Many years ago, long before I was married, I would spend weeks making braided bread wreaths decorated with dried fruits for family and friends at Christmas. My mother sprayed one with shellac and kept it for years...bless her heart. When I was first married I baked our sandwich bread, and there was always a freshly baked cake from a recipe found in the latest delivered magazine. I am sure to some that seems a little over the top, but I am a bit of an overachiever at times. I don't know when or why ( could it have been our expanding waistlines?) I stopped, but I did. At least I slowed down.
With the cool Autumn air coming down from Canada this week I thought this would be the perfect time to warm up the kitchen with the scent of freshly baked bread. I found a recipe, in the September/October Victoria Magazine, for an Almond and Thyme Wheat Bread. It sounded perfect. I have several pots of thyme and it is also growing in my little herb garden.
I followed the recipe to the letter. There were a couple of things I questioned just from my experience with baking bread, but I didn't alter one thing. I will say, I did take a phone call while I was kneading, but I am quite good at holding the phone with my shoulder while using both my hands for other purposes.
I formed it and put it in the bread pan to rise. And, rise it did. I baked it; it smelled wonderful and looked okay. Roger couldn't wait to cut into it. I looked at it and thought, "okay, this looks pretty good". I tasted it...it tasted really good.
What happened, you ask? Something just seemed off and I couldn't resist. I stuck my finger through the end to find it hollow and gummy. I've never had bread not rise in the center. I was so disappointed!
The recipe called for 3 tablespoons dry active yeast (that equals 3 envelopes of yeast for one loaf of bread). The rising time was only 20 minutes. Baking was in a very hot 400 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Here's my thought....too much yeast, not enough time to rise properly and an oven at least 50 degrees too hot. What do you think? (let me know if you want the recipe. I'll post it.)
We were able to enjoy the ends with our dinner.
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| chicken parmesan, roasted autumn vegetables and almond/thyme bread |
Once my thyme grows back I am going to perfect this one!
Well.... we'll see.
Happy Baking!
wish I could help, I've never baked a loaf of bread. However, I'd love to have freshly baked bread every day.
ReplyDeleteLooks like you have a challenge on your hands! :)
oooohhhh but it looks so good!! i love to bake but i don't bake bread.
ReplyDeletei have an adorable place not far from home where they make wonderful bread, the old fashioned way for about 3 bucks a loaf.
so sorry, no help here, but your dinner looks delish!!
Hello Bonnie:
ReplyDeleteWell, of course, we are the last people who can offer any advice here. We have never baked a loaf of bread in our lives so to have it rise, albeit with a chewing gum middle, would be the pinnacle of success for us!
Still, the rest of your supper looked absolutely delicious....chicken parmesan...lovely!
Hi Bonnie, Yesterday I also wanted to fill my house with yummy scents of cooking food. I also made bread, but it was the pre-packaged kind. It also did not rise as much as I anticipated, but it did taste good.
ReplyDeleteI am sure your bread not coming out as expected had nothing to do with you, but rather the cooking gods that somethimes like to play tricks on us.
I'm impressed you're a bread baker. With the cooler weather I find myself back in the kitchen again too - love it! But I'm going to stick with dinners and cookies :) You'll figure out the bread mystery I'm sure :)
ReplyDeleteLove to bake, but like you have not done it in several years. My preference is whole, and I do mean whole, wheat! I think your analysis is right. It's probably part of all three. Try a more traditional rising time and turn down that oven. Can't think why you would need so much yeast ... maybe someone thought it would make it rise faster? Sounds yummy.
ReplyDeleteArleen, Oh I fear you have far too much faith in my cooking abilities. But, I do believe how something taste is the what matters most. So glad your bread was yummy!
ReplyDeleteJulie, I was tempted today to make a batch of cookies, sit down and eat everyone. My next post will explain it.
Webb, Thanks for the back up. Three tablespoons is a lot of yeast. This was actually my first time with whole wheat. I love pumpernickel, I think that will my next adventure.
Thanks all for your kind words. Bonnie
I've had my share of "fails" and yes, sometimes it is the recipe and not the baker. I'm thinking you will get this one perfected and then it will be wonderful. I've always been alittle intimidated by yeast, but I would like to try baking bread from scratch again this winter. It was so chilly this morning that I made muffins to warm up the house. I love a cozy warm kitchen when it is cold outside, isn't it the best?
ReplyDelete