Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Smells Good. Looks Ugly.

The last couple of loaves of whole wheat bread I've baked have done this:



The strange thing is that the dough rises up very nicely, then it seems to sink back down during baking. WTF?? It's not like I'm banging pots and pans and slamming the oven door. I'm being very gentle and it's NOT WORKING. It smells and tastes good, but it looks like a damn brick.

Any bread people out there? This doesn't happen when I use all white flour, by the way. Only when I do part whole wheat. This loaf has 1/3 whole wheat flour.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Here are the only two tips I know pertaining to things rising and then staying that way (pause for all the "that's what she said!" jokes):
1) I know that in mixing meringue, if you add 1/4 t. vinegar, it will make the meringue stay standing and fluffier longer. Maybe applies to bread? Maybe not.
2) I used to have this happen with angel food cakes, but then I would let them settle upside down for an hour. I did this by placing a bottle in the angel cake hole (lord that sounds dirty)and setting the thing upside down. Maybe try similar tactic with bread? Suspend from ceiling with pulleys?
I think it looks delicious regardless. :)

Janine Serresseque said...

Hmm. Vinegar. You know, bread ingredients are so cheap, why not experiment? In the name of science, I'm sayin, Sorshy Poo.

That sounds infinitely easier than rigging a pulley system from my ceiling.

What about baking the bread in an angel food pan?

I like how you think outside the box!

Robinitaface said...

are you using active dry yeast or rapid rise? I'm finding since i switched from the active dry that my loaves are a little lackluster after cooling.

Whatev. they still taste AWESOME.

debra said...

Looks good to me. And if it tastes good who cares if it's not purdy?

Janine Serresseque said...

I may be baking it at too high a temperature. Is the crust setting and browning before the innards have a chance to expand and catch up? I'm trying a new one today at a lower temp.