Q&A MISC. Bread Questions
Until we can figure out a more sophisticated way to handle your feedback, your praise and your questions, we hope the following series of Q&A posts will help. Our goal is to get a conversation going about a particular topic in one location. Hoping that it will be easier for you to follow and get the information you need to bake gorgeous bread.
If we haven’t started a thread on the subject you are interested in then leave it here and we can create another post!
Thank you so much for all of the conversation. We enjoy it immensely and are learning so much from you all!
Zoë and Jeff
There really isn’t a great substitute— but you can increase the barley malt powder (diastatic or non-diastatic, doesn’t matter) to get a little more malty flavor (half-cup?), and use rye, WW, or barley flour in place of the malted wheat flakes. Problem is that the extra barley malt will also provide extra sweetness, which you may or may not want. May need to turn oven down to 375 to prevent the sweet crust from over-browning.
Hi Jeff,
too dense dough? what about pita? But I am getting closer to 3 weeks on the dough. probably time to toss it. I’ve been really busy.
Pita will work, but may not puff. You’ll have a flatbread– this might be my preferred option. Roll it out and see what you think.
I would like to purchase a bread knife that will cut through a crusty bottom. Could you please suggest one or two that you personally enjoy?
Thanks for this website……..wonderful to get feedback!
Thank you for this book and
recipes. I first heard you on The Splendid Table and bought the book. I am on my second batch today.
My question is: you say to mix ingredients and store batch in a plastic container.
Would a stainless steel bowl be okay for mixing and storing the batch in fridge?
Going to make pizza later this week. Many thanks.
Hi Folks,
I need to give my bathroom scale a break and lay off this heavenly bread for a while, but this is what I learned, and what still flumoxes me:
A half scant tablespoon of salt works fine.
Baking on a stone and baking on a cornmeal covered cookie sheet produces the same loaf for me.
Steam in the oven makes a better crust, but just slightly.
No matter what you do to doctor it up, bleached flour is a disaster. If you don’t have unbleached in your location, pack up and move.
This stuff is habitforming.
That said, what I also found to be consistant for me is that like another poster, my first loaf is perfection itselt, light, round, open crumbed. The next day or two, slightly flattened, holes not as large. By day four–hockey puck. Good for slicing sideways to make a Panera-style giant sandwich, or individual pizza. How come? The only difference I can find is my kitchen is colder, but I have overcome that by extra long rise, or even slightly warming the oven and letting the loaf rest in there. Any ideas?
I have dreams about this bread, it is so good it must be evil
Janet, after purchasing AB5 a year ago, I was faced with the same problem, a new bread knife. I found the perfect knife here: https://www.sourdoughbreads.com/BreadKnife.htm. I have since bought both bread knives and tomato knives for both of my daughter in laws from this website. We all love them.
Barbara
Can spelt flour be substituted ounce for ounce for whole wheat or any of the other speciality flours?
Diane
Hi Janet,
Try this one, it is my favorite! https://www.amazon.com/W%C3%BCsthof-Gourmet-9-Inch-Bread-Knife/dp/B0000DJYF3/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1238021395&sr=1-1
Barbara has good suggestions too!
Thanks, Zoë
I love your book and bread, many others bought it on my recommendation – I even have my 24 year old single son baking bread!
This website is wonderful! I’d love to see a search function… Here I sit thinking about Easter, and I’d love to be able to do a search.
Thanks!
Hi bunny,
Yes a stainless bowl would work just fine. You will just want to cover it with plastic wrap. Enjoy the pizza!
Hi Sue,
You have come to the very conclusion that I would recommend to do with your older dough. Let it rest up to twice as long to improve the interior crumb. Have you tried the dough in a Dutch oven? Once you are back to baking, give it a try. I think you will love the way the bread comes out!
ps. I bake very small loaves so that I don’t have lots of extra bread laying around to tempt me after dinner! 🙂
Hi Diane,
You can’t really use spelt in equal proportions because it has a very different protein content from other flours. I used a lot of it when developing recipes for the new book and I love it!!! The whole grain book will be out in October.
Hi Lynn,
There is a search function at the top of every page, right under all the stores that carry our book. We have not done an Easter post yet!!!! But will very soon.
Thank you!!! Zoë
Hi Jeff and Zoë,
I noticed that my supermarket carries White Lily bread flour and wondered if you have ever used it for any recipe in the book that calls for bread flour (like the bagels)?
For my boule, rye, semolina, etc., I have recently switched to Gold Medal AP from King Arthur for now and I am enjoying the results.
It’s fun to “play around” with it.
Just got back from holiday and couldn’t wait to get a couple of batches in the fridge!
Lu
I discovered your book about six weeks ago and have been amazing friends and family with my bread prowess ever since. I bake 3 to 4 times a week. My questions concerns the enriched doughs, specificially your recipe for brioche. Unlike the “lean” dough recipes, the brioche recipe calls for a total of 7 1/2 cups of flour. This amount of dough simply overwhelmed my standard Cambro 6L dough-rising bucket. It totally overflowed. I made the mistake of snapping the lid when I put it in the fridge, and came back the next day to a completely cracked bucket that exploded dough all over my kitchen when I opened it. My bad — you say not to make an airtight seal. It’s not a problem with the lean doughs. They rise to the 5 L mark and then settle down a little upon refrigeration. So my question is this: can you reproportion the recipe for brioche so that it has no more than 6 1/2 cups of flour total? My thanks in advace.
hi Sandy,
Sometimes the dough can get very excited in the bucket. This can happen if all your ingredients are very warm and the dough rises really quickly. Not sure this was the case with your dough?
The recipe certainly works well when halved or doubled.
Enjoy all the bread! Thanks, Zoë
Just wanted to tell you that I used the filling for the Caramel Pecan Rolls in place of the Cinnamon Bread filling and the bread tasted almost as good as the rolls! It’s so fun to take your delicious recipes and then try different variations. Thank you!
Lu: White Lily flour is LOW in protein, not high in protein like bread flour. Really can’t recommend it for bread. Makes great Southern-style bisquits though.
Gold Medal AP’s a good product; similar results with any 10% protein AP.
Hi Jeff & Zoe,
Have you ever tried Eagle Mills brand AP flour with Ultragrain? I made a master recipe batch with this and it’s delicious, but I think I read somewhere around here that being able to pull dough off of the large batch without cutting it indicates dry dough? I can definitely do this with my dough. Just wondered if you two had any thoughts on this.
Thanks!
Hi Kimberly,
I have tried the Eagle Mills brand AP and also really liked it. Because of the “ultragrain” aspect of the flour it will absorb more water than typical AP flours and you will need to add a few more tablespoons of water to the dough or it will be too dry.
Have you had a chance to watch our videos to see the consistency of the dough we are working with? https://artisanbreadinfive.com/?page_id=63
Thanks, Zoë
Jeff, quick question. I know the White Lily is great for biscuits. But what I saw amidst the flours was actually White Lily BREAD flour! What do you know about that, is that the 10% low protein to which you refer in your response?
Many thanks again!
PS – We were in California last week, wine country and SF, and when we got home, couldn’t wait to get a couple of buckets going so we wouldn’t have to buy any bread!!! 🙂
Hi Lu,
i think it will be fine. I have never tried it, but the bread flour is a higher protein flour than their typical AP which is very low gluten. the company was sold and is now in Ohio. Many bakers complain that the new flour is too high in protein now, which will work in your favor.
If you try it, let us know how it goes!
Thanks, Zoë
I’ll pick some up and try the White Lily bread flour. Last year I googled White Lily and found some interesting comments from southerners after the “move” to the midwest. Many bakers thought it was just the same and just fine. I often wonder about anything thing that changes in our lives if we might “imagine” a difference because we expect it. I have nothing to compare because this is the first time any store in my area has ever carried White Lily of any variety.
But, I will indeed check it out for the bread. I’m curious.
Happy Baking,
Lu 🙂
Wow, White Lily BREAD flour. I learned something.
Thanks Zoe! I studied one of the video demonstrations and I think my dough is a touch dry. Next batch I’ll add a couple of extra tablespoons of water and see what happens. I can’t imagine it tasting any better than it already does!
Thanks again!
Kimberly
I had a question about your Aunt Melissa’s Granola Bread on page 114 of your book. In the ingredients it calls for an egg wash but in the actual making of it it doesn’t call for it to be used.. it doesn’t say to roll it out, only to drop in the pan in a ball shape.. also, it doesn’t say when to sprinkle the extra granola on top.
Thanks!! I love the book and trying new recipes 🙂
Whole Wheat Flour vs. Unbleached Flower
I have been told over and over again by my uncle “The whiter the bread the quicker your dead”. I was wondering is Whole wheat healthier/better for you
then any white flour (Bleached or Unbleached), and if so why. Also is there a rule of thumb for converting your recipes to whole wheat versions.
Also thought you might think this is funny, the full saying that my uncle uses is “The whiter the bread the quicker your dead, the darker the beer the longer your here!”
Thank you for your time and your great book,
Keith
Hi Jodi,
Oh boy, sorry to say you are absolutely right!
The dough should be made into a ball and then stretched out slightly to fit nicely into the pan. I would say to use enough dough to fill the pan about 3/4 of the way full. You will need to allow the dough to rise about 50% more and bake for an extra 15 minutes. But this will give you a nice full loaf.
After the dough has risen, you will use a pastry brush to paint on the egg wash and sprinkle the top with the extra granola.
Thank you so much for trying all the breads!
Zoë
Hi Keith,
Whole wheat flour is just that, the whole wheat berry that is ground. It has the bran and germ still, therefore it has more fiber and nutrients than white flour.
White flours are not all created equal. Bleaching the flour removes some of the protein and makes it less nutritious and softer. The softer the flour the less gluten, which means it isn’t the best for making bread.
I hope this is helpful or at least interesting!
Zoë
I am exceited that I have just purchased your book and is waiting for arrival. Can any of your breads be substituted with whole wheat white flour or traditional whole wheat flour?
D: You can swap out WW or WWW for at least part of the AP white flour, but be aware that it absorbs much more water (so you’ll need to increase the liquids in the recipes). Have a look at our posts on adapting for WW: https://artisanbreadinfive.com/?p=142
… and also:
https://artisanbreadinfive.com/?p=141
My husband remembers his Mom having a contraption, almost like a piece of paper folded in half with legs made out of metal, that enabled you to take a slice of bread and cut it into two thinner slices vertically. Does anyone know if you can still buy something like this and where to buy it? We run into problems when we get to the end of a loaf and want to use the bread for sandwiches.
Reminds me of those guillotine-like devices so you can safely cut bagels. Never seen this though.
I have a couple of questions.
First- bagels. Mine are a bit flatter than store bought, the crust isn’t at all smooth, and it’s not glossy. They still taste good. Is there something I’m doing wrong, or is this the result I’m supposed to get?
Second- Deli Rye. My mother loves Rye, but she doesn’t like seeds in her bread. Of course, I tried the Rye and didn’t put in caraway seeds. Good bread, but of course it didn’t taste like rye. Would ground caraway seeds give the “rye bread” flavor?
My 5 year old actually ate a peanut butter sandwich today on the buttermilk bread. Yay, success! I was trying to find a bread to substitute for her regular sandwich bread because she has hereditary high cholesterol. It’s always been surprising to me how much fat can be in bread, but after reading more on this site, I guess it’s to make it soft. Well fat free buttermilk worked great. Next time I’ll be putting more dough in my pan to get a higher loaf, but overall I’m very pleased. Now I’m looking forward to your next book, because the next thing we have to work on is increasing fiber. Thanks so much!
Hi Danita,
Is your bagel dough a little bit drier than the Master recipe. it needs a little bit more body to it to withstand the boiling, so we make the dough with bread flour, which makes it a bit drier. You can do this with all-purpose flour by using a few less tablespoons of water. be sure not to over boil the bagels and they should rise really well. If you are making plain bagels and not getting a shiny crust with the steam in the oven you can try covering them with a lasagna pan https://artisanbreadinfive.com/?p=510 or you can brush on some egg white https://artisanbreadinfive.com/?p=536.
I’ve never tried grinding the caraway, but it sounds like a fantastic idea!
Glad your 5 year old enjoyed the bread! 🙂
thanks, Zoë
So I want it to be a bit drier? It was still a bit sticky to handle when I shaped it. I kept having to reflour my hands. I was afraid to over handle it. Is that probably the reason for the uneven texture too?
I’ll be trying the lasagna pan. I didn’t think the steam was holding very well. That’s an easy fix. Thanks.
Hi Danita,
you can use lots of flour to keep the dough from sticking to your hands. That will help you handle the dough as little as possible. The flour is not worked into the dough, just used to keep from sticking. Did you see the post on bagels that I did? It may give you something to compare yours to???
https://artisanbreadinfive.com/?p=423
Thanks, Zoë
In your No Knead Pizza Dough (Olive Oil Dough Master Recipe), how many 12″ sized pizzas can you get from the recipe(if that is the size ball for a pizza). Also, weighing the dough, how many oz. would a grapefruit sized ball of dough weigh? Thanks. Can’t wait to try the pizza dough recipe.
Carol: The recipe makes close to four pounds, and a one-pound, or 16-ounch (grapefruit-sized) piece should give you one 16-inch pizza if you roll it thinly (1/8-inch thick). 12-inch pizzas need a little less dough.
Love your book! I kept making the basic recipe over and over until I got everything dialed in just right; like ingredients, baking times, and which shelves work best in my oven.
There is a tip I can pass along that I figured out pretty early in the game to help keep the dough from sticking to the pizza peel. I use a strainer sifter (similar but smaller than the one shown in the link below) to put down a perfect layer of the corn meal. Over time you learn just how much is required.
https://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=744&f=30177
Then I tried some of the other recipes with great success. The one that gets the most praise from others however is one of my own creations, using seeds. Here’s what I do . . .
Using the basic recipe as a guide, I reduce the unbleached flour by two cups, then I add 1 cup each of sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, quick oats, and rye flour, plus an additional one quarter cup of water.
I thought that roasting the seeds first may add an additional desirable flavor or dimension, but the first time I made this recipe I didn’t want to take the time, and it turned out great. As you are probably aware, the seeds near the crust tend to get over roasted, and the seeds in the crumb don’t really cook at all. The two flavors combined seem to balance well.
Just thought I’d pass these ideas along.
Keep up the good work,
Dan
Thank you Dan,
great minds think alike and we have a bread similar to what you have been doing in the new book!
Enjoy!!! Zoë
Your book has transformed my bread baking!
how can I adapt an Italian easter bread recipe? The panettone is the closest but I want to place colored easter eggs on top before baking and perhaps braid the dough…any suggestions?
Your recipes create moist breads..which I want to duplicate…
Kristine: You can definitely use any of our enriched doughs for what you’re thinking of. I haven’t experimented with the hard-boiled eggs in there, but there are millions of recipes for it out on the web…
Happy Easter!
I want to use 100% whole wheat/whole grain flour in all my recipes.
I saw 1 recipe in the book for 100% whole wheat bread. Can the other recipes be modified to be made with 100% whole wheat flour?
If yes, what adjustments need to be made?
Thanks!
Pamela
A neighbor who told me about your book recently had her oven glass door break. She called the manufacture of her new oven and they said the heat spike caused by tossing in a cup of water in a hot oven forming steam caused the break. Anyone heard about that? The Manufacture recommended using a spray bottle every couple of minutes instead.
Hi Pamela,
I wish it were a simple answer on how to convert all of the recipes to 100% whole grains. the issue is that all the different grains absorb water differently and have varying amounts of gluten. This means that some of the grains will produce very dense loaves.
Jeff and I have a second book coming out this October that is dedicated to using whole grains and several with 100%.
Thank you! Zoë
Hi,
I want to make your pumpernickle bread. I remember seeing a posting on how to make your own caramel coating. I have a (parve) set of everything, just for baking. I just don’t have pots. Any way to make the caramel coloring in the microwave? I could use a measuring cup then. THANKS!
Judy: Our post on this is at https://artisanbreadinfive.com/?p=413, but I can’t say whether you can adapt this for the microwave– never tried it. Be careful with the hot liquids, whatever you do.
This is not a question. I just wanted say to how impressed I am with your book, after downloading the electronic (Kindle) version.
This was based on a glowing recommendation in the article, A Kindle in the Kitchen (https://www.veg-world.com/articles/kindle-kitchen.htm).
I’m sure you’ve had many rave reviews for the book, but I thought you’d like to know about the above article.
Connie: Cool, thanks for pointing us to this! Gotta get a Kindle— it does make a lot of sense for the kitchen.
I recently tried your 100% Whole Wheat bread. The first loaf was perfect, but the subsequent two loaves hardly rose at all (the texture and flavour were fine, but the loaves only came about half way up the sides of the loaf pan).
I’ll admit that I haven’t been treating the dough exactly as you recommend. I don’t have a refrigerator, so I stored the dough in the cold room (5-10 degrees C). When I pulled off the dough to bake, it rested in a room that was only about 15 degrees C. I am wondering:
i) is it critical to chill the dough to a certain temperature?
ii) is it necessary to warm the dough to a certain temperature to promote rising?
iii) is it the difference in temperature between the cool storage temperature and the warmer rising temperature that is important?
iv) I used instant yeast – is that okay??
I love your bread concept and I would like to make it work in my (slightly) rustic cabin setting… thanks for any thoughts you might have!
kaeli
Oh boy – in a fit of distraction I stirred up a batch of the master recipe, plus herbs, and efficiently stuck it in the fridge without letting it rise for 2 hours. Is it ruined? What should I do?? I’d appreciate any help, advice, good news… 😉
Thanks,
Kimberly