Mom came over and showed me a super easy recipe for bread! I didn't cook it long enough so it was pretty dense once it cooled!! I'm going to make another attempt and just cook it longer. I will learn my stove one of these days!
Length of time cooking doesn't have too much to do with denseness. Some breads require rising time and some require kneading time and some just don't. Simple "rustic" breads tend to be much denser because they are usually not kneaded at all or left to rise either. Beer bread is like this. These breads are good for eating with a hearty meal. Other breads are kneaded and allowed to rise which results in the elastins in the wheat being developed (kneading) and then the yeast filling the elastic bubbles with gas (rising) and then the baking process "sets" this bubbly structure, resulting in lighter fluffier bread, which is more like what you and I are used to in our sandwich loaves.
To make a dense bread lighter, try leaving it in the mixer or kneading it a little longer. If it is a yeast bread, allow it to rise, even just a little, in a warm place (oven set to 150 or less) before baking it. If it isn't a yeast bread, it's probably not designed to be risen any more than the normal baking process will, and it's probably supposed to be denser than your "normal" bread.
I am glad that you are having fun cooking new things!
ReplyDeleteLength of time cooking doesn't have too much to do with denseness. Some breads require rising time and some require kneading time and some just don't. Simple "rustic" breads tend to be much denser because they are usually not kneaded at all or left to rise either. Beer bread is like this. These breads are good for eating with a hearty meal. Other breads are kneaded and allowed to rise which results in the elastins in the wheat being developed (kneading) and then the yeast filling the elastic bubbles with gas (rising) and then the baking process "sets" this bubbly structure, resulting in lighter fluffier bread, which is more like what you and I are used to in our sandwich loaves.
ReplyDeleteTo make a dense bread lighter, try leaving it in the mixer or kneading it a little longer. If it is a yeast bread, allow it to rise, even just a little, in a warm place (oven set to 150 or less) before baking it. If it isn't a yeast bread, it's probably not designed to be risen any more than the normal baking process will, and it's probably supposed to be denser than your "normal" bread.
Thank you for the info! I'll try it a little differently next time I make it and will try to follow your advise!
ReplyDelete