Having Trouble Baking Bread

[MrsM]

Hi. I've tried several recipes for making yeast breads both from scratch (e.g., Bette Hagman's recipes) and from mixes (e.g., Pamela's). I've also tried using a bread machine versus baking in the oven. The same problem occurs no matter which recipe/baking method I use--the loafs tend to be really dense, especially near the bottom (looks kind of like the dough is still raw, but baking longer doesn't make any difference). Any ideas about what I am doing wrong? Thank you!

[Pilgrim South]

Hi. I've tried several recipes for making yeast breads both from scratch (e.g., Bette Hagman's recipes) and from mixes (e.g., Pamela's). I've also tried using a bread machine versus baking in the oven. The same problem occurs no matter which recipe/baking method I use--the loafs tend to be really dense, especially near the bottom (looks kind of like the dough is still raw, but baking longer doesn't make any difference). Any ideas about what I am doing wrong? Thank you!

I think the equipment we use for gluten free baking makes all the difference in the world. My breads are turning out much better than a few years ago and I think my mixer and bread machine are making a huge difference. I have a Zojoushi bread machine and a Kitchen Aid mixer. Most of the mixes do great and I can bake either in my bread machine or the oven and they turn out fantastic. I really think that the Kitchen Aid mixes at such a speed that it assists the bread somehow. Hope this helps.

[MrsM]

Now that you mention it, the problem could be that I'm not mixing the dough thoroughly. I don't have a stand mixer, just a hand-held one. It's not very powerful and sometimes I end up mixing by hand because the dough is too thick for the mixer. I'm not sure how good a job my bread machine (a Breadman) paddle does of mixing. Thanks for the help.

[GFBetsy]

It might also help to place your bread a little lower in the oven. It sounds to me like the bottom part of the loaf is not baking as well as the top is, so moving the pan a little closer to the element (maybe 1 or 3 levels) might help.

Good luck!

(If you want more bread advice, check out the bread tips on www.eatingglutenfree.com. They're kind of long to post here, otherwise I would.)