Saturday, January 21, 2012

bakery Bread Secrets



I worked at a bakery for two and a half years in a Pauls store. I learned many of their secrets.. One of them was how they got their bread to rise even in high altitudes.  I am not only going to give you the recipe but how to have tall perfect loaf of bread every time.

Recipe
1 1/4 cup warm water 110 degrees( Low altitude use 1 cup)
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 tbl sugar
3cups bread flour
3tsp dry active yeast.
3 tbl veg oil
large pan of boiling water

Add your yeast to the water. Let it sit for 5 to 10 min.  In a kitchen aid or mixer add 1/2 your flour then salt. Then add the other half of flour and sugar. I learned you need the salt. But if it is add with the yeast  it will kill the yeast,. Next add the oil and the yeast.  Start mixer with dough hook on low. Then turn speed up one notch. Walk away. Let it mix for at least 10 to 12 min. Unlike pie dough. the longer it mix's the better. The dough should be elastic and climb up the hook.
If it's to dry add water tsp at a time. Give it time to work in to dough before adding more if need. If to wet add flour a table spoon at a time. Also giving it time to work in. I use this recipe all the time and sometime I may have to do one or the other. A lot depends on the weather. ( yes it plays a factor )
 Place your dough in a greased bowl.  Don't cover your bowl . You want it to get the moisture .P lace in a cold oven. Put your boiling water in a baking dish  and put on bottom of oven. Shut the oven door and don't open for one hour. This makes a moisture box like the bakery have. Put your water back on to boil right before your hour is up so you have fresh hot water. Take your bowl out of the oven .Punch down and let rest while you spay your pan with cooking spray. Form dough into loaf shape and place in pan. Empty your baking pan and put fresh boiling water in. As close to the top as you can with out spilling it. Place bread and baking pan back in oven and close door. Let rise for 30 minutes to an hour. I find 30 minutes works for me. Then turn  cold oven to 350 for 35 min. The baking pan full of water will help keep your bread moist. And I have found it doesn't dry out as fast once it is cut. After 35 min check your bread.,by tapping the bottom of the bread. If it sounds hollow it's done. Cool on wire rack. Enjoy.

22 comments:

  1. Thank you for the helpful information Michelle. I am hoping to try this recipe Monday, to help keep warm when it's supposed to snow...

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  2. Wonderful explanation and photo! yum! Thanks Michelle!!!I've got all the makin's for baking my own bread for the first time and this will get me moving!
    Deb

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  3. My dream is to have a kitchen~aid, cut since I don't have one, would a bread maker knead the bread enough? I can't knead due to pain, but this recipe sounds wonderful. Have a wonderful Sunday!
    Blessings,
    Cindy

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  4. I love to make bread...and will give this recipe and procedure a look see tomarrow. Sometime it does come out higher then others. I am interested in trying the water method..Thank you for sharing. I used to have a bread maker, and it broke I used it ONLY to knead the bread dough. Now I use the mixer and do some by hand also. But this can be done in a bread maker if you can't knead it yourself....absolutley...

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  5. Cindy you can use a bread maker to knead it. I like a mixer because I have more control. And to be honest me and bread makers don't get along. They never work well for me.

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  6. Interesting about the moisture! I have found that the weather will definitely affect the amount of flour or liquid needed to get my bread dough to the right consistency!

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  7. Thanks for the tips and I will definitely be giving them a try.

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  8. That is a beautiful loaf of bread! Thanks for the tips!

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  9. oohhh...that looks so good! Thanks for linking up at Dwell on Fridays!

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  10. Thank you so much Michelle. I can't wait to try your secrets for successful high altitude bread. I will let you know how it turns out.... Love your blog!!

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  11. THanks, and do you have a whole grain version or 1/2 WW?

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  12. I'll give this a try..today is bread day, sometimes I notice it doesn't get as tall as I would like, and I was thinking it was the teflon pans...they give at the sides and the bread widens out...thanks for the tip..

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  13. Interesting! Thanks for sharing the secrets :)

    Visiting from the Country Homemaker Hop.

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  14. Looks good I am gonna try. Thanks Michelle.

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  15. Hi Michelle,
    I was searching online to find out why my bread doesn't always get very tall and I found your page. Very good information. Some people say to place the dough in a warm oven with a pan of boiling water, I found that my breads are heavy. How do I achieve the in my baking, the lightweight breads you find at the bakery? I would also like your thoughts on stone bread pans and a recipe for bakery style english muffin bread. Again, the lightweight breads. Thank you again :)

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  16. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  17. Michelle, I didn't have a chance to see your comment to my questions, you removed your comment. Could you please answer again? I received my stone bread pan today and it's 5x9. Now i hope to get everything I need to make bakery style breads. Can you help me please? :)

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  18. If your bread is heavy it because of 3 different things. Not enough yeast or you are not kneading it long enough. Make sure the dough is elastic and has a slight shine to it. The main thing I have found is people don't add enough water. If you pull your dough and it doesn't spring back just a little ,you need more water. I do need to do a post on English Muffins. Kristin please leave a comment on my newest post if you have any more questions, That way I will be able to answer you sooner. Sorry this answer took so long.

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  19. I've been baking bread in a bakery for about 20 years, and your tips are spot on! I always try to mimic the proofer and steam at home. (Visiting from Simple Saturdays.)

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  20. Please bear with me I am new to the kitchen we won't discuss how new to baking.

    Your video shows the dough being covered while in the box yet your printed recipe says do not cover the dough.

    Which is the correct directive?

    Thanks,
    Dave H...

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  21. Hi. Can you please the exact type of Kitchenaid mixer you have and the quart-size? I'm inspired by your secrets-to-breadmaking video.. Thank you.
    allisonb1976 at ya00

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