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
Amy: I doubt it was the milk change. KA is higher-protein (water-absorbing) than most, so that makes no sense either. See what happens with today’s dough but it’s sounding like there was a measurement error? Jeff
I have a question about par-baking pizza. I recieved your book for Christmas, and, after using the basic recipe several times beforehand, am really excited with all the new possibilities presented to me. One thing I really want to try is par-baking some loaves. I wonder: can you par-bake a pizza crust? Is it worth it, if the dough doesn’t need to rise? The thought of my own homemade frozen pizzas is quite appealing.
I think it’ll work, though I’ve only par-baked loaves, not pizza. See page 24, but you’ll probably also have to “dock” (puncture the pizza with a fork) or it will puff like pita bread. You may need to check as it bakes and puncture it some more. I’d think you’d only need about 5 minutes at full temp (550 F for pizza). Maybe less; let us know how it turns out. Jeff
Sorry, just don’t get it:
“Yes, I did mean to open the oven every 30 sec or so and spray more water for a total of three spraying sessions.” So do I divide the baking time by 3, e.g., aprox. 10 minutes, and then spray every 30 seconds for how long? Confusing. Thanks again.
No, sorry! In the first minute, you’ll spray 3 times:
1. Just before closing oven door.
2. 30 sec later
3. 30 sec after that
Jeff, I ordered some boule proofing baskets from the San Franciso Baking Institute, and I am certain that they will improve the shape of my loaves. The baskets are donated to the school by Trader Joes to help defray the cost of tuition for students who need help paying for their education.
My loaves were spreading out too much, and I think the shape of the baskets will force the loaves to grow taller. The baskets are lined!!
You have to pay for shipping, but the price of the baskets is fully tax deductible. I’m baking a loaf tomorrow, and will give you some feedback on the shape of my loaf. Here is the link to the site:
https://www.sfbi.com/baking_supplies.html
Looks good. Hey, have you seen my post on this subject: https://artisanbreadinfive.com/?p=127
Do you have any Five Minute tips for making beer bread? I’d love to see your take on a beer bread recipe. Thanks!
Our next book has a couple (“Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day,” due out in 12/09). But you can substitute out about a half-cup of beer for water in our recipe and see what you think.
Jeff,
I cut back on the salt and added a little sugar to the dough. I let it stay in the fridge untouched for 36 hours. I cannot make this bread when I am home alone. I could have devoured the whole loaf!! I have to wait until the grandkids come over.
I’m too afraid to bake off a loaf by myself!!
I did use the dough hook attachment to my stand mixer. I assumed I was supposed to. Next time I’ll use the paddle attachment. I had a small amount of dough remaing from my last batch and included it in this one.
Wonderful bread!! Absolutely wonderful!!
Yeah, that’s the problem, one can start eating a little too much bread. Just say aware of it and it shouldn’t be a problem.
If you had success with the hook in your machine, more power to you! Some people think it’s easier to clean anyway. Jeff
1/1/09 – Hello, I’m still in the reading stage with my new book, and am so excited about baking bread again! My question is in regard to low carb recipes for those of us who have to maintain that type of diet now.
Online, I found a company that sells Carbolose as a flour substitute, Wheat Protein Isolate 5000 and Resistant Wheat Starch. Are you familiar with any of these ingredients, and can you advise me on how to substitute portions of these for the regular high carb flour? I also have Vital Wheat Gluten Flour, which I understand makes the dough rise nicely.
Whatever low carb suggestions you have will be greatly appreciated. I love to bake bread, and your recipes look scrumptious!
Happy New Year to you and yours,
Lee
Hi Jeff and Zoe,
I’m trying out my first bucket of dough and after 15 hours in the fridge in a plastic bucket with a loose lid, the dough seems way too dry. When I pulled out a hunk this morning, it was full of holes, looks like a sea sponge and not easy to shape due to such dryness. I’m pretty sure I followed the recipe ok, just mix it up, but it did seem really dry to me even then. I live in AZ (dry place…), but I’m not sure if that would matter. What would you suggest? I’m really excited about your recipes and I was so deflated to find my dough… not right!
Lee: Bread is a high carbohydrate food, as you know. Our whole grain breads are a little lower in carbs, the 100% whole wheat is the most low-carb. But none of them would really qualify as low carb foods. I’m not familiar with any of the products you mention, except for vital wheat gluten, which is a wheat protein extract that makes whole wheat breads rise higher. If you go for the 100% WW bread, you may want to jazz it up with the suggestions (including VWG) that we make at https://artisanbreadinfive.com/?p=142.
Becky: It really sounds like you measured wrong, OR, that you used a high-protein flour, which absorbs more water. That would include bread flour, “better-for-bread” flour, or flour labeled “high-protein” or “milled-from-hard-wheat.” Are any of those on the label?
If not, it should look like the dough in our videos (https://artisanbreadinfive.com/?page_id=63). You can add water after the fact to salvage the batch you have, if we decide that it really is too dry. Jeff
Hi, I have baked bread for family and friends for over 45 years (some as a country baker)…so I have tons of recipes and books…I THOUGHT I didn’t need a new one on wet dough techniques. But I was wrong. The technique is sound and simple for less experienced bakers as well as ones with my years. I’ve recommended to young families …for I know it solves the problems of space, clean up, and TIME issues young couples have. I did realize it would take longer to rest dough where I am…so I do hope you get that revision into the books…not everyone would think to search a web site about it. LOL! With my long years of experience…and in completely different climates…I learned the best way to store artisan breads in a really wet climate is to keep dough UNWRAPPED but in a large aluminum bread box after cooling WELL, cut side down. Bread will last for many days. When in desert high altitude climate…mold isn’t a problem…drying out is…so wrapping or using a WOOD bread box is best choice. Looking forward to buying the next book…for once again I don’t need another book…but I was wrong before. 😉
Hi, Your book is great for these cold winter days in Utah! But I live at 5700′ and wondered if you have any suggestions for high altitude breads – I’m trying to get the basic recipe to work – as published the bread is not cooked enough in the center.
Thanks,
Pam
Thanks Tangrene, for all the kind words. When you say “where I am,” do you mean at high altitude (like Pam below), or in dry climate? I agree about storing the breads cut side down.
Pam: Have a look at our post on high-altitude baking with out method, try the approaches, and see what you think (come back if these two URLs don’t solve the problem):
https://artisanbreadinfive.com/?p=144
https://artisanbreadinfive.com/?p=141
Jeff
I don’t understand why people are having problems with baking bread at high altitude. (Cakes, and anything leavened with baking powder and/or bicarbonate are extremely problematic, however.)
I say that because I lived in Mexico, at 6,000 feet, for 20 years, and made every kind of bread using my old recipes. I was even in the pizza business for a few years.
The only problem I ever had was getting bread made with bread flour to brown, but this was solved by switching to a lower gluten flour.
As far as bread being uncooked in the centre, I wonder if the writer has checked her oven temperature.
As for myself, I’m still adapting my old recipes to your method, and getting terrific results!
Thank you again for simplifying my life and helping me save money. I am no longer buying bread, now that a new loaf is only about an hour away. That’s how long it would take me to get dressed and walk to the store and back, anyway!
Gina
Thanks Gina: For the life of me, I can’t figure out why our high-altitude readers are having such different experiences. I’ve been paying attention to the altitude people are writing from, and I don’t think that’s the explanation. Someone at 7000 feet said our recipes work fine without modification, others at lower altitude say they have trouble unless they do what we talk about at https://artisanbreadinfive.com/?p=144. Traci’s comment (from 7000 feet) on 1/1/09 is just like yours–there’s isn’t a problem.
So Zoe and I should probably think about this some more.
Thanks for your comment! Jeff
Bought the book last week and really am enjoying it. The basic recipe has been quite successful.
Question about any recipe that calls for milk – can nonfat or low-fat milk be used?
Thanks!
Chris: any milk is fine!
2 quick questions…
I am looking for advice on how to make individual rolls, such as hamburger/sandwich rolls, and also I was thinking of individual ciabatta rolls. Any advice? I used the thanksgiving roll directions, and they were delicious, but really kind of small and too round (high)….
Just another quick question – with the sandwich bread (in a loaf pan), it makes a very short bread. It doesn’t seem to rise much. Am I doing something wrong?
Thanks so much for this wonderful book!
You can try flatter dough rounds, maybe a half-inch thick. To keep the top crust from getting crispy (which you may not want in a hamburger bun) brush it with oil or butter before baking and skip the steam in the oven.
And for the loaf-pan breads… try filling them 3/4s full and see what you think. Many people have mentioned this– our recipes as written are a little skimpy for a loaf pan. And try a longer resting time, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Jeff
Happy new year to Jeff and Zoë! I think you two are just amazing … Thanks so much for your book and answering questions! The book was definitely one of my top highlights of 2008 (got it for myself as an early Xmas present!) and I am really looking forward to trying many more of your breads in 2009 and awaiting your next book, too!
So far I’ve been experimenting with the master recipe by using much less yeast (1/2 tsp) and leaving the dough to rise overnight. Have been enjoying pizzas, and tried my hand at your wonderful wreath bread, which got lots of oohs and aahs when I took it to a luncheon. :o)
Anyway, onto my question: I’m wondering whether it is possible to use less yeast with the enriched doughs and leave it to rise overnight, or whether that is a really bad idea to leave it out overnight, given the eggs in it?? Or if I use less yeast would it be OK to let it rise overnight in the fridge?? Your advice would be really appreciated. thanks!
Bev
PS I am also really inspired by Zoe’s site … the pictures are incredibly luscious!
Thanks for the kind words, Bev. We’ve done lots of testing with low-yeast versions, but not yet with enriched doughs. I think your suggestion for the egg-enriched doughs makes sense… do it in the fridge overnight (start with lukewarm water; it will take a while to cool). But be ready for a long seige… maybe longer than overnight. Jeff
Hi, I’ve made the 100% whole wheat dough and wondered, if I choose to make a free-form loaf instead of the sandwich loaf, should I bake it at 350 like the Boule instead of 450, or is that temp specific to the type of dough instead the shape of loaf? Thanks!
Hokay, so I have a question about making sandwich loaves. One of the things that I’m most interested in as a neophyte baker is a chance to get rid of buying bread at the store. Tonight, I tried to bake a batch of the buttermilk bread from the book, in the hopes that I’d end up with a tasty sandwich bread (since that’s what much of our bread goes toward). However, while the loaf rose in the oven, it did so very unevenly; the middle had some height, but that’s about all there is in terms of getting some sliced bread for sandwiches out of it. Any tips for making a sandwich loaf that has the uniform height and works for this purpose?
Hi Jennifer,
The temperature is more connected to the type of dough than the shape. This dough has so much honey in it that I’m afraid it would burn at a high temperature as 450°. You could probably get away with 375° for the free-form loaf, but not much higher with this dough.
Thanks! Zoë
Hi David,
In an attempt to make our loaves fit into people’s busy schedules we made the loaf breads a bit smaller than you may care for. To get a nice full sandwich loaf you will want to fill the pan about 3/4 of the way full. In doing this you will also need to increase the resting and rising times by about 30-40 minutes and increase the baking time by about 10-15 minutes. You should have a much better bread for sandwiches at this size.
Thanks and have fun baking! Zoë
I want to use my stoneware loaf pan for the loaf breads. Will using the stone change any of the instructions for resting times, preheat, etc.? Thanks in advance. I love the recipes. I made it for the family – very picky eaters, too. They loved it!
Teresa: depends a bit on whether it’s glazed or not, the unglazed can be temperamental but worked beatifully. Don’t grease the unglazed, but DO grease the glazed. Instructions for unglazed generally tell you to preheat them and dust the formed loaf well with cornmeal or other grain to prevent sticking. If you preheat, obviously you don’t rest the loaf in the vessel Glazed needs to be greased, otherwise just use like a regular loaf pan.
Assuming that the size isn’t a lot different, resting and baking times don’t change much. I’ve gotten beautiful results this way. Jeff
https://www.flickr.com/photos/akbakes/3170110185/in/photostream/
Been making wonderful baquettes from master recipe and today tried some from Peasant Recipe that I mixed together 2 days ago – scrumptious! I keep amazing my friends and family and spreading the word about your method and book. Although the cookie sheet has worked well as a peel, I rewarded my industrious bread-baking by ordering myself a wooden pizza peel and have also bought a second (and larger) baking stone that I found on sale – besides, if something happened to my current stone, I don’t think I could be “stoneless” for even one day! I answered the door for a UPS delivery man the other day and he commented on the wonderful aroma wafting out the door – said he could smell it coming up the driveway!
Happy New Year Jeff and Zoe!!!
Two questions.
After I have used a batch, sometimes it could be weeks before I will make again–sometimes days…. How long can I let the bits that help act as starter remain in the bucket in the refrig before they are spoiled as opposed to “sour”??
Are you planning on doing a book that incorporates all of your great recipes that pop up on this site?
Thanks.
Michele
Amy: Thanks for the great photos and stories! Two stones is a great luxury– then you can have two levels going in the oven…
Michele: The new book will include some of the stuff on the website (the grissini) comes to mind. Others as well, so stay tuned.
About the bits on the bottom… they’ll dry out, but that’s not a big deal, you can re-hydrate. Two weeks though, I’d say. Jeff
I have a suggestion for Tara, re hamburger buns.
The recipe I use calls for rolling out the dough and cutting it with a round cutter. I think mine is 2.5 inches in diameter.
I get very good results that way – and yes, keeping the dough soft with butter, etc. is primordial.
Gina
I just realized that I never followed up about the bread bowls! I made two one-pound loaves of Italian Semolina, which is the hardest-crusted of the breads that I’ve made so far (about a dozen). I do not have a stone, and so baked on a cookie sheet covered in a Silpat, which I’ve done for all the breads I’ve made with pretty good results. I erred on the side of a bit more well done than usual, figuring that I wasn’t worried about drying out the crumb too much 🙂 The one-pound loaf size was really too small for these purposes, and in future, I’d do it with 1.5 or 2 pounds, although that will make for an awful lot of breadcrumbs. After letting it cool for a few minutes, I sawed off the tops of the loaves, scooped out the insides with a spoon, brushed olive oil on the insides of the bread, and returned it to the oven for another 15 minutes at 350 F. The bowls stood up so well to the chili I filled them with that we had to work a bit to break them up and eat them afterwards. The second baking was probably not absolutely necessary, but I think it helped prevent leakage at thin points on the bottom.
Just a quick question. Can I substitute buttermilk with sour milk (i.e. milk + lemon juice or vinegar) for the buttermilk bread recipe on page 207? Thanks.
can dill pickle juice be used as part of water for rye bread recipe ????
Hi Gila,
Thanks for the bread bowl suggestion. We just ate chili for dinner and my kids would have loved this! Next time!
Zoë
Hi Liana,
Yes, you can substitute sour milk for the buttermilk with great results!
Happy baking! Zoë
Hi diane,
You can substitute a small portion of the water with pickle juice. The high acidity will wreak havoc on the gluten in the dough after a while so you may not be able to store it for very long. Write back and tell us how it was! Sounds fantastic!
Zoë
Hi, Zoe and Jeff!
Thank you so much for your wonderful book. The European Pheasant Bread is our favorite.
I have a question about the amount of water in the broiler tray though. I usually bake two loaves at the same time (1.5 lbs each) and pour 2 cups of hot water in the tray. I assumed that it’s 1 cup of water per loaf. Is that correct or should I change that?
Thanks,
Inna
Hi Inna,
You really only need 1 cup of water per baking, no matter how many loaves are in the oven. The steam only does its magic in the first 10 minutes of the baking. If you have lots of water still creating steam throughout the entire bake, it just won’t make much difference. I doubt that it is hurting your loaves any to do it this way.
Are you getting a nice crust on the breads?
So pleased that you are enjoying the book!
Zoë
I’ve tried to bake the Oatmeal Bread from page 94 two days in a row now and both failed. I replaced all my ingredients with fresh supplies yesterday in hopes that the yeast was inactive, bran wasn’t fresh, etc. The dough just rises to the top of the loaf pan and doesn’t “dome” on top when baking like a typical bread loaf. Can anyone tell me if there is an error in the ingredients? I checked the “error site” and there is no mention of the Oatmeal Bread on page 94.
Thanks, Shari
Hi Shari,
Due to the high amount of bran in this recipe the loaf won’t really dome that much. What I do is to fill the pan about 3/4 of the way full (instead of 1/2) and let it rise for an extra 30-45 minutes. Bake it at the same temperature, but let it go an extra 10-15 minutes. It will have a better shape and be big enough for sandwiches.
Thanks! Zoë
I did a quick scroll through your Q&A’s and didn’t see this question so I’ll ask.
You mention the need for nonstick loaf pans: Has anyone tried silcone loaf pans and if so how did it turn out?
Hi Dale,
Yes, I’ve used them and they work wonderfully! I have even used the silicone baguette pans and loved them.
Enjoy! Zoë
Zoe & Jeff–I am having trouble with my slashing; with the dough being so wet and sticky, sometimes it’s hard to slash–not “solid” enough for the knife. I like doing the cross slash but once I do the first slash, the second one tends to “move” the first slash I just did when I cross it.
Does this just mean I need a longer rest time?
Thanks! This blog is a GREAT resource!
Thank you, Zoe, for your quick reply. The crust is nice, but as nice as the single loaf bake.
Beth: It’s not a matter of a longer rest time, that won’t help, I’d think. Three possibilities that might help:
1. A heavier dusting of flour on the top crust before you slash– prevents sticking. You can always tap it off before eating.
2. A better bread knife. Serrated bread knives work best, not a plain blade. Thin-bladed serrateds are the best.
3. Technique: You have to pull quickly and smoothly. But don’t cut yourself.
Meanwhile, I’d say that the 2nd cut usually displaces the 1st at least a little. Shouldn’t harm the finished product. Jeff