I've been baking our bread in the bread machine for 4 years and recently every loaf is a flop no matter what. Sometimes it's my fault as I realize later that I forgot to add an ingredient. But...once again today I put everything in and it's a dud. We can and do still eat it, but I'd hesitate to serve it to friends/other family. I'd like some nice mostly whole wheat bread for a sandwich!!!
My recipe is as follows.
1c +1T warm water
1T honey
1T molasses
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2T powdered milk
3 1/2 c whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp yeast
2T butter
I add a T or so of ground flax and leave out an equal amt of flour. I also sub 1/2 white bread flour for the 1/2c wheat in an effort to get a slightly less brick like loaf. Sometimes I add a splash of vinegar (a tip I read on MDC) and it has always worked well. Suddenly it does not.
I admit I'm not measuring the honey and molasses, just eyeball it but have been doing that for some time.
The loaf falls in the middle. There is lots of air between the top crust and the bread. Seems as if the loaf is at some point rising too high and falling? I've peeked in the window and have never caught it looking too big...
Yeast is active as it works in all other yeast baked goods.
Do I need a new recipe or can someone who is an 'expert' trouble shoot this? I'd like to continue to use the bread machine now that it's getting warm out. Save oven baking for fall/winter.
thanks!
~L.
My recipe is as follows.
1c +1T warm water
1T honey
1T molasses
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2T powdered milk
3 1/2 c whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp yeast
2T butter
I add a T or so of ground flax and leave out an equal amt of flour. I also sub 1/2 white bread flour for the 1/2c wheat in an effort to get a slightly less brick like loaf. Sometimes I add a splash of vinegar (a tip I read on MDC) and it has always worked well. Suddenly it does not.
I admit I'm not measuring the honey and molasses, just eyeball it but have been doing that for some time.
The loaf falls in the middle. There is lots of air between the top crust and the bread. Seems as if the loaf is at some point rising too high and falling? I've peeked in the window and have never caught it looking too big...
Yeast is active as it works in all other yeast baked goods.
Do I need a new recipe or can someone who is an 'expert' trouble shoot this? I'd like to continue to use the bread machine now that it's getting warm out. Save oven baking for fall/winter.
thanks!
~L.
