Cookery 101: Oh My Stinkin’ Bread

One of my all-time favorite Google search terms for people landing on my blog was this one, from about two years ago: MY STUPID BREAD WON’T RISE.

That poor person! I wished I coulda gone right to their kitchen to help them.

Here’s my quick rundown on some of the most common bread problems I get asked about–and the possible solutions. No more stupid bread!

1. If your (stupid) bread won’t rise….. Check the expiration date on your yeast. Were your liquids too hot or too cold? Did you give it long enough to rise? Did you forget to add the yeast? (I HAVE DONE THIS.)

2. If the bread collapsed after rising….. Did you let it rise too long? Is your oven at the right temperature?

3. If your crust is soggy after baking….. Did you leave it in the pan too long? Be sure to remove bread from the pan and let it cool on a wire rack.

4. If your bread is heavy….. Did you add too much flour? (Particularly tempting when using whole grains.) Did you let it rise long enough?

5. If you have large holes in your bread…… Did you let it rise too long? Did you knead it enough before letting it rise the second time?

6. If your bread is shaped weird…… You’ll get better, don’t worry about it.

7. If your loaf looks small…… Are you using a big enough recipe for the size bread pan you’re using? Smaller, narrower pans produce larger, taller-looking loaves! SIZE MATTERS.

8. If your crust is thick……. Did you overbake it? Was your oven at the right temperature?

9. If your bread didn’t brown on all sides….. Use glass bread pans!

10. Gummy inside? You didn’t bake it long enough, or you baked it at the wrong temperature.

Got any more bread questions? I love homemade bread.

See my favorite bread recipe here: Grandmother Bread.

See all the Cookery 101 posts.

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