owner-bread-bakers@best.com wrote about bread-bakers-digest V6 #26 to
All on 01 Jul 95 03:02:21 saying...
Responding to: David Colker <colker@news.latimes.com>
DC> Just bought my first bread making machine (I normally make bread by
DC> hand weekly during the winter months, but it just heats up the kitchen
DC> too much in the summer in L.A.), and I already have my first disaster.
DC> Bought an Oster, which makes both 1.5 and 1 lb. loaves. For the first
DC> loaf, I used a Krusteaz sourdough bread machine mix just to give it a
DC> tryout. The loaf hardly rose - it's supposed to be 1.5 lb, but it's
DC> only about 4" high. Still cooling off a bit, but I assume that at this
DC> density, it is probably not done inside, or at the very least,
DC> probably not a good texture.
You have just described a classic case of liquid imbalance - not
enough liquid for the amount of flour.
These machines are not completely automatic. There is one part of the
bread making process which cannot be automated, the flour to liquid
balance.
Since you have made bread by hand, you know what the dough should look
like and feel like. Place the ingredients in the pan, start the machine
and let it run for a few (2-3) minutes.
Open the machine (it's O.K., it won't hurt anything). Check the dough
consistency and adjust by adding more liquid or flour, as needed. Let
the machine run for a minute or so after each addition.
Once the dough is right, close the cover and let the machine do its own
thing.
Joel
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