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Helen's quesiton re: color of crust

Fred Smith <fredex@fcshome.stoneham.ma.us>
Sat, 11 Jul 1998 12:32:37 -0400
v098.n053.12
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:

The other numerous replies have all given good advice. But one additional
factor controlling the color of your bread's crust is salt. If you make a
bread with no or only a little salt you'll find it won't brown very well
at all.

Regarding the temperature, someone said that dropping from 425 to 350
may be too low a temperature. Again, it depends on your oven. I always 
bake my (everyday white bread) at 350 and get nice crusts. Of course, some
breads have other needs, but when I'm baking ordinary white bread for
everyday use I don't even follow a recipe (I've been doing it for 25
years or so) but I do more or less the same things all the time. Anyway,
I find that most breads brown nicely at 350 in 35 or so minutes. If I
forget the salt, however, (which I have been known to do) I end up with
a pale yellowish or only slightly brownish loaf even though it is done
inside. (Not to mention, it's also rather tasteless!)

Fred
-- 
---- Fred Smith -- fredex@fcshome.stoneham.ma.us ----------------------------
  "And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father,
  Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government there will be no end. He 
will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding
      it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever."
------------------------------- Isaiah 9:7 (niv)
------------------------------