Bread disaster

[LadyShea]

So I baked my first ever loaf of yeast bread today (a simple sandwich white). It looked beautiful, the texture was perfect, but it tasted like salt. A lot of salt. Totally inedible for a sandwich or toast, for me anyway.

I used unsalted butter, and I believe I only used the 2 tsps. called for in the recipe. I can't figure out if I screwed up on my measuring, or if I should reduce the amount called for when I try again tomorrow.

It's not a total loss, I cubed half of it up and it's soaking in eggs for a breakfast casserole, and I am drying out the rest to make bread crumbs. Really disappointed though.

[fragment]

Sounds like a lot of salt for a single loaf. It's not really necessary to have any, but if you're going to put some in, try just a pinch. Better too little than too much.

[godfry n. glad]

Yeah...It sounds like a mismeasurement to me.

Please try again. It has been years since I made yeast bread. Somewhere I have a recipe for Cornell Surviva bread. Reputedly, one can survive on this bread and water. It was damned decent, recently cooled from the oven, but still warm.

ETA: Cornell Whole Wheat Bread is what I learned as 'Cornell Surviva Bread'.

[Wonderbread Leotard]

If you mix the salt straight into the dissolved yeast, it will kill much of the yeast and sorta take over. Mix in the salt with the second or third dry cup, not the first.

[S.Vashti]

I now use a breadmaker and make one or two yeast loaves a week, now that I have a gluten-free recipe. The recipe does call for 1 1/4 tsp salt, but I also add (since this is sandwich bread), 3 tbsp of Splenda for sweetener, and 1 tsp honey. Rather than too much salt, did you perhaps forget a sweetener?

Whisk together:
● 2 cups general purpose wheat-free flour, (substitutes: 1 cup rice & 1 cup bean flour, or 1 cup rice & 1 cup sorgham flour)
● 1/2 cup tapioca flour
● 3 tbsp. Splenda
● 1 tbsp. active yeast
● 1 1/4 tsp. salt
● 1 tsp. xanthan gum

Pour these into bread pan 1st:
● 1 1/4 cups warm water
● 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
● 1 tsp honey
● 1/2 tsp. mild rice or white wine cider vinegar (or lemon juice)
● 2 eggs

[LadyShea]

Nope I used the tablespoon of sugar the recipe called for. I didn't want to mess with the recipe my first try, which is why I don't think I mismeasured. But, with phone calls and Kiddo interruptions and such it is totally possible. I'll try again and halve the salt.

When I am more comfortable with this bread gig, I'll experiment some more.

[biochemgirl]

That's interesting. I know it might sound like a lot of salt but I think it would take quite a bit more to make the bread taste that salty. I usually use about a teaspoon when I make bread. What other ingredients were in the bread?

[LadyShea]

It's a terribly simple recipe. Butter (unsalted), flour, milk, yeast, sugar, salt. I am PMSing, so maybe it tasted saltier to me than others, but hubby said it tasted salty to him as well.

[seebs]

The difference between salted and unsalted butter is pretty minor. Hmm.

Hard to say. I will say, though, that every time I click on a thread labeled "<x> disaster", it rewards me.

[biochemgirl]

Originally Posted by LadyShea

It's a terribly simple recipe. Butter (unsalted), flour, milk, yeast, sugar, salt. I am PMSing, so maybe it tasted saltier to me than others, but hubby said it tasted salty to him as well.

Hmm, that is puzzling. The only thing I could think of would be accidentally adding salt instead of sugar. I've been known to do that a time or two

[chunksmediocrites]

What biochemgirl said about accidentally measuring salt instead of sugar. Two teaspoons of salt shouldn't make it that salty. Also, you can try halving the salt and then taste the dough, after you get partway through mixing, and if it seems under-salted, add the other half. if you are hand-kneading, you will want to taste early to get the remaining salt fully incorporated if it needs the remainder of held-out salt. If you have ever tasted dough with no salt in it, or not enough, you will know it- unsalted dough tastes like paste.

[Lauri D]

I agree, since you mentioned that you were distracted by things during the process, it may merely have been a matter of salt v. sugar. My mom must've done that a million times.

[LadyShea]

I measure sugar out of a canister, and salt from the round blue can it comes in...no way to mix them up.

The only thing I can think of is using the wrong measuring spoon (the numbers are rubbed off), or accidentally putting the salt in twice (both due to distractions).

Anyway, todays bread turned out great.

[slimshady2357]

Originally Posted by LadyShea

I measure sugar out of a canister, and salt from the round blue can it comes in...no way to mix them up.

The only thing I can think of is using the wrong measuring spoon (the numbers are rubbed off), or accidentally putting the salt in twice (both due to distractions).

Anyway, todays bread turned out great.

2 tsps of salt does seem like a little much, though not enough to make it taste really salty.

But also, 1 tablespoon of sugar seems like too litte. Most of the bread we make takes 3 or 4 tablespoons of sugar (they are usually 2lb loaves, so 4 cups of flour if that helps).

I'm glad the next loaf was tasty

[LadyShea]

So, I pulled out my ancient Betty Crocker cookbook, tweaked her white bread recipe for the 21st century (I mix in a food processor, for example and use rapid rise yeast), and got a perfect sandwich loaf! So much lighter and softer than even the better of my two previous loaves from a different cookbook. I like dense, nutty, chewy and/or crusty breads...but for sandwiches hubby would seriously eat Wonderbread if I let him buy it. He likes soft breads. Goofball

Triumph at last!

[Legs]

Originally Posted by LadyShea

It's not a total loss, I cubed half of it up and it's soaking in eggs for a breakfast casserole, and I am drying out the rest to make bread crumbs.

Recipe please

[LadyShea]

Originally Posted by Legs

Recipe please

I kinda made it up based on some I have eaten in the past.

The base is just beaten eggs and milk (however much you want to make) poured over bread chunks, soaked overnight, then baked at 325 until puffy.

You can add cheese, sausage, bacon, onion, pretty much whatever, right into the bowl for soaking, or top it before putting in the oven.

I don't know if it was because it was fresh bread, or because I used too much bread, but with a dozen eggs mine was still really, really bready. Like the bread soaked up ALL the egg...it was tasty, and everyone inhaled it, but the ones I have had before were more quiche like, and this was not.

As the bread was soaking in eggs overnight, it made an interesting, and quite good, firm casserole. Gah I can't even describe it. Have you ever had a Bisquick Impossible Pie? Like that.

So, I would suggest you experiment with bread to egg ratios, and types of bread. My SIL uses plain old packaged bread slices. Seems hard not to have something edible no matter what though, pretty much fuck up proof.

[Zehava]

Originally Posted by LadyShea

but for sandwiches hubby would seriously eat Wonderbread if I let him buy it. He likes soft breads. Goofball

Triumph at last!

Wonderbread is well... wonderful. Perfect for PB&Js, I do prefer something more substantial for other sandwiches. Hell my brothers and I used to squish the Wonderbread up into a dense bread ball and just eat that.

[Legs]

That sounds good, I'm going to try it... does it come out of the dish easily or should it be buttered? I have never had bisquick, we don't do a lot of that kind of food up here in Canada.

[LadyShea]

I use glass baking dishes, and usually spray or butter them no matter what. It came out of the pan pretty easily. I used a 9x9 for a dozen eggs, so it was quite thick. You could use anything though, a pie pan or an oblong casserole dish.

It's traditionally called a strata if you want to look up a real recipe. Here's something I found

source recipe

What is Strata?

A strata is an overnight casserole that is usually made of leftover bread soaked in cream or milk and eggs, and left overnight to soften.

ETA: Bisquick Impossible Pies are merely a really thin, eggy batter poured over the fillings (usually meat and cheese) to make a sort of strata like casserole. The Bisquick provides the bread part, so it's a quick strata I guess now that I look at the traditional recipes.

[godfry n. glad]

Originally Posted by Legs

I have never had bisquick, we don't do a lot of that kind of food up here in Canada.

I don't believe it.

You folks don't do a lot of pancake and waffle food in Canuckistan? No shortbreads with your itty-bitty wild strawberries, or dumplings with that huckleberry dessert? No bisquits and gravy...oh, wait, they pour their gravy over fries and vulcanized tasteless cheese.

Why the hell do you people produce all that maple syrup? Are you telling me it is all a cash crop, for export only?

[Legs]

I had bisquick once when I was a teenager, my mother bought it to make scones or tea biscuits or something. I thought it tasted like dehydrated wallpaper paste

[godfry n. glad]

I think it helps if you mix and bake it first.

All it is is flour, salt and a leavening agent (baking powder, I think), prepackaged for convenience.

[Waluigi]

Wimps. Gluten does all the hard work in your breads. Try making it without gluten some day!

[LadyShea]

Yeah baking mixes like Bisquick and Jiffy are more or less self rising flour with simple recipes on the box. Quick and easy to use for pancakes, dumplings, biscuits, etc.

I tried the same recipe that turned out so great last week, only did a slow rise overnight in the fridge and it made it to dense for hubby. We ate it with egg salad for dinner last night, it tasted good.

This bread thing is tricky, but I enjoy it. I am going to try whole wheat this week.