Comments on: Basic Bread Recipe http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/blog/baking-recipes/basic-bread-recipe/ You Have To Eat, So Learn To Cook & Eat Well Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:38:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: Jenni http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/blog/baking-recipes/basic-bread-recipe/comment-page-2/#comment-296464 Jenni Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:01:28 +0000 http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/blog/baking-recipes/basic-bread-recipe/#comment-296464 Alex, Personally, I say if it ain't broke, don't fix it! I've never baked in a covered container of any kind, but I know that many of the no-knead doughs are baked this way. I think that the benefit might be that the liquid that evaporates during the last oven spring and baking process gets trapped by the lid and then lightly coats the surface of the dough. This leads to a nice, crackly crust. If you like your crust, keep doing what you're doing. If you'd like to try baking on a sheet (with a dough that will hold its shape--lots of those bake-in-a-Dutch-oven breads are made with a very wet dough that will spread if not contained in a vessel), you can achieve the same kind of effect by brushing the dough with water or by placing a pan with a few ice cubes in it on the very bottom of the oven. The cubes will melt and the water will condense on the dough, giving you a Dutch oven crust. For a softer crust, brush with milk or butter. For a shiny crust, brush the dough with egg white. For a deeper color and shine, brush with a beaten whole egg. For added flavor in the crust, you can also brush with well-salted water. Hope this helps. Alex,

Personally, I say if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! I’ve never baked in a covered container of any kind, but I know that many of the no-knead doughs are baked this way. I think that the benefit might be that the liquid that evaporates during the last oven spring and baking process gets trapped by the lid and then lightly coats the surface of the dough. This leads to a nice, crackly crust. If you like your crust, keep doing what you’re doing. If you’d like to try baking on a sheet (with a dough that will hold its shape–lots of those bake-in-a-Dutch-oven breads are made with a very wet dough that will spread if not contained in a vessel), you can achieve the same kind of effect by brushing the dough with water or by placing a pan with a few ice cubes in it on the very bottom of the oven. The cubes will melt and the water will condense on the dough, giving you a Dutch oven crust. For a softer crust, brush with milk or butter. For a shiny crust, brush the dough with egg white. For a deeper color and shine, brush with a beaten whole egg. For added flavor in the crust, you can also brush with well-salted water. Hope this helps.

]]> By: Jenni http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/blog/baking-recipes/basic-bread-recipe/comment-page-2/#comment-296462 Jenni Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:56:01 +0000 http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/blog/baking-recipes/basic-bread-recipe/#comment-296462 Colleen, I'm thinking that you added too much flour. Sometimes my bread needs more flour and sometimes less flour, depending on humidity and a bunch of other factors. That's why I hesitate to write real amounts for bread recipes. You will learn--as I did, although it was a long and painful road!--that the dough has enough flour/water in it when it, well, looks and acts like dough. If it's crumbly, you can add more water until it smooths out. If it's too wet, add flour until it starts behaving like a proper dough. And, if you are ever concerned that you *might* not have enough flour in your dough, always err on the side of a slightly wetter dough. Wetter (or just stickier) doughs rise higher since the carbon dioxide let off by the yeast has more room to expand in a wetter dough. It just takes practice; you will get it. I hope this helps:) Colleen, I’m thinking that you added too much flour. Sometimes my bread needs more flour and sometimes less flour, depending on humidity and a bunch of other factors. That’s why I hesitate to write real amounts for bread recipes. You will learn–as I did, although it was a long and painful road!–that the dough has enough flour/water in it when it, well, looks and acts like dough. If it’s crumbly, you can add more water until it smooths out. If it’s too wet, add flour until it starts behaving like a proper dough. And, if you are ever concerned that you *might* not have enough flour in your dough, always err on the side of a slightly wetter dough. Wetter (or just stickier) doughs rise higher since the carbon dioxide let off by the yeast has more room to expand in a wetter dough. It just takes practice; you will get it. I hope this helps:)

]]> By: Colleen http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/blog/baking-recipes/basic-bread-recipe/comment-page-2/#comment-296121 Colleen Sun, 29 Jan 2012 22:53:01 +0000 http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/blog/baking-recipes/basic-bread-recipe/#comment-296121 never got any replies why I so miserably failed! <em>Hi Colleen, I'm so sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. I did see your email but I have been very busy since my dad passed last week. I get many emails and posts and I will try to get to yours as soon as I can. Thanks, RG</em> never got any replies why I so miserably failed!

Hi Colleen, I’m so sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner. I did see your email but I have been very busy since my dad passed last week. I get many emails and posts and I will try to get to yours as soon as I can. Thanks, RG

]]> By: mr. chow http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/blog/baking-recipes/basic-bread-recipe/comment-page-2/#comment-291235 mr. chow Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:58:18 +0000 http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/blog/baking-recipes/basic-bread-recipe/#comment-291235 my bread id srumdidlyumptious! this is all thanks to u? my bread id srumdidlyumptious! this is all thanks to u?

]]> By: mr. chow http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/blog/baking-recipes/basic-bread-recipe/comment-page-2/#comment-291232 mr. chow Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:57:14 +0000 http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/blog/baking-recipes/basic-bread-recipe/#comment-291232 thank you for this great post! thank you for this great post!

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