|
Bread Mix FAQs
If you’ve ordered our Bread Mix and want to bake it using a bread machine, simply follow the instructions below:
What temperature should my ingredients be before baking?
It is particularly important for yeast recipes to bring all of your ingredients to room temperature before beginning. Yeast needs warmth to grow; ingredients that are too cold may prevent full yeast growth.
What adjustments might be necessary to bake bread at high altitudes?Any modifications necessary depend on exactly how high the altitude is where you will be baking and rising the bread. In general though, you may need to add 1-2 tablespoons more of Jules Gluten Free™ All Purpose Flour or cut the liquid by 1 -2 tablespoons in each bread recipe. Diligently monitor the internal temperature of your loaf; don’t be surprised if you need to increase bake times to achieve the optimum internal temperature.What kind of pan should I use?Metal pans tend to work better than glass pans. Glass pans can hold in moisture and can make your bread mushy. Metal pans, however, can help to form a crispier crust: the darker the metal, the darker the crust. Choose a 9 x 4 or 9 x 5 inch pan for my bread recipes and mix. If you’re looking for even crustier bread, remove the baked loaf from the pan and return to the hot oven without its pan. Place it directly on a clean oven rack and bake an additional 5-10 minutes.How can I get my bread to rise?It is important to put your bread in a warm enough place. Your best bet is to set your oven temperature to 200° F, then turn the oven off. Place a bowl of water in the oven with the bread – the humidity created in the oven will further encourage yeast growth. Another option is to place the bread directly in a warming drawer, if you have one. Wherever you rise the bread, be sure to cover it with a piece of wax paper coated with cooking spray or a damp towel while rising. Also, be sure to let your loaves rise for at least 30 minutes before baking – I’ve left loaves to rise for several hours before baking and had wonderful results, so don’t shortchange your recipe by not letting it rise long enough.Can bread rise too much?
If so, how much should I let it rise?Yes, bread can rise too much. Don’t let it rise higher than the top of your bread pan before baking—if it rises too much, then it can’t support itself and is more likely to collapse. This process should take about 30-60 minutes, but altitude and humidity can affect this rise time.How can I tell if my bread is fully cooked?It is very important not to take your bread out of the oven before it is fully cooked. If the bread has a rubbery layer at the bottom, this usually means it was not fully cooked. The best way to tell if bread is done is to insert an instant read thermometer into the middle of the loaf. The temperature should be approximately 200-210° F when it is done. Your bread will keep its shape better overcooked than undercooked, so if in doubt, keep it in the oven just a bit longer! My recipes have plenty of moisture, so you shouldn’t worry about them drying out too much.How should I remove my bread from the oven?When your bread is done cooking, turn off the oven and open the door so that the bread can cool slowly for five minutes. Taking the bread out of a hot oven and quickly transferring it to a cool counter can sometimes cause the loaf to sink. Allow the loaf to cool on a wire rack for 10 - 15 minutes, then remove from the pan to finish cooling.What if my bread still sinks when I remove it from the oven?If you are having problems with your bread sinking, next time, place the loaf on a cooling rack on its side. Rotate it carefully from side to side every few minutes while it cools. This allows the structure of the bread to set up better during the cooling process. Also try reducing the predominant wet ingredient in your recipe by 1/4 cup next time. |
|
