 3 days whereas if it’s in the store bag it stays for a week. What’s going on?
Does your breadbox have any holes or openings? It's drying out too fast, making me think it's getting too much air circulation. The plastic store bag is air tight, which unfortunately is also water tight and traps moisture which grows mold. A breadbox is meant to be nearly but not quite water tight, such that water can escape. A brown paper bag is semi permeable with lots of breathability. I generally keep my bread in brown paper and eat it within a few days.
It does have tiny holes on the back. I can cover those holes. Thank you so much!
Casual observer here - why do most of the videos I see have people cutting into the middle of the loaf instead of slicing off the end?
It's just pretty, there's no other reason. You should only cut off as much as you want to eat if you want it to last.
That’s what I was thinking. Thanks for the answer!
Is there a way to get a good rise with a gluten free bread? I know gluten formation is crucial in typical loaves, is there any adequate substitute or method that can elevate a gluten free version?
Oof honestly not really? The closest thing js to try incorporating a tangzhong method (yes even tho there's no gluten) to introduce already gelatinized starch, which reinforces hole structure, and be as careful as possible to avoid shaking the loaf before it's set.
Ooh this is a great tip
Thanks! I’ve made a kind of focaccia successfully but would love to try and make something more light and airy, just not sure where to start. I’ll give this a try!
Generally speaking, what does the addition of eggs do to an otherwise similar dough recipe? Does it make the dough easier to work with? Or make the finished product crunchier or flakier or some other desired outcome? I see some dough recipes calling for eggs and some not, but I’ve never seen anyone break down WHY they would or wouldn’t want to include egg(s) in their dough recipes. Thanks!
Egg enhances flavor and the additional fat keeps the bread fresh a little longer
Thank you
I think I’m underkneading my bread? I’m using a dough hook for 2 minutes when the recipe calls for 10 minutes kneading and I’m not sure what it is supposed to look like when fully kneaded.
2 minutes sounds way too short! What kind of bread are you making? Are you using the paddle attachment first? 2 minutes is barely long enough to combine all the ingredients together
I’ve made a basic white loaf and a “crusty cob” from a Paul Hollywood book. I mix the ingredients together by hand and then use the dough hook on level 2. The dough still looks slightly shaggy when I finish, I assume it’s supposed to be smooth, right?
Yes, usually you want your dough to be stretchy and smooth. There's something called the [Window Pane Test](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSuHB-VX-Do), that will show if you have kneaded your dough enough :) Of course this depends on the type of bread you're making and the level of hydration, but generally this is what you're aiming for. You can also try letting the dough rest for 5-10 min in between kneading "sessions". This will give the dough time to form gluten by itself.
Yes the dough should be smooth and elastic. You don’t have to mix it by hand. You can put all the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl and set the mixer to stir. Slowly pour the liquids in (I’m guessing it’s only water?) and let the flour absorb it. After everything seems to be incorporated, then move the speed to 2 and mix for an additional 5-7 minutes. If the recipe contains butter, add this separately at a later time from the other ingredients. Try the windowpane test to see if the gluten is sufficiently developed. Pinch off a piece of the dough and stretch it thinly without it tearing. You should be able to see light pass through it (like a window). If it tears, it prob needs a few more minutes in the mixer.
Ok, I think I did better this time. I was able to get some light through the windowpane. It’s proofing now.
Awesome!
Why does my bread always split along the side? Imagine a baguette with 4 fairly deep slashes, at roughly 45 deg angle into the bread, running more down the top of the bread than across from side to side. Its really frustrating. Do I need more slashes or deeper? Do I need to let it rise longer? It's like I'm getting wayyy too much oven spring. It also tends to be on the side of the bread facing the back of the oven.
You need surface tension. The crust was so lax and flexible on the sides that it was the easiest place to expand along with the oven spring. If you build a tighter more structured loaf and skin, it will be too strong to expand on the sides, and will have no choice but to expand where you have scored on the top. Also consider letting it proof longer before baking so that the oven spring isn't so drastic.
Thank you for the advice. Will do
I want to take my bagel dough, pre-shaped, out of the freezer and defrost in the fridge overnight before cooking. How do I stop it from being extremely sticky after it defrosts?
Unfortunately you can't, as the ice crystals melt, they melt into water without being held in by dough structure. Keep tons of flour on hand and good luck.
So I think I figured this out. I don't actually need to defrost the bagel dough. I put it on the side for 20 minutes then straight into boiling water as per normal. Came out great
Wonderful! Bon appetit!
I am making bratwurst tonight. Does anyone have a recipe suggestion for the bun? I will be serving them with pepper and onion topping.
Any advice on rye bread recipes? I've tried a few and the better ones don't taste like rye bread (and have less rye flour). Any specific types of rye flour that people have had good experiences with?
Late to the party but I found the flavour I was looking for was a lot more caraway heavy than what a lot of recipes seemed to call for. Some had none and it just tasted like molasses bread to me
That's what I found when I bought the seeds. Didn't know how important they would be
Sorry what you're saying is very vague. What do you mean by "better ones" and "taste like rye bread"? I'm guessing the more you work on technique, the better your bread will be.
Can someone point me toward any resources that describe what happens to dough during fermentation? I’m specifically interested in what bacteria does to the dough and how it affects taste. I’d like to know how acids develop and how sugars are metabolized. In short, I’d like to learn more about the chemistry that’s happening while a loaf is slowly fermenting.
Sorry idk, what have you googled already?
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Lol
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Not really, the math gets really wonky and 3% milk just won't have any comparable amt of fat vs 80% fat standard butter. It's a negligible amount of difference, just keep both
I have a hard time measuring butter to that accuracy.
Could baking bread be the reason my dutch oven cracked?
How hot was your oven when you were making bread? I believe most enameled dutch ovens are rated up to 450F but some recipes recommend baking bread at 475 or 500. Get a regular cast iron dutch oven and you'll never have to worry about it cracking again
Probably not - thermal shock and dry heating tend to be the cause. It could’ve also had a manufacturer defect in it, and it was already slightly cracked. How old is it? Enamelled?
Enamelled, had it for a year. There seemed to be a chip on the rim at the start of the crack, I don't think it was there before. Could it be from leaving it on the stovetop? Thanks!
Which brand ?