How do I keep dough moist while rising?

Question

If I'm rising dough for a really long time (at home), what techniques are there for keeping the surface moist? What I'm finding is that the crumb comes out as I'd like (very aerated, mature), but that the top forms a skin, causing the side to burst despite scoring on the top with a razor.

Asked by Mick Sear

Answer

The best recommendation I have seen is plain plastic wrap. If you have an oil mister, mist the wrap before using it. If you don't, pour oil into a bowl, enough to form a puddle, and toss your ball of dough in the oil. Then transfer your dough to the rising container (if you use the same bowl you used for oiling, take the dough out, pour out the superfluous oil, return the dough into the bowl). In the best case, the bowl will be deep enough for the dough to rise without the middle touching the wrap, but if it rises more (even with the dough pressing against the wrap), dough with enough gluten development will peel off the oiled wrap with minimal losses, even if it is wet.

The wrap will keep your dough surface moist in both the fridge and outside. It doesn't allow breathing, but this shouldn't be a concern in most cases. If you overyeast the dough, the collection of fermentation byproducts in the bowl will probably make for worse taste than if they are allowed to dissipate, but the correct solution for this problem is to not produce them in the first place. With your "very long times", this is probably not a problem in your case.

You can also use this method for the secondary fermentation. But in the final proofing stage, you have to make sure that your dough never rises enough to touch the wrap, or else the loaf will deform while you are removing the wrap. Also, if you are proofing in banettons, don't oil them, use flour combinations to prevent sticking.

If you are out of plastic wrap, substituting alu wrap is a bad idea, because yeast is very sensitive to metallic ions. Today's non-reactive metal utensils are safe enough for use with yeast dough, but untreated aluminium can be problematic. Try baking paper instead (you may have to tape it to the outer bowl walls).

Answered by rumtscho

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domestic bread steaming -> will my stone be okay?

Question

Trying to maximise the oven rise of my loaf, and think I will try the steaming method, but what is the best way to do this in a domestic electric oven, and will could it damage my bread stone?

Asked by Mild Fuzz

Answer

I would not go ahead and just toss water on the oven floor as this can both damage your oven, as well as lower its temperature.

Instead, I would use a baking pan with some boiling water, put it on the lowest rack. The temperature of the oven will keep the water boiling, and thus releasing steam throughout the baking.

Answered by Magnus Nordlander

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What is the secret to baking bread with a very fine crumb?

Question

I've noticed bread purchased from the local baker always has a very fine crumb. How is this achieved??

Asked by Jachin

Answer

A couple of things will help give you smaller holes:

1. Keep the hydration reasonably low (say, 60% with American-style bread flour).
2. Use some oil or butter. Try 10% (baker's ratio).
3. Knead very well, something like 10–15 minutes in a stand mixer.
4. After the first rise, normally you try to be gentle, and not press out all the air. Don't. Instead, press it out.
5. Bake in a moderate (say, 350°F) oven. You don't particularly want much oven spring here.

For even finer texture, part way through the second rise, you can press it out again, and let it start a third rise (but not to double).

Also, adding some whole wheat or rye flour will give a denser crumb. With different flavor, too, of course.

Answered by derobert

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Why is butter incorporated into the dough last when making Brioche?

Question

I made Brioche for the first time tonight using the Rich Man's Brioche recipe from Reinhart's Bread Baker's Apprentice.

The recipe basically leaves out the butter until the very end when the dough is fully mixed and hydrated. Only then does the recipe require the butter to be slowly added into the dough tablespoons at a time using a wooden spoon.

I am usually used to creaming the butter at the very beginning or using melted butter in the wet ingredients and then mixing it with the dry ingredients. Incorporating the butter into the dough at the end using a wooden spoon took quite a while and was a pretty good workout for my arms.

I took a look at other Brioche recipes on the internet and pretty much all of them add the butter into the dough at the very end.

So my question is why is the butter incorporated only after the dough is fully formed?

What would happen if I were to cream the butter with the sugar(small amount of it) and egg at the beginning before adding it to the sponge and dry ingredients?

Asked by Jay

Answer

The reason is that butter can inhibit gluten formation. It 'coats' the proteins that would form gluten. You knead the dough first to get gluten, and then add the butter afterward around the already formed gluten.

You can add it earlier, you just end up with less gluten and a more tender dough.

Creaming isn't usually done with bread, as its purpose is air bubble formation.

Answered by rfusca

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Does adding oil and fats affect bread crust development?

Question

I had recently started baking bread and I have read up a lot on developing a great crust. Generally it involves steam in the oven at the beginning of the baking process, high even heat and etc.

I noticed something that I have not read about and was hoping someone can confirm it.

I noticed that when I added extra virgin olive oil, I developed a much nicer crust then when I made a much leaner bread that did not have any fats in it. Does the oil really affect how my crust develops, or do you think its a different factor that gave my bread a better crust. If it is the EVOO, why does it give my bread a better crust.

Asked by Jay

Answer

Oil definitely changes the crust, and whether or not it's "better" depends on what you're going for. Oil in the dough tends to give a softer and thicker crust, while a lean dough tends to give a crisper and thinner crust. Other dough ingredients that tenderize include milk and eggs, and there are plenty of web pages listing "dough enhancers" that give various effects. Again, it all depends on what type of crust and crumb you want.

Answered by amcnabb

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What takes over the functions of gluten in gluten-free bread mixes?

Question

Gluten has many effects on bread doughs, as explained in this beautiful answer. I think the main effects for bread doughs are the first three mentioned there:

1. Provide elasticity, presumably because of the network of links it creates in the dough;

2. Trap and retain gas, again with the network of crosslinks;

3. Absorb moisture.

As the answer linked to above explains, hydrocolloids such as xanthan or guar gum can mimic the effect of 2. to a certain extent by forming a very thin gel. I was wondering which ingredients take over which specific function of gluten.

More specifically: is it possible to indicate specific ingredients that take over some of the other functions? Are there other classes of ingredients that take over the function of trapping gas bubbles - maybe other proteins? And are there other functions that hydrocolloids have in gluten-free bread mixes?

Asked by Erik P.

Answer

To summarize the points of Aaronut's answer and provide a framework for answering:

'Gluten is responsible for elasticity of dough, which is perceived as chewiness','The "rising" in baked goods is essentially just stretching of the gluten network', 'Gluten is also exceptionally good at both absorbing and retaining moisture'

• Dough's rising is catalyzed by the yeast eating sugar and giving off gas, the gas becomes suspended in the gluten network which has body from absorbed moisture and is restrained and stregthened by the salt. The end.
• In the absence of gluten, there is no network for the gas to lift. However, when you add xanthum or guar gum, their qualities as hydrocolloids allow them to swell with moisture and rise with the gas.
  • Modified rice starch imitates gelatin in some applications, gelatin also produces flex and supports a smoother texture (common complaints about gluten-free breads refer to their grainy texture).
  • If you remove the gums and hydrocolloids from the gluten free dough you'll get a sopping wet mess that does nothing; using flax and chia seed will pull it back into shape. Both seeds, when milled will gel andprovide the meringue-type (though not as effective or durable) effect.
  • Tapioca starch also gives body and accommodates a smoother texture, hence it's addition to the King Arthur's gluten free flour mix.

'When baking without gluten, you will have to be very precise about all of your measurements', as gluten is more forgiving due to its slow-acting nature

• Yep.
• In gluten-free baking one must substitute precision for not precision. Over kneading can be fatal especially in recipes with flax and chia.

'Its coagulation action is actually very similar to that of egg whites... gluten is basically doing the same thing inside of whatever you're baking'

• Gluten allows you to replicates the function of eggs in some use cases.
• Flax and chia eggs as well as Ener-G egg replacer are common vegan replacements to eggs, but as this question is simply about gluten-free baking the answer is to just use an egg; some recipes call for one, some don't. However, there is no likely use case where the functionality of an egg being replicated by gluten would preclude using an egg.

'Finally, it provides nutritive protein when eaten. Wheat gluten is about 75% protein':

• Yep.
• Get protein somewhere else. There are 2 grams of protein in a slice of white bread, have an ounce of black beans.

'In short: Gluten does a lot of things. Keep in mind when doing gluten-free baking that a lot of the substitutes only replicate one or two of the effects.':

• The combination of multiple agents is generally necessary to provide the same functions. If you look at this methodology for high-rising gluten-free dough from King Arthur's, you'll see that the bread flour alone contains a super-fine flour, potato starch and tapioca starch. The recipe calls for xanthum gum and an egg in addition to the tapioca and potato starches. There you already have four ingredients doing the work of the gluten.

Answered by n/a

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Are there any negative effects to kneading bread dough longer?

Question

Is there such a thing as over-kneading bread dough. From what I understand, kneading the bread dough is what allows the gluten strands to align and form the beautiful gluten networks that create bread with all the little air bubbles.

If that is the case, is it always, "the more you knead the better", or are there any negative effects that occur if you knead it longer than what your bread recipe states.

Asked by Jay

Answer

There are several negative effects from over-kneading bread dough:

• Overheating - if the dough gets too warm, it will ferment too quickly (or over ferment) and will therefore lack flavour.
• Oxidisation - kneading for too long can cause the flour to oxidise and bleach, again impairing flavour.
• Breaking down - eventually the molecular bonds of the gluten will break, which is obviously not what you want to happen!

The latter two are really only possible with electric mixers, however.

Most doughs are ready for fermentation when they reach an internal temperature of 77-81ºF. You can also check the gluten development with the Windowpane Test: pull off a chunk of dough and stretch it with your hands. It should stretch to form a very thin translucent sheet, without tearing.

Answered by ElendilTheTall

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Why didn't my brioche rise?

Question

This weekend I attempted to make this recipe for brioche. I did the first step and combined the the milk, yeast, 1 egg and 1 cup of flour which caused very big clumps and then I added the sugar.

I then did the 2nd through the 5th steps but the clumps stayed and the dough was really wet (like pancake batter) so I tried adding more flour until I got something like the right consistency. I then covered the dough and put it in a draft free area that was warm for 2.5 hours but my yeast did not rise and the dough still had clumps in it. I waited longer but nothing so I had to throw it away.

I really wanted to try this recipe again so I would appreciate any insight into what I did wrong.

Asked by Luz_Ramirez

Answer

First, try proofing your yeast (mix 110°F water, a little sugar, and a little yeast in a small container; confirm that it foams). It may be that your yeast is (well) past its prime. That's the most likely reason I can think of that your dough didn't rise.

Second reason could be that while mixing, the dough got too hot—heat will kill yeast. Yeast dies somewhere around 130°F, but really you want to keep it much cooler than that. If its getting too hot, consider starting with colder ingredients (e.g., ignore the instruction to warm the milk).

Finally, I'd suggest using recipes that are by weight; flour is much easier to measure by weight. You may be using a different scooping technique than the recipe author.

Also—there is something weird about that recipe. It lists 3½ cups flour in the ingredients, but then only has you add 2½ cups in the steps. I suspect that is a mistake, and explains the batter-like consistency you got.

Answered by derobert

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What is the easiest way to measure bread's rising?

Question

How can I easily measure the volume of my bread as it rises? I usually eyeball it or test for feel, but this isn't very accurate, and definitely isn't getting the full rising potential out of it.

Proofing buckets seem like one possibility, but I don't want to buy a large uni-task kitchen item if possible. I'm also not sure what volumes to expect from a pound of dough.

Asked by BobMcGee

Answer

Do you have a large plastic container? Something like this: .

Use a non-permanent marker on the outside to mark the initial volume.

A small diameter will make it easier to monitor the volume.

Answered by soegaard

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What makes bread mold grow; light, air or both?

Question

I'm building a breadbox that will hold multiple loaves of bread. I was wondering if it would be a good idea to put a gasket around the lid to reduce air infiltration but I don't know what is more important. So is the key to keep out light or air or both?

Asked by murisonc

Answer

Mold grows best in warm, moist conditions. It's a fungus, not a plant; light has nothing to do with it. Fresh air doesn't really make it grow either, but circulating air does help reduce condensation, depriving mold of moisture. So you really don't want to seal a breadbox - that'll just help create a nice moist environment for the mold to grow in.

Breadboxes are really just about keeping other pests away from your bread, while still being able to keep it at room temperature. (It goes stale faster in the fridge.) If you're worried about mold growth, you probably just want to freeze some of the bread.

Answered by Jefromi

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How can you tell whether bread dough is ready for baking?

Question

I've tried to make a special bread for making 'torrijas', the Spanish version of French toast. Very popular during easter, here.

Twice, the bread didn't rise correctly in the oven, even after extended rising. The resulting bread was pretty solid, with unbaked lumps in the center.

The second dough was kept in the fridge for 24h, then risen for about 1h, then formed and risen again before baking...

So, the question is if there is an objective way to determine when a dough is ready to be baked?

PD. I'll start a dwarf bread factory, shortly.

Asked by BaffledCook

Answer

Unbaked lumps probably mean you aren't mixing it enough. Try starting with a little less flour and knead in more as you go.

Another issue is you may not be kneading it enough. Next time try using the windowpane test. You don't have to do this every time, but if you're having trouble with a specific recipe this will help you figure out how the dough should "feel" when its ready by giving you a visual indicator. I've found that when I have dough rising problems, it's usually because I didn't knead long enough. This should also help fix your mixing issue.

That being said, there are two good to see if dough has risen enough. One is to let it rise in a marked container (though this doesn't work well for shaped loaves or if you aren't supposed to let it double). The other is the poke test. From a Bon Appetit online article:

To test for doneness, use the finger test: Poke it with 2 fingers; it holds the indentation, it's ready.

Generally I poke it and if it pops right back out, it's not ready. For sourdough, if it holds its shape for a moment and then slowly starts to expand back, it's perfect. For other breads, holding the indentation is a good indicator. This isn't necessarily advisable for delicate doughs. If you're working with a delicate dough, try the test on one loaf that you don't "need" to be perfect. You can use this as a relative time measurement for the future.

Answered by jandjorgensen

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baking bread with all-purpose flour

Question

I'm a bread-baking novice and have acquired a vast quantity of all-purpose flour.

If I follow a typical bread recipe, for example one of these, but use all-purpose flour instead of the recommended variety, what will happen? Will the bread be edible?

[How] could I modify such a recipe to work with all-purpose flour?

update

Used Canadian all-purpose flour with this recipe, unmodified; results were delicious.

Asked by intuited

Answer

Bread is basically just flour, water, and yeast, so it's pretty hard to make it inedible unless you burn it to a crisp in the oven.

The difference between all-purpose flour and bread flour is gluten strength; if you substitute all-purpose flour then your bread won't rise as high or be as strong; this is a desirable quality in, say, cake, but not bread.

However, AP flour isn't that far off from bread flour in terms of gluten; while cake flour may be as low as 6% and bread flour can be as high as 14%, AP flour tends to weigh in at around 10% or more, which is why it's called "all-purpose". As Michael says, yeast bread is actually not as sensitive to the exact quantities as (for example) most pastries, but it's still better to use a recipe that was actually built around AP flour instead of just trying to substitute it for bread flour.

If you are determined to make the substitution, then I would suggest you try to find some wheat gluten and add a small amount of that to the AP flour. Mathematically, if you assume that you're lacking some 3% protein, then you'd want to add about 1 tbsp of gluten for every 2 cups of flour. It's really not much, though, and if you don't have or can't find wheat gluten then your bread would probably survive anyway with AP flour, it just might be a little denser than you expect.

Answered by Aaronut

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What are the pros and cons of storing bread in various locations?

Question

Why should/shouldn't I store my bread in the fridge/freezer/breadbox/plastic bag/etc?

Asked by thelsdj

Answer

Storing bread in the freezer you can store for several days and keep it soft.

To eat, remove from the freezer and put in the oven.

Answered by Daniel Moura

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Crusty french bread

Question

The crust on my french bread never turns out "crusty" like it does in restaurants, what am I doing wrong?

Asked by curriegrr

Answer

To promote a crust on a bread (ie. getting it 'crusty'), the bread must be baked in two phases. First, steam must be introduced (and not vented) for about a third of the bake time. Then, you must evacuate the steam and bake the remainder of time dry. This is the trick to making crusty breads. Also critical in the promotion of crust is temperature. You must bake crusty breads at a high temp., at least 400 degrees (which is what I bake my crusty-style breads at).

Also of note, crusty breads tend to be lean doughs, that is one without a high fat content.

Answered by mrwienerdog

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What is the difference between a poolish and a biga?

Question

Both poolish and biga are pre-ferments. Poolish is a French name, biga an Italian term. What other differences are there between the two?

Just to give some direction: are there differences in making them? Can you both keep them as long? How does the dough feel with it? What difference does it make in the end result? Is there a difference in flavour/colour/texture?

Asked by Mien

Answer

I had to consult my copy of Bread Baker's Apprentice by Peter Reinhart to be sure, but here is a quote:

There are two types of firm, or dry, pre-ferments and two types of wet pre-ferments. The firm pre-ferments are known as pâte fermentée and biga. The wet pre-ferments are called poolish and levain levure.

...

Biga, an italian style of firm pre-ferment, differs from pâte fermentée in that it doesn't have any salt in it. Also, rather than cutting off a piece of finished bread dough to hold back as an improver, a biga is made specifically to be used as a pre-ferment.

So, it seems the main difference lies in the hydration of the dough, where a poolish is made with a ratio of equal water and flour. There also seems to be a few other differences. A biga apparently uses .5 percent yeast to flour, while a poolish uses .25 percent.

Mr Reinhart does not say anything about a concrete difference in final result between these methods - just that a 'wet' pre-ferment is faster. Faster in the sense that in the same time-frame a poolish will develop more flavor and character than a dry pre-ferment.

Sadly I've personally only used a wet pre-ferment, since it is easier to handle. Just whisk it prior to bed time with a wire whisk and mix in the rest of the ingredients the next day. Having a full blown dough makes it more difficult to incorporate the rest of the ingredients.

Answered by Max

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What kind of flour keeps bread dough from sticking in a proofing basket?

Question

When proofing down in a bread basket (not just a smooth bowl), what kind of flour keeps the dough from actually sticking? Is there a technique that works? Normal wheat flour seems to be to readily absorbed and then its a nightmare to get unstuck.

Asked by rfusca

Answer

The best seems to be a 1:1 ratio of normal wheat-based flour and rice flour - others agree.

First the wheat flour sticks to the dough and creates a nice smooth surface.
Then the rice flour (which doesn't adsorb very quickly) creates small 'rollers' that keep the dough from dragging, like ball bearings. This is similar to semonlina or cornmeal for working with pizza.

A key part of the technique to a banneton is to sprinkle and rub some flour mix on the surface of the dough first, then sprinkle some flour mix in the basket, then put it seem side up in the basket. No sticking.

This same mix and similar technique works wonders for using a peel as well.

Answered by rfusca

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What the advantage of a 'bakers couche' for proofing bread and is it safe?

Question

A bakers couch is just floured fabric, whats the advantage to using it? King Arthur's site says that it promotes chewy, crunchy crust - how's that? If I'm just keeping it floured and not washed all the time, isn't there a risk of some kind of bacteria, or should it just be too dry?

Asked by rfusca

Answer

The bakers couche is not just floured fabric, it is usually a hard wearing canvas

It is used to allow the dough to breath, and hold it's shape while your actual bread moulds are being used in the oven. The all over air gap allow the crust to dry slightly. A dry crust makes it easier to handle and bakes slightly more crispy

The flour is there to stop the soft dough from sticking to the canvas, but a with careful handling and a well worn in couche this should not happen

If you keep the couche dry it should not develop mold or mildew. Even if it does, leave it out in the sunshine, so that the UV light can deal to it. I can't imagine that the occasional normal household mold is going to form dangerous toxins that can survive the oven!

After use, give the couche a good brush down with a clean fine bristled brush, and store somewhere dry

If you have plenty of the fine perforated steel moulds, you wont need to use a couche, just use the pans

Answered by TFD

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What qualities should I be looking for when making the best French Toast?

Question

Should it be a thick slice of bread? Should it be made with challah bread? Should it be slightly crispy and brown on the outside but mushy on the inside?

Asked by milesmeow

Answer

Great french toast starts with the bread. You're looking for two things: thick slices, and staleness. Why stale? Stale bread has enough firmness to stand up to the custard. If you don't have stale bread available, you can set it out the night before in a simple wire rack. At least 8 hours should be enough to stale it up nicely. They will be rather firm to the touch.

The ideal finished product is crispy on the outside and creamy in the middle. This might be what you mean by mushy, but mushy in my mind is kind of negative. The key to accomplishing this is to let your bread soak in the custard only 30 seconds per side, but then move it to a rack to sit for another 2 minutes further. This extra set time allows the custard to penetrate deep inside the bread, and be distributed much more evenly.

The final trick to getting a nice crispy crust, is to cook it twice. First in the pan/griddle as you normally would, but then 5 minutes in a 375 F oven on a rack. This brief oven stint crisps up the exterior nicely.

I highly suggest watching Alton Brown's Good Eats: French Toast episode. That's where I learned the oven trick, and his recipe hasn't done me wrong since.

Regarding challah, I've never had it, but based on the Wikipedia description it sure sounds like a good candidate. Just make sure you slice and stale it overnight.

Answered by hobodave

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Dry milk in bread: purpose, and substitutions

Question

I've been looking for a good 100% whole grain bread recipe that I like, and came across one that looks promising in the book Home Grown Whole Grains (pp. 152):

• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ¼ cup warm water
• 2 cups warm water
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 6 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 cups whole wheat flour
• ½ cup dry milk powder

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the ¼ cup water and allow to stand until the mixture begins to bubble. Add the 2 cups warm water, oil, honey, and salt and then begin beating in the flour. When you have about half of it worked in, beat in the dry milk, a little at a time, taking care to break up any lumps. Then beat in the rest of the flour....

What is the purpose of the dry milk? And what guidelines can I follow to replace the powdered milk with something more "self sufficient"? Perhaps normal milk, and a little less water?

Asked by Flimzy

Answer

Milk is added to bread for flavour, a tender crumb and well-coloured crust.

Dry milk is used because it easy to store and easy to use in bulk. Milk also contains an enzyme called glutathione which can weaken gluten and result in a poorer quality loaf - the drying process destroys this enzyme.

You can substitute regular milk in various proportions, but you may as well simply replace the 2 cups of water with it, which will give you a nice soft loaf. Opinion is divided whether you should scald the milk to destroy the glutathione, but in any case it's probably a good idea to warm it anyway, to help the rise.

Answered by ElendilTheTall

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Why does soda bread call for buttermilk?

Question

I've been looking for a soda bread recipe to try and I notice that most of them contain buttermilk. Buttermilk is not a standard part of my pantry. Part of the appeal of soda bread is that it's quick to throw together, so having to go shopping for a specific ingredient interferes with the spontaneous aspect.

I know there are lots of substitutions for buttermilk (using a bit of lemon juice in regular milk is the one I usually use), but I'm wondering what it is about buttermilk specifically that seems to be a standard part of soda bread. Is it just traditional? Or will it add a particularly noticeable flavour/texture?

Edited to add: I know that its functional purpose is to provide an acid to react with the soda for rising; so is it just that it used to be the most convenient acid?

Asked by Allison

Answer

Buttermilk has a delicious flavor that is not at all approximated by lemon juice.

It's true that lemon or vinegar with milk will clabber it a little and provide the acid that the recipe needs but the flavor will be distinctly lacking.

Get some buttermilk. It's inexpensive and has a longer shelf life than normal milk. It is also exceptionally easy to make. If you make it a standard part of your pantry you will find yourself enjoying life more (or at least pancakes.)

Answered by Sobachatina

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