HWGunnar@aol.com wrote:
>OK, bread baking pros, I'm a rank amateur who needs more help. I
>have a consistent problem in that I always get a very pale crust--not
>the nice golden or dark brown that I'd like. ....
> the second rising, after I kneaded it again with my KA
Helen,
I hope this doesn't sound like too much of a flame but you've got
several problems. First of all I'd suggest learning some of the
basics of bread making. One of the better books around is Bernard
Clayton's "The New Complete Book of Breads". Specifically you mention
lack of browning and lack of rising.
Browning:
1. Too low a temperature. Although starting it a 425 is great,
lowering it to 350 is probably a mistake (more appropriate for a
cake). 400 would probably have been better.
2. Use a glaze. Either egg yolk (diluted with a little water) or milk
brushed on before baking will give you a browner crust.
Rising:
There are two reasons I can think of for bread not to rise: dead or
inactive yeast and no gluten network to rise when the yeast
fermentation occurs. You don't knead a bread dough a second time,
especially in a machine. A dough gets punched-down after rising but
never (to my knowledge) kneaded a second time. The purpose of
kneading is to develop the gluten which is present in the flour. It's
either there or it isn't. It reportedly is possible, using a machine,
to over-knead and make the gluten break down.
Good luck,
Mark Judman < Mark_Judman@colpal.com >