Comments on: What Did I do Wrong? http://www.blog.beccajanestclair.com/2010/02/what-did-i-do-wrong/ Travelog Fri, 03 Feb 2012 23:56:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Rebecca http://www.blog.beccajanestclair.com/2010/02/what-did-i-do-wrong/comment-page-1/#comment-3481 Rebecca Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:47:22 +0000 http://www.blog.beccajanestclair.com/?p=783#comment-3481 Thanks Va. The mix said "this mix contains high yeast", but I guess if it was sitting on the shelf for too long before we bought it, it could have gone bad. Ours stays in the clips and it's actually almost hard to get them OUT of the clips when the bread is done! Thanks Va. The mix said “this mix contains high yeast”, but I guess if it was sitting on the shelf for too long before we bought it, it could have gone bad.

Ours stays in the clips and it’s actually almost hard to get them OUT of the clips when the bread is done!

]]> By: Virginia http://www.blog.beccajanestclair.com/2010/02/what-did-i-do-wrong/comment-page-1/#comment-3480 Virginia Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:18:34 +0000 http://www.blog.beccajanestclair.com/?p=783#comment-3480 I agree that yeast is a likely culprit (and it makes sense to me that the weather would affect it, too). With our bread machine, I usually have trouble with the kneading cycles. I have to stand there and hold the pan down, because it pops up out of its clips. Before I realized that this was happening, I ended up with a small, heavy (yet tasty!) lump of a loaf. Now I know it's got to go through the kneading cycle properly AND have fresh yeast. I agree that yeast is a likely culprit (and it makes sense to me that the weather would affect it, too). With our bread machine, I usually have trouble with the kneading cycles. I have to stand there and hold the pan down, because it pops up out of its clips. Before I realized that this was happening, I ended up with a small, heavy (yet tasty!) lump of a loaf. Now I know it’s got to go through the kneading cycle properly AND have fresh yeast.

]]> By: Rebecca http://www.blog.beccajanestclair.com/2010/02/what-did-i-do-wrong/comment-page-1/#comment-3479 Rebecca Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:31:52 +0000 http://www.blog.beccajanestclair.com/?p=783#comment-3479 Well, yesterday was a really wet day.... The mix had it's own yeast and specifically stated not to add yeast, only water + olive oil. I'm not sure if it had sugar in it or not. I know the recipe from scratch had 2TBSP sugar. The first loaf we made was from scratch and I opened a new packet of yeast - perfect bread. The first Hovel mix I made was done on a really sunny/nice day...perfect bread. The Ciabatta....flat and powdery and just kind of gross all around. the second Hovel loaf baked okay and is edible, it's just not nice and round over the top like it should have been (know what I mean, or should I take a pic?) I was going to turn the Ciabatta into croutons, but it was just awful and powdery so we just binned it. Well, yesterday was a really wet day….

The mix had it’s own yeast and specifically stated not to add yeast, only water + olive oil. I’m not sure if it had sugar in it or not. I know the recipe from scratch had 2TBSP sugar. The first loaf we made was from scratch and I opened a new packet of yeast – perfect bread. The first Hovel mix I made was done on a really sunny/nice day…perfect bread. The Ciabatta….flat and powdery and just kind of gross all around. the second Hovel loaf baked okay and is edible, it’s just not nice and round over the top like it should have been (know what I mean, or should I take a pic?)

I was going to turn the Ciabatta into croutons, but it was just awful and powdery so we just binned it.

]]> By: Jeni http://www.blog.beccajanestclair.com/2010/02/what-did-i-do-wrong/comment-page-1/#comment-3478 Jeni Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:22:11 +0000 http://www.blog.beccajanestclair.com/?p=783#comment-3478 I'm not very good at the troubleshooting thing. But some possibilities: Bread will not rise well in damp weather. Did the mixes have their own yeast packets, or was this the same stuff you'd been using? Maybe the yeast is a bit old on some. Do the mixes have sugar? Sweeter loaves rise better. Good uses for imperfect bread are homemade bread crumbs or croutons. :) I’m not very good at the troubleshooting thing. But some possibilities:

Bread will not rise well in damp weather.

Did the mixes have their own yeast packets, or was this the same stuff you’d been using? Maybe the yeast is a bit old on some.

Do the mixes have sugar? Sweeter loaves rise better.

Good uses for imperfect bread are homemade bread crumbs or croutons. :)

]]>