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Whenever I make bread, be it in the breadmaker or by hand, it is really heavy, sometimes too doughy. I usually use the Laucke's <sp?> bread mix. I understand that home-made bread will be more substantial than the icky airy supermarket bread, but it just seems too much.
The breadmaker does a better job than me doing it by hand. Recently I used the dough setting on the machine, then hand kneaded then let it rise for a while, and it came out SOOOO heavy and horrible.
What am I doing wrong??
Is it rising at all? Have you tried changing your yeast? Sometimes if the dried yeast has got too hot it kills it and you'll have problems.
It could be a couple of things, you might not be using enough yeast or maybe too much water.
If you're using wholemeal flour it is amazing how heavy the bread can be, way heavier than any bread you're buying in the supermarket. Maybe post your recipe and I'll have a look, I just kind of mix it up from feel....
Good on you for making it though... nothing yummier and I find my son will always eat so much more than bought bread.
The yeast could be a point- old yeast doesn't work as well, does it?
So does how much/well you knead the dough and how long you let it rise have an effect on the heaviness of the bread?
DF was having troubles with his bread being very heavy, yet mine was turning out fine.
After watching him make a loaf, I discovered he wasn't measuring the water accurately. He would get it "roughly" the right amount lol Needless to say now he makes sure everything is measured properly and his loaves are great.
Hm, good call Cheeky Monkey- I tend to be a bit of a "that's about right" measurer. Guess you can't do that with bread.....
Yep, with baking it needs to be pretty exact. I do add a bit more yeast though to compensate for age and for the moment the colder weather. Have a read of the Lauke packing, it was a whole heap of info on what to do if the loaf is not right, sometimes it is just adjusting the water by 20ml to correct it.