# why does my bread suck?



## lonelyfarmgirl (Feb 6, 2005)

I make all our bread from scratch. 6 months or a year ago I perfected 
(I thought) a bread machine recipe. It was good, pliable, bendable for the first 2-3 days, dense, but not overly heavy.

Well, the last 2 or 3 loaves have just sucked. The first one was crumbly, and they all had large holes in them. they all sunk in on the top. the first one was no good after a few days.

what is going on? I have not changed anything. I thought maybe the weather? But does that mean bread always is yuck in the fall?


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## ChristieAcres (Apr 11, 2009)

Sorry to hear about the issues. If they sink in the middle, usually means too much liquid, but you may be having an issue with your yeast, especially if this recipe worked well before. No other thoughts as my recipe's work every time, unless I use old yeast. Also, for a lighter loaf, add 1T of Gluten Flour.


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

I read somewhere that the moon will affect your bread. I wish I hadn't noticed since I wasn't having trouble with my bread before I read it.

Did you buy a new container of flour? Sometimes even flour will change consistancy and throw your bread off. But I agree with lorichristy- proof your yeast. Are you using a bread maker, or just the recipe? 

Put a little bit in a bowl of warm water and see if it starts to grow. If it doesn't, your yeast is bad.


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## lonelyfarmgirl (Feb 6, 2005)

Its a bread machine recipe, so the bread machine does the proofing.
We wondered if it was a humidity issue. over the summer, it was more humid here than usual, I mean WAY more humid than normal, for the whole summer, and the bread was great, now its back to dry and it isn't.

Adding, I make probably 2 loaves a week, plus a pie or two a week, plus pancakes and waffles once a week, so we go through the flour fairly quickly. It never really has a chance to get old. I am going to be grinding my own very soon, so we shall see if that makes any difference.


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

LFG...I think the airholes is either a kneading issue or a yeast issue. The flour doesn't have to get old, it can be more or less moist - like the humidity you mentioneed. If you are using exactly the same amounts each time - like in a bread machine, the flour can throw the recipe off. I go by the feel of the dough, rather than the exact amount in an ingredient.


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## lonelyfarmgirl (Feb 6, 2005)

Well, this is done in a bread machine, so the machine does the kneading. I looked at the yeast issue. The first 2 loaves, I used the single packaged yeast that I got as a prize at the county fair for my second places on my bread and 2 pies. But the 3rd loaf, I used bread machine yeast out of the little brown glass jar. I opened the new jar for that loaf. That yeast anyway, should have been ok. I could see the fair packs possibly being old, but I didn't check the exp. date.


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## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

When the dough is in the bread machine you can't check to see how it is doing and adjust the moisture level. It can be a bear.
And the moon does affect baking. Oh my goodness does it ever!
I now make some money as a baker and the difference on the new moon is amazing.
I swear if I get a good following I will take that week off each month. It is not worth it to even try to bake on the new moon.


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## lonelyfarmgirl (Feb 6, 2005)

so you only bake when the moon is full? I wonder what it is now, because I'll be doing bread in the morning.

So I have 3 half loaves of sucky bread. what else can I do with them? they are all crumbly.


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## ChristieAcres (Apr 11, 2009)

I'd do my best to slice, then toast or bake them until slightly browned, cool, and then make bread crumbs out of them.


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## TJN66 (Aug 29, 2004)

Baking is really affected by the moon? I never heard that before. Is it better to bake during the full moon or wait? I havent noticed a difference so far.


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## lonelyfarmgirl (Feb 6, 2005)

lorichristie said:


> I'd do my best to slice, then toast or bake them until slightly browned, cool, and then make bread crumbs out of them.


I assure you, they are having no trouble becoming crumbs on their own. If I did cook them into hard crumbs, then what? I cant think of anything I have ever made that called for crumbs.


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## makete (Aug 4, 2010)

this is Makete's gf. All the advice you have gotten is great advice. We have never used a bread machine, although my uncle does...I have eaten and seen the bread that comes out of it, not to bad. But we still do it the old way, and it does make a HUGE difference. Kneading the old way really makes a big difference...and feeling the dough as you work with it is also a key. Hope you have better luck with the bread machine and your bread turns out....


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## used2bcool13 (Sep 24, 2007)

I have a bread machine but only use it occasionally, as I store it up in the crawl space. A couple of things I can think of are:

Try putting a tsp of yeast and 1 tsp of sugar/honey in warm 90 ish degree water in a mug (warm place - out of drafts) and wait 15 minutes, If it froths the yeast is good.

What type of oil/butter are you using? If you use stick margarine it will make your bread "suck".

Look at your manual it will have a trouble shooting guide. If you were successful before with this exact recipe it isn't you. 

Before I wasted anymore flour I would check the yeast though. Just a thought.

think positive thoughts. Believe me if I can do it you can do it.


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## suzyhomemaker09 (Sep 24, 2004)

Perhaps you should search for a recipe that uses weights rather than measures...as each batch/brand of flour is different. I find I rarely go wrong using weighted recipes.


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## lonelyfarmgirl (Feb 6, 2005)

The yeast is good.

The bread did swell also, like it is supposed to, but instead of being uniform, when I cut it it had big holes in it, like pea sized, and at the very end, the top sunk in.

The reason I use the machine, rather than kneading it myself, is I dont have the time to do it by hand, or the patience for the mess. I really like the machine, because I can dump everything in and run.

oh, I use olive oil, never butter, and I also sub half the water for yogurt. Before when I was doing all water loaves, the bread was always crumbly. Going half yogurt made it pliable and hold together better.


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## Marianne (Feb 22, 2009)

If it's WW bread, I always use milk. And 1 Tbsp. vinegar.
I had a similar problem not too long ago., as did my neighbor. Turned out to be the flour we had gotten (name brand) on sale. Maybe it was too old or something. New flour, my old not on sale brand, and back to normal breads.
Good luck! Makes you mad to waste all that time and money and it makes a bad product!


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## Eyes Wide Open (Oct 14, 2010)

My bread sucks, period, so I shouldn't even be posting on this thread (I can only do quickbread) - but if the age of the flour could be affecting it, don't rule it out just because you just bought the bag. The bags of flour at the supermarket can be pretty old in some cases. I dunno if it's flour age at all, just saying that the fact that you go through bags of flour quickly doesn't rule out the flour being old.


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