Hi everyone. I thought i'd post again. Thanks for the casserole recipes. They were good and my husband and son thank you. Now, does anyone out there have a simple homemade recipe for bread. I've tried making it since I was a little girl and I am doing something wrong because it comes out hard as a brick. I've used different flour, kneaded it different lengths of time let it set different lengths of time and still the same result. My mother has shown me, my dad, my sister-in-law and several friends over the years but no go. Anybody out there with any suggestions? For some reason I just can't seem to quit trying. I haven't given up yet.

-- vicky (bullride99@msn.com), July 29, 2001

Answers

Vicky, I don't think it really matters what recipe you use as long as you have good yeast, etc. When you say "hard as a brick", though, I think you are probably using too much flour. You really need to keep the dough fairly soft. I don't mean sticky, but just so you can handle it nicely. The next time you make it, if the recipe calls for three cups of flour, try putting in 2.5 cups ( or whatever--something less than all the recipe calls for) and adding the rest of the flour as you knead it. If you normally put all of the flour in and then keep adding flour to the board as you knead, you can add quite a bit more flour than the recipe called for and get a brick loaf. You'll also get a softer loaf by using more oil/lard/butter, but I'll bet you use too much flour. I LOVE fresh bread! :) Hope you have better luck with it.

-- Jennifer L. (Northern NYS) (jlance@imcnet.net), July 29, 2001.

What kind of yeast are you using? Is it fleshman's in little pkg's? Sometimes the yeast in little pkg's are old and do not rise well. I buy it in big bags , how about the water temp? water temp is really important. I usually put my liquids with my yeast in a seperate bowl to proof. so you know your yeast is good, before you add a bunch of flour. I usually make 8 loaves at a time so this is how i do it others might do it differently but this is best way for me. it took my several trys before i got a good loaf of bread, practice makes perfect. There's nothing like the smell of baking bread in the oven. good luck with your bread baking and just keep trying. Hope i have been of help.

-- Debi (iowaranchgal@yahoo.com), July 29, 2001.

Thanks for the advice, I'll try again this afternoon and see what happens.

-- vicky (bullride99@msn.com), July 29, 2001.

here a site I use for referance. www.countrylife.net/servlets/sfs? t=contentFeatureArticle&i=953568555281&b=953568555281&c=Default&l=0&cu stomerID=guest&FormID=0&id=973609923298

-- stan (sopal@net-port.com), July 29, 2001.

Hey vicky, maybe if you posted the recipe that you are using it would help us determine if perhaps your recipe needs adjusting??? Some recipes are better for beginners than others.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), July 29, 2001.

Some recipes are not appropriate for some altitudes. Check with your county extension agent for a recipe that is appropriate for you.

-- paul (primrose@centex.net), July 29, 2001.

vicky, Ive been making bread for 18 years now. first few batches had to pitch. I would have given up, but hubby was determined he wanted me to learn. I was soooo discouraged, but am now glad I stuck with it.

I make 10 lb batches. Here is the recipe: 2 quarts bathtub-temp water. 2 Tbsp regular granulated yeast (I buy bulk, and freeze, use frozen.) 2 Tbsp salt, 1/2 cup honey, 1/2 cup lard or oil.

Mix above all together till yeast is dissolved. Add half of a 5 lb bag of whole-wheat flour, and stir with a strong spoon till the mixture begins to hang together very well... should begin to get stringy. Knead in almost the rest of the bagful. The dough should be extremely soft, almost wet yet. Knead for 10 minutes, folding it in on itself, punching it down, and turning the bowl constantly. Add a couple of cupfuls of flour as you knead, to help it not to stick to your heands too much.

Allow to rise twice, punching down twice. Turn out on countertop, Cut into loaf portions, roll up into loaves. Grease or spray pans, place loaves in, and cover. Allow to rise till AT LEAST double in bulk. It is finished rising when you punch the edge of the loaf with you finger, and an indentation remains. This can take an hour or two, depending on the climate of the room. Can even take 3 hours, on overcast cloudy days.

Bake at 325 for 35 minutes. I detest overbaked, hard bread. It only has to be baked long enough to cook it all the way through. Many people dry their bread out when baking it. If the side of the loaf doesnt cave in at all when the loaf is dumped out on its side, then it is done. I cool the bread just till it stops steaming, and then pop into bags, seal tightly, and freeze immediately. If done this way, it will taste like freshly made bread when you get it out. If you wish to heat the loaf, wrap in a (clean!) moist teatowel and place in a 250 degree oven for half an hour.

Hope this helps. I wish someone would have told me all this when I was starting out, anyhow!

-- daffodyllady (daffodyllady@yahoo.com), July 29, 2001.

When the sky is overcast, it takes a tad more yeast. Also, white bread takes less yeast. Also, whole wheat dough should be stickier than white dough, because the bran continues to absorb liquid for a long time. I dont know about altitude adjustments, because I have always lived in Virginia, in the Shenandoah Valley.

-- daffodyllady (daffodyllady@yahoo.com), July 29, 2001.

Oops, forgot to mention.. (and I am sure you know this already, but newbies might not) .. that the tops of the loaves need to be oiled as soon as they are place in the pans. Also, you may wish to prick vigorously with a fork all the way down through the loaf in a design pattern, before the loaf begins to rise. It helps to get rid of big bubbles.

Ok.. I *think* that's all. LOL

-- daffodyllady (daffodyllady@yahoo.com), July 29, 2001.

Hey Vicky,

Try this: when letting your bread dough rise, put it in your oven (no heat) and put a large saucepan of hot water under it. Shut oven door. This keeps out drafts (and bugs!) and your dough rises so nicely! I usually only do this with the first rising, for the second rising, I put the pans on top of the stove with wax paper on top(save those cereal bags, they are perfect- also for storing finished bread in)...while I heat up the oven. This is known as the "Irish Method" for rising the bread. I suppose it would work as well if you had a cupboard that you coud put them in as well. Good luck, and keep on trying, you'll get the hang of it after a while.

...Sandie

-- Sandie Thompson BAker (SThompson@unipsherenetworks.com), July 30, 2001.

I, too, am one who could only bake bricks instead of bread and I gave up on trying. My friend bought us a bread machine for Christmas and hubby is now the bread maker so we solved the problem but I am still aggravated that I couldn't master this. But, reading the responses I will bet anything that I was adding too much flour as I kneaded as Jennifer mentioned because that is one thing that I do when I am baking other things. I think I will give it another try and see how I make out. Thanks Vicky, for motivating me to try again.

-- Colleen (pyramidgreatdanes@erols.com), July 30, 2001.

2 packagas active dry yeast 3/4 cup water, 2cups butter milk , 3TBLs sugar,6 TBLEs butter, 1 TBLEs salt 7-8 cups of flour. ( I us unbleached flour) First set the butter milk out to get it warmed up some. then desolve yest in the 3/4th cup warm water. I put sugar on top of the yeast while it is desolving. Stir in butter milk sugar salt and 4 cups flour beat until smoth. mix in enough remaining dough to make it easy to handle turn dough on to floured surface and need until smoth about 10 minuts place in greesed large bowl, turned greesed side up. let rise in warm place about 1 hour punch dough down and cut into roll each dough out into a rectangle. roll up tightly into a loaf and let them rise again, in a loaf pan. bake in a preheated oven at 425 bake until loves are deep brown and sound hollow about 25 minutes. Hope you like it let me know. Lisa

-- Lisa in TX (westexas@ev1.net), July 30, 2001.

Just a curious bit of info....My mother can not make yeast bread, if she touches it will not rise,........When I am pregnant the same thing happens to me.

-- Thumper (slrldr@aol.com), July 30, 2001.

Thanks a lot for answering my questions. (No.1) Too much flour. (No.2) Yeast not proofing. (No.3) Water not the right temperature as well. I havent got the time right now to try it again but this weekend i"ll give it another go. Over the years I'll try to make a batch and it dosen't work so i'll stop then a few months later i'll try again and so on and so on. I'm determined that before I pass out of this life onto the next i'm gonna have one good loaf to eat. Thanks everyone again for giving me the gumption to try again.

-- vicky (bullride99@msn.com), July 30, 2001.

Dear Vicky,

A friend just taught me to make sourdough bread yesterday. Her big secret (aside from the starter) - NEVER mix the dough in a metal bowl, only glass or ceramic. Apparently the metal affects the yeast.

You might also check the archives for a post I made about 6 weeks ago asking for help. Same friend had just moved into an apartment with an electric stove and was having trouble adjusting her bread baking from using gas. You might find some help in those responses.

Good Luck!!

Randle

-- Randle Gay (rangay@hotmail.com), July 30, 2001.

Add a banana (mashed) to your recipe. It even helps whole grain breads rise higher. I very rarely get brick bread if I use a banana although mine does not rise well in very humid weather. On a dry day it will rise forever...LOL

-- Alison in N.S. (aproteau@istar.ca), July 31, 2001.

Funny how everyone has a different trick...some I agree with some I don't..anyway here is how I do it...makes 3 loaves.. 2 Tbsp. dry yeast (I buy in bulk and store in fridge) 2 1/2 c. warm water let proof until you see the bubbles that show it is "working" Add: 1/2 c. oil 1/2 c. honey 1 Tbsp. salt mix well, then add 1/4 c. gluten flour (I get mine at a health food store....really helps with the rising) Then I add about a cup of oatmeal or bran, and the rest a mixure of freshly ground whole wheat flour and unbleached flour. Sometimes I add a couple eggs. I add flour until it holds together well, and dosn't stick to my hands anymore. Knead well. Turn into a large buttered bowl and cover with a cloth to let rise for about an hour...longer in cold weathere...until double in bulk. Knead down, and divide into 3 parts. Place each peice into a well buttered loaf pan and rub top of loaf with butter also. Cover with a cloth and let rise again for about 30 min. Preheat oven to 350. Bake loaves about 30 min. They are usually done when they start smelling really good. I butter the loaves and turn them out onto a wire rack to cool. I hope this helps. The gluten flour really helps me alot. Then you can feel free to add some grainy things. I use this same dough for making cinnamon rolls too. Some times I add some eggs to the dough with the flour. Usually not. Good luck...don't give up!!

-- Jenny Pipes (Auntjenny6@aol.com), July 31, 2001.

I found a great show on PBS that may help you alot. Breaking Bread with Father Dominic, he also has a web site www.breaking-bread.com It airs on Sat. afternoon in my area I love it. Father Dominic is a monk, he shows lots of bread techniques,recipes, and really makes the show very entertaining. I heard him say once that all of us should make an effort to be more selsufficient. He's a neat guy.

-- Margaret Jensen (gjemsenii@hotmail.com), August 05, 2001.