Trying To Perfect A Bread Recipe

[MerrillC1977]

I have been experimenting with different bread recipes lately. So far I have made three different loaves, with three different recipes. One was a total failure (which I posted about in another thread topic), so I won't even mention that one here....but the other two were quite good. I apologize in advance that this post will be lengthy, because I am going to list two recipes in it, and then ask some questions.

RECIPE # 1

Ingredients:

[AzizaRivers]

Personally, I can't stand the ease of anything with bean flour in it, which I why I don't use most of Bob's mixes. I'm almost sure that was the source of your problem. I don't use sorghum very often, but the times I have used it, I didn't notice anything in particular about the flavor of it.

Cider vinegar helps things rise, in my experience, which could be why your first loaf was such a good riser.

Crumbling in bread is something I have been trying to fix for a long time. I have a recipe that's awesome for taste and rise, but it crumbles and is so fragile, as well as a little mealy once it's been around for a few days. It could never be used as a sandwich, and it's heavenly straight out of the oven but I don't care for it as much once it's a day old.

SO: If I were you, I'd keep the cider vinegar and your eggs/oil/yeast etc. combo, and ditch that flour blend. If you want to go for mixes rather than handmade blends (I have a bunch of flours on hand rather than mixes), go for the King Arthur mix instead of Bob in the first recipe.

And please tell us how to turns out!

[pricklypear1971]

I've tried King Arthur and Namaste, but not BRM.

Namaste uses sorghum but no bean.

Ironically, I like it a bit better than KAF. Maybe because I grew up on Roman Meal bread and that's what it reminds me of?

[MerrillC1977]

Personally, I can't stand the ease of anything with bean flour in it, which I why I don't use most of Bob's mixes. I'm almost sure that was the source of your problem. I don't use sorghum very often, but the times I have used it, I didn't notice anything in particular about the flavor of it.

Cider vinegar helps things rise, in my experience, which could be why your first loaf was such a good riser.

Crumbling in bread is something I have been trying to fix for a long time. I have a recipe that's awesome for taste and rise, but it crumbles and is so fragile, as well as a little mealy once it's been around for a few days. It could never be used as a sandwich, and it's heavenly straight out of the oven but I don't care for it as much once it's a day old.

SO: If I were you, I'd keep the cider vinegar and your eggs/oil/yeast etc. combo, and ditch that flour blend. If you want to go for mixes rather than handmade blends (I have a bunch of flours on hand rather than mixes), go for the King Arthur mix instead of Bob in the first recipe.

And please tell us how to turns out!

Thank you for your advice, and for confirming my suspicions about the bean flour. Maybe I will take a taste of the BRM flour uncooked and see if it tastes similar to what I wasn't liking in the finished product. I do realy like the King Arthur mix -- it's not terribly expensive, has a mild if non-existent taste, and looks and feels just like "real" flour.

It's also good to know that the cider contributed something other than (possibly) a funny taste. Could I use plain vinegar rather than apple cider vinegar with the same rising effects?

I can't wait to get home and try RECIPE # 1 again, but with different flour this time. I will of course post once I get a really good recipe down.

[Reba32]

when tweaking recipes, it's best to change only one thing at a time so that you know what it is that perfects it. If you change both the vinegar and the flour mix, and you get a loaf that you like, you won't know which change it was that made it better. (same principle as computer and car maintenance, fix one thing at a time, so you know which fix fixed it )

I've read on at least one gluten free recipes site, that elimination of xanthan gum actually makes a bread less crumbly.

The acid in the vinegar is what contributes to the yeast rising, so any vinegar will do.

[MerrillC1977]

I've read on at least one gluten free recipes site, that elimination of xanthan gum actually makes a bread less crumbly.

The acid in the vinegar is what contributes to the yeast rising, so any vinegar will do.

That's interesting about the Xanthan Gum. My understanding is that bread would be crumbly *without* it. I'll give it a try both ways.

[kitgordon]

I am another one who doesn't like the flavor of Bob's Red Mill - the bean flour taste is unpleasant to me. I use apple cider vinegar in breads with no problem, so probably change the flour. Recipe #1 looks yummy; hopefully with a milder flour it will taste as good as it looks!

[MerrillC1977]

I am another one who doesn't like the flavor of Bob's Red Mill - the bean flour taste is unpleasant to me. I use apple cider vinegar in breads with no problem, so probably change the flour. Recipe #1 looks yummy; hopefully with a milder flour it will taste as good as it looks!

I really hope so. If I have time, I will try it tonight. If not, tomorrow. And of course I will update with results.