Homemade bread bakers-- what is wrong with my bread?

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

Last night I made 2 loaves of wheat bread. When I was kneading it, the dough kept falling apart. I didn't think to much of it and the bread turned out dense but good. Today I am making Oatmeal bread. Again, the dough kept falling apart during kneading. This time worse than with the wheat bread. This is to the point I am not certain the bread will turn out right. What on earth causes that to happen? I make bread all the time and have never had this happend before. Is it the flour? I am using what I always use and its not that old. The yeast? Thoughts? I really hope my oatmeal bread turns out ok because this is my families favorite kind!! :confused:

Edited November 24, 2011 by wy_kid_wrangler04
mistake in title

[butterflymommy]

Can you define "fall apart" better? What exactly is in the bread? My first thought is a dry/ wet ingredient imbalance. Or yeast that has gone bad, since that's what eventually creates the "pull" in dough.

[Carpe]

Falling apart as in crumbling? That would be too dry.

Falling apart as in tearing? That would be old yeast and/or overworked dough.

 

I can't think of what else would be "falling apart" so if that doesn't cover it I have no idea.

 

Good luck!

[LaxMom]

Can you define "fall apart" better? What exactly is in the bread? My first thought is a dry/ wet ingredient imbalance. Or yeast that has gone bad, since that's what eventually creates the "pull" in dough.

 

No, gluten creates the pull. The yeast just produces gas the gets trapped in the stretchy gluten. So, either your not developing the gluten enough or you don't have enough gluten to begin with, as I see you're talking whole grains here.

Assuming its wet enough, of course.

 

You may want to try a higher ratio of regular four to whole flour, a higher protein flour or dough conditioner if that's the case. Heavy ingredients plus low working gluten are what cause loaves made with all whole grains to be like bricks. You can't trap enough yeast gasses to make good bubbles.

 

Eta: I see this is a family favorite, so I assume it's one you've made before. In that case, I think you need more liquid. We've just gotten into dry air season. You're flour is probably drier than normal.

Edited November 24, 2011 by MyCrazyHouse

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

By falling apart I mean its just not sticking together. Like the dough has little pieces that are falling off of it, the center breaks in half then each piece will fall into smaller peices. I don't know how to explain it. I have never seen bread do this. Like if you were slicing up the dough without the knife. When you knead it helps it to stick together but its not doing that. It's not holding together. Its just not balling up at all like it should.

 

 

I have been making these 2 recipes for years and this has never happened- in winter or summer. I use the same amount of liquid I always have.

 

 

That is why I am so boggled by this. I have not changed anything in the 4-5 years I have been making these year round. :confused:

[LaxMom]

By falling apart I mean its just not sticking together. Like the dough has little pieces that are falling off of it, the center breaks in half then each piece will fall into smaller peices. I don't know how to explain it. I have never seen bread do this. Like if you were slicing up the dough without the knife. When you knead it helps it to stick together but its not doing that. It's not holding together. Its just not balling up at all like it should.

 

 

I have been making these 2 recipes for years and this has never happened- in winter or summer. I use the same amount of liquid I always have.

 

 

That is why I am so boggled by this. I have not changed anything in the 4-5 years I have been making these year round. :confused:

 

Weird batch of flour? Different storage before you bought it? After? I'd be tempted to grab new stuff and see if that's it.

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

Weird batch of flour? Different storage before you bought it? After? I'd be tempted to grab new stuff and see if that's it.

 

 

The storage is the same. I was thinking about the flour. We have made biscuits just fine out of the flour but that is different than bread. I can't remember if we made bread with this flour or not. I am not sure when we added in the new. I guess I better pay closer attention to that. I will get some new tomorrow and see if that is the problem.

[LaxMom]

I meant that it could be from a different warehouse with different humidity controls. And, yeah, I think there is a wider range of wetness for forming biscuits than developing gluten, particularly when you've got other flours in play.

[laundrycrisis]

It sounds like the dough is dry. Really with any kind of dough and the amount of liquid, I go by feel instead of by the recipe. The recipe is an estimate - the final amount of liquid depends on the behavior of the dough.

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

I meant that it could be from a different warehouse with different humidity controls. And, yeah, I think there is a wider range of wetness for forming biscuits than developing gluten, particularly when you've got other flours in play.

 

 

 

Oh that could be.

[alpidarkomama]

I would think the dough was too dry also. Different flours can definitely absorb different amounts of liquids. I've noticed as much as a 1-cup difference in liquids in a 12-cup bread recipe depending on when or with what I make the bread.

[lukebar]

There are too many variables in bread baking for me to follow a strict recipe. It's good to have some kind of a guide, especially when making a new recipe for the first time. But the differences in humidity, types of flour, etc. make this more of an art than a science.

 

My constant is always the amount of water that I start out with. This will get me in the ball park of the amount of dough I wish to end up with. I know approximately how much flour I will be adding during the mixing process, but I never feel obligated to use a certain amount because the recipe "says it is so!". I add flour, GRADUALLY, until I reach the desired consistency. If you've made the recipe before, you know what that desired consistency is. Trust yourself and use the recipe as a guide rather than a strict blueprint.

[MissKNG]

When I am ready to pull my dough out to knead, I make sure it's still a little sticky. That way, it won't get too dry when it picks up the extra flour from my hands and that is sprinkled on the counter.

[Zebra]

I'm not sure what type of climate you live in, but this time of year I always have to add a little more liquid. It's very dry in my house, and the dough can be in little pieces because of that.

 

That's my only thought :tongue_smilie:!!!

[boscopup]

When I am ready to pull my dough out to knead, I make sure it's still a little sticky. That way, it won't get too dry when it picks up the extra flour from my hands and that is sprinkled on the counter.

 

:iagree: I never have any clue how much flour I have used. It's going to vary from day to day. Just add a little bit of flour until it's the right consistency for kneading, then pull it out and knead (if you're not using a mixer to knead).