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I would proof it anyway. It's one of my favorite parts of the process--watching the yeast expand

and jump up to the surface of the warm water. "We have ignition!"

I'm obviously a bread geek, but it is always possible that your yeast has died in storage, so proofing is a good idea.

 
density question

We did breakmakers off an on for a few years but the bread was always on the dense side.
We finished our first batch using the English Muffin Bread recipe and it is great and a big hit, but also on the dense side. We followed the directions and the dough rose to the top of the pan - actually slightly over the top in two of the pans.

What is the trick to get it less dense?

 
It's possible the dough was under-kneaded.If there is not enough gluten formed there wont be a

sufficient stucture to support the loaf as it inflates with gas. The result is a dense or cakey loat I haven't tried the English Muffin bread, though, so maybe Traca or Dawn have some other ideas.

 
While quite pretty, Joe too is fairly dense. (Don't hate him for it.) EM bread is going to be denser

than a regular loaf. I used to make it and you have to toast the slices before eating (just like with store-bought EMs.) Interestingly, when you make some English Muffins, they call for a griddling rather than a baking. Go figure.

 
OK but generally speaking if you were baking bread and

the results were too dense, what would you do on the next attempt to improve?

 
Generally speaking--more thorough kneading and letting the dough rise to the optimal level

regardless of how long that takes. Also, I think a longer slower rise produces a better structure because the gluten is formed by time as well as kneading. (Case in point, the famous no-knead bread gets it's gluten from its 24-hour rise, with just a pinch of yeast.) Holding back a little on the yeast and/or letting the dough rise in a cooler spot will give you a longer rise and give the bread more character.

 
Would I want to be less dense if it meant being less pretty? Let me think.....

This could take a while.

 
With the EM bread, I agree with Joe (shhh!) longer rising time. Also, measure your flour carefully,

too much or too little flour will also affect your rise. Additionally, if your oven isn't hot enough, or if the bread has risen TOO long (I know, I know, SO durned complicated) the "crumb" will suffer.

I used this recipe from King Arthur which allows you to make 1 loaf at a time.

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/english-muffin-toasting-bread-recipe

 
I heard that, and I agree--too much flour could be the culprit. If not going by weight,

then be sure to fluff the flour before measuring, and use level cups.

 
thanks joe so would the logic extend to the type of yeast?

i.e. quality is superior in this order: active dry > rapid rise > instant?

 
first attempt with 12 yo daughter

we only have 2 loaf pans so half of the recipe went into 8x8 and one of these baked in our toaster oven separately and had a slightly darker hue. Overall it may actually have done better in the toaster oven...

http://eat.at/dnd/paul/bread2.jpg
http://eat.at/dnd/paul/bread3.jpg

http://eat.at/dnd/paul/bread1.jpg

 
Sifting is not necessary, just loosening up the flour. For instance, when you first open a bag of

flour, it is pretty compact. So you can take your measuring scoop and stir it up a bit, then scoop the flour and swipe off the excess with a spatula so it is level. If you dig right into the compacted flour you would be getting more than the desired amount.

Steve has now forever ruined the verb "to fluff" for all of us. (If you don't know, don't ask.)

 
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