Troubleshooting Bread That Didn't Turn Out Right

Making bread is an art form when you get it right. The pictures we see in cook books usually bare little resemblance to the loaves or rolls that are typically pulled out of the oven by occasional bakers. The proof is in the taste so most of the misshapen mishaps are overlooked and eaten anyway. Sometimes bread turns out so heavy or raw-tasting that it won't be eaten. So, what happens when the bread doesn't turn out right and how do we fix that?

Any time you're troubleshooting a problem it helps to isolate the individual parts that make up the whole. If we use a bread machine for all of the dough mixing and kneading, that removes dough handling from the equation. That leaves two very important steps to making a great loaf of bread.

Step number one is that only fresh ingredients are used. In particular the yeast and flour must be fresh or the bread won't turn out. If the yeast is not fresh, the bread won't rise properly. Old yeast can give a yeast-like smell to the bread, which can be quite a turn off. Raw and heavy breads are often the result when yeast is used beyond its expiration date. Using old flour will result in bread that doesn't rise well. If these ingredients have gone stale, put them in your compost bin and purchase fresh for your next baking attempt.

The second step is to measure the ingredients exactly, according to the recipe. Recipes for making bread have been worked out over time so that the amounts of ingredients given in the recipe just work. Altering the amounts of ingredients by not measuring them carefully will not give the best result. The ingredients must be in the proper proportions or the bread will not rise as expected.

Yeast, flour, sugar, fat, salt, and water content can affect the rising of the bread. Too little of any of these ingredients will not let the bread rise well. Too much salt or too much water will also diminish the rising of the bread. Using too much yeast, flour, sugar or water will make the bread rise too much. When there is too much rising large air bubbles collect making pockets or holes in the bread. Sometimes a large air pocket collects near the top and causes a collapse of the top of the loaf.

A different problem may occur if the bread is left in the oven or hot baking pan after it's done baking. It's important to remove the baked bread from its pan right after it comes out of the oven, or the sides may collapse. If left in the baking pan inside the bread machine oven for more than a few minutes, the sides may cave in, or collapse. Remember to remove the baking pan from the oven and then remove the bread from the pan. Cool the bread on a wire rack and enjoy.

Naomi Gallagher is a writer and a fantastic cook with a love for machines that help her make the most of her time in the kitchen. Making homemade bread has become one of her specialties. Learn more by visiting her sites where she likes to write about making bread and cooking great food: http://lazysusanspicerack.com/ and http://toastmasterbreadmachine.com/.

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