Betty Crocker The Big Book of Bread (Betty Crocker Big Book) (2 page)

The best muffins are golden brown, slightly rounded with bumpy tops, tender, moist, even textured and easy to remove from the pan. Here are some things that can happen, with solutions to help.

Pale—
oven was not hot enough

Peaked or smooth top—
too much mixing

Tough and heavy—
too much flour or mixing

Dry—
too much flour, oven too hot or baked too long

Tunnels (holes inside muffin)—
too much mixing

Sticks to pan—
pan not greased correctly

The best yeast breads are high and evenly shaped, are golden or dark brown and have an even texture. Here are some things that can happen, with solutions to help.

Not high—
water too hot for yeast, too little flour, not enough kneading or pan too large

Coarse texture—
rose too long, too little flour, not enough kneading or oven too cool

Yeasty flavor—
rose too long or temperature too high during rise time

Large air pockets—
dough not rolled tightly when loaf was shaped

Dry and crumbly—
too much flour or not enough kneading

Traditional Kneaded Breads:
These loaves and rolls require hands-on work, and individual recipes will provide specific kneading times.

Artisan Breads:
These breads are made with few ingredients and known for their crusty exterior and firm but moist interior. They often don’t require kneading.

Batter Breads:
Just mix and bake to make these easy breads. They don’t require kneading and their texture will be coarser than traditional kneaded breads.

Flour:
All-purpose and bread flours are both high-gluten flours and can be used interchangeably in these recipes. The gluten (an elastic protein) is developed when dough is kneaded, making these two flours ideal for bread baking. Whole wheat and rye flours have less gluten and should be combined with all-purpose or bread flour. Up to half of a recipe’s all-purpose or bread flour can be replaced with whole wheat or rye flour.

Yeast:
Yeast is temperature sensitive—too high will kill it while too low will prevent it from growing. Always check the package expiration date to ensure it is fresh. With fast-acting dry yeast, rising times may be shorter, so be sure to check the package for best results. Follow the directions given in the recipe for activating the yeast.

Liquid:
Water gives bread a crisp crust, while milk results in a softer crust.

Sweetener:
Sugar, honey or molasses feed yeast to help it grow, add flavor and help brown crust. Don’t use artificial sweeteners because they won’t feed the yeast.

Salt:
Salt enhances flavor, provides structure to dough and controls yeast growth. Don’t omit the salt from a yeast bread recipe.

Fat:
Butter, margarine, shortening and oil make bread tender and moist, plus they add flavor.

Eggs:
Eggs add flavor, richness and color, plus they promote a fine texture and tender crust.