# Bread Accident



## MissQueenie (Feb 15, 2006)

I made a loaf of bread this morning, and I just tried to tip it out of the pan and the whole top half of the loaf sort of fell out. The bottom stayed put.

I tried to take it out of the pan straight from the oven -- was that what went wrong? Should I have let it cool a bit in the pan first? I greased the pan, but maybe I didn't grease it quite enough?

I'm new to break baking and it's been a bumpy ride! Thanks for the help!


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## Vickie44 (Jul 27, 2010)

That has happened to me when it did not cool enough . I also run a dinner knife around the outside edge and flip over onto plate FLAT ( not at an angle ) if that makes sense lol


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## Prickle (May 9, 2009)

I use cooking spray onmy pans and let them cool a little before I try to take it out.

Also you may have let your bread rise a little too much. If it rises too high there's not enough structure to support it.


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## marinemomtatt (Oct 8, 2006)

Sometimes bread can be a bit contrary, no two baking days are the same around here.


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## upnorthlady (Oct 16, 2009)

Was this a quick type bread (non yeast?)? If so, you need to grease and *flour* the loaf pan, and let the bread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before you turn it over to take it out. And yes, run a butter knife around the edge, too. If this was a yeasted bread, I can't imagine what went wrong because yeast breads don't fall apart like that. Just keep on trying.


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## MissQueenie (Feb 15, 2006)

Sadly, it *was* a yeast bread! I think it wasn't quite done, since the guts that became visible when the top fell off looked a little doughy. I put the top back on right away and put it back in the oven, and the top reattached itself. However, I think the next time I bake this I will need to adjust the temperature because the end result was still dense and doughy in the middle and burnt on top. Sheesh.

All the recipes I have tried for bread seem to come out really dense (compared to breads from the market and bakery) and don't slice very well. I must be doing something wrong, but at least I'm consistent!


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## MissQueenie (Feb 15, 2006)

Also, although the bread rose nicely, when I proofed the yeast in warm water with sugar it didn't get foamy and most of it didn't dissolve. Did my yeast expire, or was it a "user error" again?


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## praieri winds (Apr 16, 2010)

I read somewhere that if you slash the top a bit it won't do that let it cook more evenly just my 2 cents worth


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## upnorthlady (Oct 16, 2009)

MissQueenie said:


> Also, although the bread rose nicely, when I proofed the yeast in warm water with sugar it didn't get foamy and most of it didn't dissolve. Did my yeast expire, or was it a "user error" again?


Is there an expiration date on your yeast? If your water was TOO warm, you might have killed your yeast.  Usually if yeast doesn't foam up with proofing, it's not good yeast.


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## upnorthlady (Oct 16, 2009)

MissQueenie said:


> All the recipes I have tried for bread seem to come out really dense (compared to breads from the market and bakery) and don't slice very well. I must be doing something wrong, but at least I'm consistent!


You might be adding too much flour, or not kneading enough. I usually knead my bread dough for about 8 minutes, sometimes 10. I only add enough flour to keep things manageable. Also, are you trying to use all whole wheat flour? That makes for a heavier, denser bread. Are you using a good bread flour? Bread flour has a higher protein content and more gluten and will give you a better texture for your bread.


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## praieri winds (Apr 16, 2010)

if you are using ww flour you need to add vital wheat gluten in with the flour 3 to 4 tsps per loaf


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## MissQueenie (Feb 15, 2006)

Wow. I am really messing things up around here! I am making a list of tips to tape inside my baking cupboard for next time!

The yeast was good until March 2011, I think the water was too warm maybe. I'm using all white all-purpose flour, no whole wheat at all. I might have put too much flour down when I went to knead, and maybe didn't knead long enough. Boy am I discouraged! I'm going to try again once we finish up the last few slices of this loaf.

Any suggestions for a *truly* fool-proof recipe that doesn't require a breadmaker? This is the one I used. Any thoughts on this particular recipe?

http://rosylittlethings.typepad.com/posie_gets_cozy/2010/02/alicias-oatmeal-bread.html


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## upnorthlady (Oct 16, 2009)

Your oatmeal recipe seems ok - it's a little different than mine. I usually make more than one loaf at a time. My only concern with your recipe is the hot oven - I wouldn't put any kind of bread dough in a 450 oven to start with. At that temp your dough will seal itself quicker than it can rise in the oven. Bread dough continues to rise while baking until the outer crust is firm enough that the interior bread can't push it up anymore. I bake my oatmeal bread at 350 for 50 min. Experience is the best teacher for bread baking. Eventually you will know how much flour to add, you will know what the dough should feel like when it's done kneading and how to shape loaves well. As for testing when bread is done to get that "hollow sound", even that will take some experience. Just keep on baking and eventually you will produce fine loaves of bread!!


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## MissQueenie (Feb 15, 2006)

Thank you for all the hints! I was really surprised by the oven temp, too, when I first read it. I almost never bake anything that hot, and sure enough I feel like the outside was overcooked and the inside was doughy. I'll try your temp and time for the next loaf.

We're a small family, and my husband is away from home for days at a time for work every week, so one loaf will last us a week. I am always scared to freeze bread (how do you defrost it?), so making more than one is a bit of a waste for us.


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## Mulegirl (Oct 6, 2010)

I'll agree with UNL--your yeast wasn't good for whatever reason, and that oven sounds WAY too hot! It sounds like someone was using a meat-roasting method for bread, sheesh. In terms of determining what is too hot for yeast, if I can't stick my finger in it for longer than a few seconds, it's definitely too hot for yeast.

On the one loaf vs. two: try making two loaves some week, and using the second loaf for other things. If we have leftover bread at the end of the week, we usually make bread pudding or strata on the weekend. Both are lovely things to do with leftover bread, and really are tasty enough that it can be worth purposely making leftover bread for them.


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## sewsilly (May 16, 2004)

A loaf will fall apart if it's not done. After reading your recipe link, I'm also thinking that it may not be an excellent beginners loaf... the poster just developed a recipe from several others and obviously has lots of experience.

With all things when you first start,,, try simple first. like this:

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/beginnersbread.htm

Please don't be discouraged... it takes time to learn the technique and the way it goes. Bread takes patience, sometimes you can look at it and tell that you just need to let it rise longer, etc, but it comes with practice. Once you learn a bit more, you'll feel so much more confidant.

Have courage and carry on!

dawn


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## doigle (Dec 3, 2004)

Hi MissQueenie, I too am working on improving my yeast bread skills lately. The ones I made yesterday were ok. But just ok. I always think it seems like the holes in the finished bread are way bigger than they should be. I'm using all purpose flour, cuz it's easier to learn with. It cooperates more than whole wheat they say. And I bake at 325. These last loaves were good, but I used 2 T of yeast for 3 loaves of bread. And yeast is so expensive now too.

Am I using too much yeast? Can I get by with less? I hope?


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## Mulegirl (Oct 6, 2010)

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the main consequence of less yeast will be a longer rising time. If you do want to try this, go a little at a time, say, 2 tbsp down to 1 1/2 tbsp, and see how it goes.

Do you have anywhere that you can buy bulk vacuum packs of yeast? That's how I get mine, and it's really not too bad cost-wise.


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## upnorthlady (Oct 16, 2009)

A friend of mine gets the bulk vacuum packaged yeast from Sam's Club - two 1-lb pkgs for $4. That's what I use. It is Fleishman's yeast, made in Canada.


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## doigle (Dec 3, 2004)

We don't have a Sam's Club near us. I will try that recipe again using less yeast this time. 
This loaf I'm using now is not like bread at all. When I slice it, unless it's 2" thick, it just falls apart into 3-5 pieces, so no making sandwiches or toast with it, that's for sure. I've been eating it by throwing fried eggs on top of the crumb pile and just forking it up. 

I'll never get this right!!!!!


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## GrannyG (Mar 26, 2005)

Use a piece of parchment paper in the bottom of your bread pan. I put parchment in my bread pans and especially the cinnamon roll ones, they just come out so nice, and the gooey on the rolls stays on the bottom of the rolls....








bread rising...ready to bake....








cinnamon rolls ready to bake....


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## Molly Mckee (Jul 8, 2006)

I use honey in my bread and it tends to get too dark on top. I watch it and put foil over it if necessary.


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## upnorthlady (Oct 16, 2009)

doigle said:


> We don't have a Sam's Club near us. I will try that recipe again using less yeast this time.
> This loaf I'm using now is not like bread at all. When I slice it, unless it's 2" thick, it just falls apart into 3-5 pieces, so no making sandwiches or toast with it, that's for sure. I've been eating it by throwing fried eggs on top of the crumb pile and just forking it up.
> 
> I'll never get this right!!!!!


The problem you describe of bread that "falls apart into pieces" is usually a result of over-risen dough. The dough gets too airy and full of holes and there's no structure to the bread. On the second rising in the bread pans, don't let it rise too high - just let the dough rise to over the top edge of the pan. The dough will rise more in the oven. You might also be adding too much flour. That's something every novice bread baker has to learn - how much flour to add. You also mentioned above that you are using all purpose flour. You would be best to use a bread flour, as all purpose flour is a soft wheat flour. Bread flour is usually made from hard red spring wheat and has more gluten and a higher protein content. You mentioned that yeast is so expensive and your bread recipe uses 2 T. for 3 loaves. You could get by with 1 1/2 T, but it's not going to make that much difference. If there's a Wal Mart near you anywhere, they have jars of yeast that used to cost about $3.50 a jar (brown jar), but I haven't checked into that lately. You really need to find a good source of a bread flour (maybe a health food store in the nearest big city?) or at least buy bread flour at the local supermarket. All purpose flour will never give you the proper texture for your bread. Be sure not to add too much flour while kneading up your dough - work with a slightly tacky dough. And don't let the dough rise too much. In the picture that Granny G shows, her bread is higher in the pan than I like to see in my bread doughs, but perhaps her bread pans are shallower than mine. If a dough is going to rise that high in a pan, I make 3 loaves and put the dough in 8 x 4 pans. A big high bread won't fit into my toaster. Keep on trying - you will get good bread someday!


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## doigle (Dec 3, 2004)

Thanks for all the helps! Snowing like crazy here today, it would be a good day to make bread, but all I have on hand is all purpose flour and Not going to town in this weather. But hey, I'm finally gonna try the bean patties you mentioned on another thread!


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