I have tried to bake my own bread. I use a bread maker to mix the dough. It rises once in the machine. Then I take it out, knead it and let it rise again. When I put it into the oven and bake it. But it doesn't come out right. It gets really crusty. It smells wonderful but is inedible. What am I doing wrong?
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How long do you bake it? It should probably not need more than 20 to 30 minutes.
Perhaps your oven is too hot? I bought an oven thermometer for $3 and found that my stove was 25F too hot. I also used an instant read meat thermometer to check if the bread was ready, 190F and once I got used to everything, I didn't need the thermometers anymore.:)
I have found many useful bread making tips on Allrecipes.com. Our family favorite is the Amish bread recipe. Perhaps it is the ratio of ingredients you use? Good luck and don't give up!
What kind of recipe are you using? Recipes like French bread which have no fat in them are supposed to be crusty. You need a bread with some butter or oil in the recipe to get a softer crust.
Another option is to brush the crust of your bread with melted butter when it comes out of the oven. It will soften it and give it a nice sheen.
Perhaps your oven is too hot? I bought an oven thermometer for $3 and found that my stove was 25F too hot. I also used an instant read meat thermometer to check if the bread was ready, 190F and once I got used to everything, I didn't need the thermometers anymore.:)
Hi,don't knead it after you take it from the machine. Shape it into loaves and let them raise and then bake them. Hope that helps.
I though bread makers baked the bread - why are you making it in the machine and then baking it in your oven?
Go simple - make Betty Crocker's white bread. It's foolproof when done by hand.
Also, are you using a bread machine recipe, or are you trying to adapt a "hand made" to the bread machine?
Personally, I dont like the way the bread bakes in the machine. So....because I have rheumatoid arthritis and it hurts my hands to knead the dough, I let the bread machine do all the hard work.
Simple. Butter the top as it comes out of the oven. I've baked bread for years and this has always worked. After the loaf has cooled put it in a plastic bag.
I have the very same problem! I have tried putting butter on the top to no avail. I am not sure if it is because of the way the bread machine bakes it--maybe somerthing is different being in such a small and sealed environment?
I rub a little oil or butter on the top of my loaf and wrap it in a heavy terry towel hot out of the oven. The steam that is formed inside the towel softens the crust. When it is cool, I slip it into a plastic bread wrapper.
Harlean from Arkansas
I think Harlean has it right. Butter the top and then wrap a towel around the loaf. How much fat are you putting in each loaf? If the above doesn't fix it, try adding more fat, preferably butter.
You may butter the top and put it in a "plastic" wrapper while it is still hot or warm. Doesn't seem to hurt it. I've done it for years. The crust comes out like bread from the store!
The bread machine can form and bake the bread all the way through...it takes about 4 hours. If you are using the dough setting and then letting the bread rise, try not kneading the bread, just forming it into loaves and letting them rise, then bake.
I would pay attention to all of these posts. However, I too, wonder why you don't let the bread machine bake the bread. It would use less energy than your oven. I noticed that if the bread sat in the breadmaker after it was baked, the crust would get heavy. (I had problems with the timer.) Take the bread out of the breadmaker promptly after it is cooked.
If you must bake it in the oven, be sure your tempurature is correct. It could also be too cool, and you dry the bread out as you bake it.
Bread needs to be kept in a plastic bag if you want the crust to stay soft. Even if you don't butter the top, the crust will be softer if you put it into the plastic bag after it has cooled.
Baking it in a bread machine is terrible, it makes a loaf that is too big. Slices won't fit in a toaster and it is not as good as baking it in the oven. Besides it has a big hole in the bottom. I always bake mine in bread pans in the oven but have arthritis in my hands so is easier to let the machine mix it.
I bet your oven is not hot enough so it has to cook to long to get done and it dries out. Get a meat thermometer and check the real temp of your oven. It should be about 350 to 400 to bake bread. Also when you take it from the bread machine you should not knead it but just punch it down and form it. When its almost double, bake it.
Somebody may have already said this but...don't knead after removing from machine, just form into a loaf and let rise. As soon as you get it done in the oven brush it with milk for a softer crust.
I only use frozen bread dough, and have never had trouble with the crust getting hard in the oven. However, awhile back I saw directions for baking frozen bread dough in a slow cooker. I have tried it twice, and the bottom, sides, and ends get nice and brown, but the top stays light. The crust also gets real hard, and on the bottom it is usually about 1/4 inch thick, which makes it awfully hard eating for an old granny with bad teeth. lol
I don't use a bread machine but still the crust is hard. The bread is lovely, just the top gets hard. So what I have done (and this really works) is put a damp towel over it or damp kitchen roll and the bread crust remains soft. This is nothing you will read about but I have found this really works. Good luck, and let us know what works for you. Helen
I read that the loose seal on conventional ovens causes steam to escape, resulting in hard crust. Only professional ovens seal completely. That being said, this is the trick I use: when my loaves first come out of the oven, I rub some butter on top. After they have cooled in three pan about 5 minutes, I take them out and place them on a rack to cool about 10 more minutes, then I place them directly on my clean granite countertop and cover the entire top and sides of the loaf with damp paper towels. When the paper towels appear to have dried out, I remove them and the crust is tender, but still firm enough to cut. Grasp the load firmly, taking care not to squeeze or press down, and slice using a gentle sawing motion with a slender serrated knife. Keep the blade level as you're slicing. Hope this helps!
Take your bread dough from bread machine, divide it in 2 parts. Shape 1 in the form of a loaf and you can take the other and make 9 rolls to put in a 8 or 9 square dish. Cover, let it rise until its almost doubled in size. Mix 1 egg, (yoke and white) with 1 tablespoon water and brush on the tops of your goodies. Then.....bake. Soft and fluffy every time they come outta the oven! (And if you want different types of crust, just google it. You will find it all depends on mixing just the yolk....or whites....with water.....or milk). Hope this helps.
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