For all the homemade bread makers out there...

[HardWorkingDem]

I just tried to make two loves of bread in my new mixer. The problem came during the rising process. The bread fell and after I baked it it came out flat and heavy.

What am I doing wrong?

I put the dough in bread loaf pans on the stove, but when I removed the plastic wrap the dough fell, never to rise again in the oven.

I did use bread machine yeast in the dough.

Any suggestions?

[NMDemDist2]

1. i had the same problem when I got a mixer

I was adding too much flour and working the dough too long

take it out just as it comes together in a ball on the hook for the first rise and only add enough additional flour to make it so it isn't really really sticky, but leave it a bit sticky

what was explained to me is that the yeast had run out of food

another trick is to let it sit for a few minutes when you first add the flour before doing the final mix

hope that helps

:hi:

[HardWorkingDem]

2. I'll give that a try...

thank you..

This dough was so delicate. I put plastic wrap over it and when I pulled it off the dough collapsed, never to rise.

[Tesha]

3. if the plastic rests on the dough..

it will stick unless it's oiled or buttered...

I try to raise my bread in an enclosed area instead of covering it.

Check the freshness of the yeast, keep the dough as moist as you can, and of course there's the humidity in the room, the drafts, and the kitchen fairy...


- bread is a wonderful mystery.

[Warpy]

4. Wet dough, barely adequate kneading,

and do the rise in the pan with a plastic bag tented over it so the dough never comes in contact with the plastic.

Make sure your pans are the right size for the amount of dough, too, so you're not tempted to let it over rise just to fill the pan.

[wildflower]

5. I had a similar thought to Tesha and Warpy

If the plastic is stuck to the dough, when you pull it off, it may rip the dough, letting the air out of the top and deflating it.

I rub a little oil on the plastic or use wax paper.

[housewolf]

6. If you're not opposed to cookiing spray

(such as Pam), lightly spray your plastic wrap with a little before putting it over the dough. That will keep it from sticking to the dough when you take it off. It's easy, quick and works well for that purpose.

You don't specifically say whether the plastic wrap was greased or not, or whether it stuck to the dough, but that's sort of what it sounds like.

Another possibility is that the dough was over-risen and just fell from it's own weight. Here's a tip for testing whether dough has risen enough or not... remove anything thing used to cover the dough and very lightly touch/tap the dough with your finger. If an indentation remains in the dough, it's sufficiently risen. If the dough springs right back and there's no indentation, then the dough is not sufficiently risen. Generally, with bread dough, it's better to bake dough that is _slighly_ under-risen rather than dough that is over-risen because it will continue to rise when you put it in the oven. Baking over-risen dough can cause a big open space between the crust and the body of the bread, or alternately, the bread can fall.

Good luck with you bread baking! There's nothing more satisfying that enjoying a loaf of your very own home made bread.

[housewolf]

7. oops, duplicate post

[HardWorkingDem]

8. Thank you all....

I did spray the top with Pam, but not enough.

Thanks for all the help.....I'll try the suggestions.


This is what I love about cooking.....some times your stuff fails and other times it comes out great....

[ginnyinWI]

10. back in the old days before plastic wrap:

My mom would wring a cotton dishtowel out in hot water (a cotton type, not terry cloth) and put that over the dough in a cold even. Then she'd put boiling water in a baking pan on a rack under the dough. Heat and humidity are the best things for rising dough.

Waxed paper will also work--oiled if you want it to come off easier. Also, I learned from my husband's grandmother, a retired baker, that you have to give rising dough some air, so you don't want to completely seal off a pan or bowl so that the oxygen gets used up--another reason to avoid plastic wrap.

[kentauros]

11. Your mother's technique is like a "poor man's proof box"

:D
Proof boxes in bakeries work the same way: heated water in the base with racks for the trays of loaf pans, all temperature controlled and sealed in to keep it nice and humid.

When I don't use the breadmachine (yes, I do use one when I get lazy :P) then I would also use a damp cloth instead of plastic wrap, and pay close attention to the timing of the proof as well as the actual rise.

hardworkingdem, there were a few more serious replies to your Lounge thread, so you might want to check it out again ;)

Here's some wiki info on proofing, too

[htuttle]

12. Not just back in the old days -- I have some dough in the oven proofing right now

I'm making calzones tonight. :9

I boiled some water in a cast iron skillet (I thought the skillet would hold the heat better) and put it on the bottom rack right under the oiled bowl with the dough. The bowl is covered with a damp towel, just like your mom did. Someone told me to do it this way years ago, and it seems to work the best.

[hippywife]

9. I agree with the others

about checking the yeast and keeping the dough a little sticky but I've only had mine do that one time. I cover mine with a damp flour sack towel and before that I used brushed oil on plastic wrap.