Ask a Question
Questions? Start with the Search Bar: I’ve been posting recipes and answering questions on this site since 2007, so if you have a question, there’s probably a post that addresses it somewhere on this website. So, the first thing to do is to use the Search Bar on the Home Page. In narrower laptop or desktop displays, it sometimes appears right underneath the orange BreadIn5 logo, and on phones it’s right above where it says “How to make bread in five minutes a day?” Just type in the bread style, ingredient, or technique that you’re interested in, and the search-engine will show you posts on the topic, with recipes and answers to many questions.
Another place to look: the FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) page (there’s also have a Gluten-Free FAQs page). If you don’t find your answer in the FAQs, you can post baking questions and comments, but please be brief, so I can get to all the questions.
If neither of those get you to the answer you need, click on any “Comments/Reply” field at the top of any post (it doesn’t have to be here on “Ask a Question”) and scroll down to the bottom; then enter your question or comment. Don’t look for the response in your personal email… Come back here to the site on the page where you posted, to look for the answer.
Questions are answered here on the website within 24 hours, often with a reference to a page number in our books where possible. Please remember that the blog is moderated, so your post may not appear until I’ve read and approved it; this can take 24 hours.
Have you tried making Struan bread with your method? I’m wondering, especially, if the dough will keep in the refrigerator for a few days.
We haven’t specifically– this loaf has many whole grains and probably would have a tendency to be heavy with storage. Might be worth a try, especially if you increase the gluten with vital wheat gluten. You could start with the master recipe in our book “The New Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day” (BreadIn5.com/healthy), and experiment from there.
Watched Zoe’s video on the great courses. Loving it. The Naan in the oven and Pita preparation and baking seems identical. So why does the Pita pop and the Naan doesn’t?
(By the way, there is no “notify me” to check off but please do)
Because… the oven, at that temp, and on a stone, gives a blast of heat to both sides more or less evenly, so both crusts set and allow what’s in the middle to vaporize and force the top and bottom apart. For the naan, in a pan, you’re just getting the heat from the bottom–without that top crust setting, you don’t get that vapor entrapment.
So sorry, we can’t do individual notification for these–we’ve had 54,000 questions since we started this blog. Folks have to come back to see the responses!
Is the GF Brotchen cooked at 350 or 450? Sorry Ti be obtuse
450F is good!
Hello,
On the cover of The New Artisan Bread is a loaf I want to make.
I have spent about an hour searching for the recipe and technique to no avail.
Could you please direct me to the recipe and directions for that loaf.
Thank you.
It’s the basic recipe in chapter 5 of the book that you have, the one you’re talking about! If you haven’t yet gotten the book, an abbreviated version is here: https://artisanbreadinfive.com/2013/10/22/the-new-artisan-bread-in-five-minutes-a-day-is-launched-back-to-basics-updated …but there’s much more in the book.
OMG sorry but I cant look at all the answers from 2007!!
I’ll keep it simple. I am a new baker and lacking confidence and skill.
First ? When you add the salt and yeast to the water…do you stir and dissolve them?
Second ?…is there a video that shows how to roll out the dough for a baguette? It was hard for me to visualize your instructions.
Thanks!! So happy I finally bought the book!! (though I was convince I had to use bread flour for my breads)
Our recipes are very forgiving, and you don’t have to worry about whether the yeast and salt are completely dissolved. In fact if you like you can just add the yeast to the flour and whisk it in and then you don’t have to worry about this at all. If you want the rise to start quicker then make sure the yeast is completely dissolved, by using a whisk or a fork.
oopss and I forgot to add…
I have a non stick scalloped pan for baguettes (3). Can the dough rise in that pan? Can the bread be baked in that pan? Can that pan sit on the baking stone? Or does the baguette need to be bake on the stone itself?
thanks again!
Betsy
Yes to all of the above! And it can bake right in that pan, and it doesn’t matter whether or not you use the baking stone, though it can be nice to even out the heat with one.
Loved original book “Healthy Bread in five minutes a day, (Lost in fire)
Just bought “The New Healthy Bread in Five minutes a day”,
First recipe we tried, pg 371 Whole Wheat Banana Bread, The dough was way too dry. After reviewing other recipes it seem there should be more liquid.
Question: Is the recipe on pg 371 correct?
That book’s been out since 2016, and if there’s a problem with a recipe will usually hear about it on this website and update the corrections page. That hasn’t happened. We do test everything and so my first question is did you bake the dough and see how it came out?
I have tried the dough a couple of times now without success. When I pull the dough out of the refrigerator after a couple of days there is no elasticity in the dough. It is just a complete sticky, wet unworkable blob. I live in South Carolina and the humidity is high so didn’t know if that had any effect on the dough. Any suggestions?
are you using a low-protein flour like White Lilly? Are you measuring with spoon-and-sweep rather than scoop-and-sweep? Which of our recipes are you using, from which of the books and page number?
I was using Gold Medal All Purpose flour that I weighed out after my first try with measuring by measuring cups. Recipe was from The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day page 53. I tried using a little less water, but that didn’t help. So my next attempt would be to add more flour.
OK, so you’re weighing, and using the very same flour that we tested with, so I’m at a bit of a loss. If you’re an experienced traditional-dough baker, our stuff is going to seem wet to you, no doubt about it. You could try weighing the water, which is even more accurate than measuring cups, but I’m guessing it’s a problem of expectations. That said, if you just can’t get it to work, increase the flour by a couple of tablespoons.
page 74 of gluten free bread in 5 minutes talks about the whole grain gluten free flour recipe. this is what I have been looking for. I can’t find the bread recipe for this flor mixture. the book does state I can find recipes on the website but I am having trouble locating it. I was wondering if I could get some guidance. thank you for your time and help. 🙂
The whole grain recipe, which we call mixture number 2, is on page 62 of that book (click on the book image above, which will take you to the Amazon page with that book).
Hello – I received your GF book for a Christmas present… we’re looking forward to trying it out! In advance, I went looking for some of the videos you “promised” in the book; I found a few links from 2014 news segments, but not a single one was available for viewing. Am I missing something? Can you offer some more recent videos, or updated links? Thanks!!!
Start with this: https://artisanbreadinfive.com/Gluten-Free-Video
Thanks! I did manage to find that video on my own… I was hoping for more of the “recipes, photos, videos, and instructional material” at GFBreadIn5.com, promised on just about every page of your book. That URL just forwards to your main “gluten” site… but you already knew that! I guess I’ll just dive in…
Hi Matt,
Is there a GF recipe in particular you are having issues with or just trying to get some pointers going into it? Happy to help! If you haven’t seen this post yet, I think it is helpful: https://artisanbreadinfive.com/2014/11/03/master-recipe-from-gluten-free-abin5/ if you can eat eggs, I find they really make a difference in the results with gluten-free bread.
Enjoy all the bread! Zoë
Can you bake this in an air fryer?
What are you trying to bake, from which of our books, and what recipe and page number?
New healthy bread, whole wheat brioche, page 343.
Thanks for the quick response!
Barbara, we haven’t tested in an air fryer, but to my surprise, Google-searching suggests people are doing it. I’m not impressed with the look of the results, but you often can’t tell, and I wouldn’t have thought bread could be baked in a crock pot, but it can (see https://artisanbreadinfive.com/2012/05/29/crock-pot-bread-baking-fast-bread-in-a-slow-cooker/), so it could be worth a try. That said, you might first want to try a more straightforward bread, like our Master recipe.
I’m looking for a in-5 recipe which I can adapt to make Latvian pīrāgī. They are normally made with a typical yeast dough of the rise/punch down type.
(2 pkg yeast, 1T sweetener, 1cup water, 2cups milk, 1t salt, 1stick butter, ~5 cups flour). The finished dough is rolled out to about 1/8” thick, cut into 3” circles, 1T of filling put in and folded then baked. The bread is somewhat dense unlike a dinner roll or challah.
Perhaps you have a recipe which will approximate the type made with the above ingredient comb.
Do, which of our books are you working from? I’m not familiar with that style.
Hi Jeff,
I have tried to bake the healthy rye and pumpernickel loaves from the healthy bread book ,kindle edition updated and revised. I can’t get a free form loaf to rise I get spread. I have settled for using a 4×8 loaf pan. The bread tastes good but it seems a little gummy and there is a dense line at the bottom. I am using Sir Lancelot from KAF. I am weighing all ingredients. I use 1250 g of dough, proof for 1.75 – 2 hours. I bake in a 450 f oven for 30 minutes in the pan then I turn it out and finish till temp is 200 F internal. I would love to free form a traditional loaf. I have tried it an oval French oven it did not rise the way I had hoped. Any help will be appreciated.
Drew: Sir Lancelot is a very high-protein flour (14%), and we tested with typical supermarket flours, which are 10% or 11% protein. That throws everything off–with our hydration, and probably explains the results you’re getting. My recommendation: try the recipe again, with typical supermarket flours. Also, be sure you are “gluten-cloaking” the loaf before setting it down to rest, see video at Breadin5.com/GlutenCloak
I do cloak but it is not as smooth as when I use master. I hesitate to use more water. If I use sir lancelot should I skip vital gluten or add more water?
Drew: Great question, I think this may take experimentation. You could try both approaches, but given the protein load in SL, I’d try skipping the VWG first. Here’s the confusing part–usually a high gluten load will help hold a shape, so I’m not sure what’s going on.
I realized that I did not buy cornmeal for the pizza/ flatbread dough recipe in the Gluten-Free book (page 172). What could be substituted for cornmeal in this recipe? Or any chance it could be left out? I just want to make a half batch of the dough for pizza. The only thing I have that is similar in texture is golden flaxseed meal. Could that be used?
Thanks!
Kristin: we found that gluten-free recipes are finicky–any changes we contemplated meant lots and lots of testing and re-testing. We didn’t do that with a cornmeal swap in this particular recipe. Better bet would be to do a GF pizza with our standard Chapter 5 dough, using the egg-white variation on page 73.
I’ve made your master recipe EXACTLY per your instructions. Flour (recently purchased), water, Morton Kosher salt and active dry yeast. All measured and weighed down to the ounce. I did not get the initial rise – after 2 1/2 hours it only went up to the 4L mark of the tub that you pictured in your Master recipe. Plus, it wasn’t a wet dough, but rather dry, but sticky. When I pulled a pound of it out of the bucket after refrigeration overbite, it did stretch, but certainly not sticky, but rather dry. I used Gold Medal Flour (no extra protein). I had a recently purchased jar of active dry yeast in the refrigerator (used a couple of times). Should I have had to bring the yeast to room temperature before I mixed with salt? My salt was older (not sure how old), would that make a difference? The temperature in my home is setoff 72 and in the winter it is colder, thus I allowed extra rise for the first initial (2-hour) rise. I do not know why my dough didn’t rise like you pictured and it is dry. The measurements were EXACT. Please advise.
Marlae: which of our “Master” recipes are you working from, we have many! Which of our books, and page number, are you asking about?
I purchased your new updated book ( through Amazon). Wondering if you have a recipe for Cuban bread as I didn’t see one in the book? Also checked your website.
Master recipe is turning out very well (and quite possibly close to Cuban bread).
Thanks,
Steve Miller
Steve: Your note gave me a smile, because the first bread I ever made was James Beard’s “Cuban” Bread, from his 1981 book “Beard on Bread” (https://amzn.to/350AmDx). Actually, he called it “French-Style” bread, but then in the recipe-intro he says it’s not really French, it should be called “continental,” because, he says, it’s similar to the bread in Italy, Spain, and Portugal, but is also called “Cuban Bread.” And then he doesn’t define any of these! It’s basically a white dough, and I don’t have a real definition here either. I’ve had Cuban bread in famous Cuban bakeries in South Florida, so was probably authentic… and I’d say it’s basically a torpedo-shaped white loaf, baked freeform. Our Master is basically the same idea, when you bake it as a baguette. But I have some suspicion that the real deal has a little lard in it. Have fun with it…
I made Limpa for dinner tonight. Scooped dough, made a ball and let it rest for 90 minutes or so. Scored and baked for 40 minutes. When I sliced, it was RAW inside!
I cut some slices and put them on their sides in a 450 oven, along with the unsliced half loaf. After 25 minutes, it was still raw…like paste. I’ve never had this happen before with years of bread making. What wen wrong??? Thanks!
Hi Anne,
This is such a mystery, especially if you’ve baked it with success in the past. My typical response is to check the oven temperature with an oven thermometer and to make sure the loaf is cooled completely before cutting into it, but since you have experience with our method, you’d already have done this. Was the dough overly wet? Any other details that may help me figure out the issue?
Thanks, Zoë
Hi I love your books. I have been baking bread with your recipes for over 7 years. I am getting a professional convection oven and read Jeff uses one (in your FAQ). I would appreciate any insight on what type of convection oven is best for bread as there are different types of ovens
Thank you
Jackie
Jackie: my convection oven is circa 1993, so it’s relatively primative, with a single fan element at the back of the oven. As such, the “wind” comes from one place, and tends to brown the loaf unevenly. That said, I’ve found it useful when I’m having a hard time getting a loaf to brown, and so I use it selectively, in that situation. We didn’t test with convection because most of our readers don’t have one.
That said, a modern convection oven probably has multiple fans that more evenly apply moving air to the crust (which browns, and also speeds baking overall). So it may be worth experimenting with convection as your go-to method. You’ll most likely have to decrease baking time. 10%? 15% I’m not sure…
I thought I had tapioca flour, but I only had cassava flour. Is that a tolerable substitute? I’m assuming I will need to add more liquid since it has more fiber, but otherwise is it OK?
Hi Sara,
I have found that each of the flours have their own taste, texture and reaction to water, so I recommend making a small batch if you are using a flour I haven’t recommended and make sure you are happy with the results. I have not used cassava in our breads, but it isn’t a starch, like tapioca, so it will probably change the texture of the dough and bread.
Thanks, Zoë
Hi, I just started using your master recipe. I had a question regarding the bread scoring knife. Does it matter if it is a curved or straight razor? My home serrated knife does not score well.
Thanks
Hi Deb,
The most important thing is that the knife be very sharp, so it doesn’t drag through the dough. Here is a video on scoring: https://artisanbreadinfive.com/2015/08/31/how-to-slash-dough-video/
Thanks, Zoë
Thanks Zoe, any particular lame knife that you recommend?
Hi Deb,
They all use razor blades, so it doesn’t much matter which handle you choose. I sometimes just use the razor with no handle at all. Be sure to change the blade often.
Thanks! Zoë
I have the AB in 5 and love it! Been working my way through the book and I see all the recipes pretty much call for an initial 2 hour bulk rise at room temperature and then a 40 to 90 minute rest post shaping. My question: is there any danger of overproofing the dough in either of these two stages if the dough were “forgotten” and went way longer than these given times? In other words, how long is too long to rise/rest with your method?
Hi Janel,
The danger of over proofing would come on the second rise. If the dough rises too much, it will collapse when baking. The time that takes depends on the dough and the ambient temperature of the room it is rising in. The dough should be soft and slightly giggly, but still have some tension in the dough when it is proofed. If it looks like it is becoming slack, then it may have over proofed.
Thanks, Zoë
Can I substitute a “00” flour for breads and pizza and if so, what the other adjustments?
Hi Sue,
Yes, you sure can. You may need a couple extra tablespoons of water to get the right consistency in the dough.
Thanks, Zoë
I’m interested in making a yeast banana bread. Wondering if you’ve tried this, or if you think one of your recipes could be easily adapted. I use your New Artisan book all the time!
Hi Catherine,
You’re in luck, we actually have a whole wheat banana bread in our Healthy Bread book on page 371.
Cheers, Zoe
Hello! Many thanks for your wonderful bread books! I have a question regarding the bagel recipe on page 122 of your first book—the question wasn’t answered in the FAQ section. I would like to try adding raisins to these bagels but am unsure where in the process before baking to add them. Thanks for your help!
Hi Sharon,
You can either mix them in when you are making the dough or fold them into dough you already have made up. Here is a post that will help if you go with adding them to your refrigerated dough: https://artisanbreadinfive.com/2008/11/19/thanksgiving-cranberry-corn-bread-from-stored-no-knead-dough-and-announcing-a-winner-of-the-book-giveaway/
Thanks, Zoë
Hi Zoë,
Thanks so much for your reply—can’t wait to try the bagels with the raisins! I experienced a couple days ago and did Italian seasoning/Parmesan cheese as a topping, and a cinnamon/raw sugar combination for another—perfection! Thanks for a fantastic recipe that is so versatile.
Hi Sharon,
Those sound incredible!
Cheers, Zoë
Hi,
I have loved making loafs from the master recipe so far since I started a few months ago. But I find that every time I try to make a large one, the bottom middle part remains doughy and undercooked, even though the top already looks cooked with a deep brown color. I have double checked the oven temperature to be at 450F. should I try turning the temperature down at the end and cook longer?
Wei
Hi Wei,
Are you letting the dough rest longer before baking and baking it longer? Here is a post that may help: https://artisanbreadinfive.com/2012/03/20/how-to-make-a-2-pound-loaf/
Thanks, Zoë
Jeff, Zoe,
I would like to know your opinion/recommendation for determining when a bread is completely baked by measuring the internal temperature with an instant read thermometer. For example will a bead made with the master recipe be “done” when the temperature reaches 190 degrees F ?
Hi Alan,
Due to the high moisture of our dough, you’ll want a higher internal temperature. Here is a post that will give the range: https://artisanbreadinfive.com/2010/05/17/underbaked-not-baked-through-to-the-center-what-am-i-doing-wrong/
Thanks, Zoë
Thanx Zoe, We have a 3 year old Whirlpool stove/oven and the temperature varies more than 30 degrees during baking. I expect a lot of kitchen ovens do the same so it seems measuring internal temps is a very reliable method of determining when baking is complete. I measured oven temperature variabliity with an I Grill with the probe hanging from the middle oven rack. Your post was very helpful as always
Alan
Hi Alan,
So glad it was helpful. I’ve had ovens with the same issue, so I think you are absolutely right!
Enjoy, Zoë
I am working with a 6 qt polypropylene pail. What size hole should I drill in the lid to provide proper ventilation?
Thank you
Hi Jim,
About 1/16 of an inch will work without drying out the dough. It really can be tiny.
Thanks, Zoë
Hi!
I have my heart on making your Ten-Grain bread recipe from the Healthy Bread book. However, I am having problems finding one of the ingredients (Ten grain Hot Cereal (Bob’s Red Mill Brand) without paying a huge markup. Do you have suggestions for a substitute?
Thank you in advance.
Jonathan
Hi Jonathan,
I’ve since made it with other products that are similar, like a 5 or 8 grain cereal that I’ve found at the co-op. Anything with whole grains like that seem to absorb water similarly, just make sure it is a blend of grains. You may want to start with a half batch, just to make sure you like the results.
Thanks, Zoë
Hi,
In your GF book, it points of a website GFBreadin5.com and I can’t find it anywhere. Did the address change?
Thank you!
Hi Di,
All web addresses lead here, so you found it. Were you looking for something in particular?
Thanks, Zoe
Hi,
I am reading the directions for the GF European Peasant Bread (light whole grain). I am confused by the recipe. Am I using a combination of mixture #1 and #2 for the recipe or am I choosing to use one or the other?
Thank you!
Hi Di,
For that recipe, you will use both mixtures, to create a combination that is basically white and whole grain flours.
Thanks, Zoë
Can the Hawaiian Buns Recipe found online be made with the Gluten Free dough? I purchased 2 of your Gluten Free books for myself and my daughter but it doesn’t have this recipe included and I would like to try it if that’s an option. Does the GF book have all the recipes that are included in chapters of your previous books? Do you have any other recipes or social media feeds that focus on your gluten-free breads that I could follow?
I am not a skilled baker but have been very successful in using the recipes from your GF book. My family is impressed and enjoying the fruits of my labor.
Hi Monica,
I’m so glad you are enjoying the GF breads. We don’t have a GF version of the Hawaiian Buns on the site. Translating recipes to GF can be a bit of a challenge, since adding anything new to the dough can result in a gummy or overly dense bread. If you end up experimenting with any of our doughs, I suggest starting with a small batch to make sure you like the results.
Cheers, Zoë
Hello!
Thank you very much for your recipes!
I have a question about your panettone recipe from the recipe post “Panettone – The Sweet, Fruit Studded Christmas Bread!”. When I first combined the wet with the dry, the mixture was incredibly WET. I got afraid and added a couple of handfuls of flour. Once the breast “set”, it seemed too dense. It rose nicely, then I refrigerated it. It rose again in the refrigerator. I split the recipe into 4 and it made 4 lovely panettone. I wonder what might have happened had I just followed your recipe. Can you please tell me if it is a very wet dough that will come together nicely in the end?
Thank you so much. I was so happy with your recipe-it looks and smells delicious! (Haven’t tasted it yet-still cooling;)
Have a wonderful weekend!
Vicki Toner
Hi Vicki,
If you enjoyed the bread as it was, then stick with your modifications. Our dough is wet when you mix it because you are adding melted butter. Once the dough is refrigerated the butter hardens and the dough becomes more solid and easy to work with.
Enjoy, Zoë
Help! I screwed up. I was making the gluten-free all-purpose blend, and I was distracted and accidentally added 40 grams of yeast along with 40 grams of xanthan. :-(. I was going to make the Master Recipe dough for the boule, but I don’t know how much more yeast to add (or not add!!). Any suggestions?
Hi Bonnie,
You added yeast to the flour mixture? I would suggest you add half the yeast the recipe calls for and see what happens. It may take just a wee bit of extra time to rise, but that’s fine. I would also recommend you start off making a half batch of dough, so you can see if you are happy with the results and make adjustments the next time.
Thanks, Zoë
Thanks! It’s worth a try. I really don’t want to throw out all of those ingredients!
I’ve been using the original `Master’ and ‘Peasant’ loaves recipes for about 9 months now and have been generally more than pleased with the results. With Covid and isolation I have been buying Rogers all purpose flour at Costco (Canada) in the 50lb bags. What I’ve noticed is with this change is my dough is much wetter, and even following the instructions for handling and shaping, this dough is impossibly sticky. I mean, when I watch your video, your dough is not as wet as mine so I’d like to consider either lowering the amount of water or adding a bit more flour in the initial incorporation. The other issue that I find with this current mix is the scoring never comes out like I was expecting – but I think that this may be as much my lack of talent as the hydration level 🙂
Hi Dan,
It is very possible the new flour has a lower protein content, so it absorbs less water and has less structure. You can just add a bit more flour until you get the results you are happy with. Until you find that ratio, I would suggest making half batches.
Enjoy, Zoë
Hello ,
I was wondering why I need to heat up the stone when making focaccia. Do I need to have a stone ?
Also , I don’t really have a good baking pan that is round but I can use my Le Creuset …
Pleaes advise..
Hi Jan,
You don’t have to use a stone when using a pan. The stone just conducts heat well and helps the oven maintain a constant temperature, so it helps create an even bake. You can use a pie plate or a Dutch oven to bake in as well.
Thanks, Zoë
I am new- doc gave me the GF sentence 2 days ago. I have your great book GF Artisan Beads.
Questions : (1) Do you sell 4.5# bags of Mixture #1. Sure would save a lot of work for me (I am 80) (2) D you sell the Clay Baker for Boule’s, so that I don’t need external steam. (3) Do you sell the Baguette Pan. (4) will small aluminum roasting tray be ok for the boiling water when steam baking the baguettes.
Kind Regards – Patrick
Hi Patrick,
I’m glad you found our book and hope you enjoy all the bread! We do not sell anything retail, but you can find all of the flours and equipment in our Amazon store, which is located on the side margin of the website.
Thanks, Zoë
Sorry – Patrick Ager again. couple more questions: (5) I have a Kichenaid mixer with the paddle you show, with 4.5 quart bowl. Is that adequate, or will I have to make half-batches.
(6) Must the mix stay in the bowl, or can it be transferred to a plastic container,as you show in the hand mixing process.
Thanks again!! Pat Ager.
Hi Patrick,
You can use your mixer with the paddle, that will be great. You will want to transfer it after it is fully mixed.
Enjoy, Zoë
Hello! Absolutely loving the New Artisan Bread book. So far I’ve only done the master recipe boule loaf…yum! I have about 2-3 tbsps of dough left in my dough bucket that I would like to use for the “lazy sourdough” shortcut mentioned on p62, but I am a little confused how much water to add: the standard 3 cups for another master recipe batch or a little extra to water down my “old” dough?
Hi Jamie,
So glad you are enjoying the bread. Just dump the regular recipe right on top of the leftover dough and mix as usual.
Enjoy! Zoë
Hello! Love your recipes and ALL the books (die hard fan here). Would love to see a recipe for English muffins with maple syrup or a McGriddle copy-cat? Thanks guys
Hi Bethany,
So glad you are enjoying the bread. Here is an English muffin recipe you may enjoy: https://artisanbreadinfive.com/2013/11/01/english-muffins-on-the-stove-top-with-gold-medal-flour-and-red-star-yeast/
Thanks, Zoë
What is the best way to avoid a hard crust forming on dough stored in the fridge?
Thanks!
Hi Lucy,
You are leaving the container open too much. It should only be a hair width of a space to allow the gas to escape. You can try drizzling just a bit of water over the hard crust and let it soften.
Thanks, Zoë
is King Arthur brand of Sir Lancelot unbleached flour good for making artisan bread? thank you
Hi Florence,
That is a very high protein flour, so it will absorb more water than our recipes are written for. Here is a post that may help: https://artisanbreadinfive.com/2008/02/10/qa-flour-and-water/ Once you figure out the hydration it will make excellent bread.
Thanks, Zoë
Hi again, And thank you so much for taking questions! I am new to Bread in 5. Made my first basic batch and I do believe I need more experience with some of the issues I had. My question….I found my bread too salty for me. I don’t want to cut the salt in case that affects the ‘chemistry’ of what the dough is supposed to do.
What is the minimum of salt I can use?
(also, I used a cup and a half of whole wheat flour cause I read somewhere you can substitute 25 percent whole wheat in a recipe without any problems. It did seem to come out OK)
Thanks again! Betsy
Hi Betsy,
Here is information on salt: https://artisanbreadinfive.com/2008/02/10/qa-salt/
If you add whole grain flour to the recipe, you may need to add more water, because they tend to absorb more water than all-purpose flour. If you want whole grain bread, you may want to try this: https://artisanbreadinfive.com/2014/09/18/whole-grain-loaves-without-vital-wheat-gluten-and-highlights-from-the-mill-city-bread-festival/
Thanks, Zoë
I made my first batch yesterday. I used King Arthur’s flour. I don’t think I added enough water because the dough raised only half way up the 6 qt container I used. Is there any way for me to resurrect the dough!!!
Hi Judy,
Yes, you can add more water to the dough if you think it is too dry. Here is a guide for how much water to add to certain high protein flours like KAF: https://artisanbreadinfive.com/2008/02/10/qa-flour-and-water/
Thanks, Zoë
Is is possible to use “Fast Rise Yeast” in your Master Recipe?
Hi Mary,
Yes, you can use any kind of bread yeast for our dough.
Thanks, Zoe
Zoe,
I have a blue star oven like you, which I love but am having a hard time having things brown on the bottom like pie crust in the oven. Even the bottoms of my bread aren’t thank dark. I have the highest level blue star that they make. Do you have any suggestions? I have tried just about everything I can think of.
Thank you
Janet
Hi Janet,
Do you have a gas or electric oven? Let me know the model you are working with and if it has the stone or are you using an independent stone?
Thanks, Zoë
I have a gas oven. My oven is not independent, it is the whole stove. I have the high end one.
I have tried everything to get brown bottoms on my pie crust.
I never had a problem in my old cheap electric stove.
I love my blue star for everything else.
Well… we don’t do pie over here– suggestion– try asking over at ZoeBakes.com? … One of her pie recipes
The dough sticks to my hands so much that it is hard to shape well. In Zoe’s videos it seems that the dough is a lot less clingy. What’ the difference between her hands and mine?
Hi Zev,
Is this the video you are referring to: https://artisanbreadinfive.com/2017/04/16/new-video-shaping-the-ball-from-a-very-wet-dough/
If you haven’t seen this one, it may help. If your dough is much wetter than the dough in this video, then you may need to add more flour to the dough next time.
Thanks, Zoë
Do you have a 100% whole wheat brioche recipe? I just purchased your New healthy bread book in search of that option. Thank you.
In our testing, we found that the high-egg proportion in brioche led to a pretty dense result with 100% WW, so we decided not to include a recipe in the book– we didn’t think most readers would want that particular result. The whole wheat recipe for brioche in that book is more than 50% whole wheat though. As swaps for 100% WW Brioche, why don’t you try the !00% WW Challah (page 329), the dough from 100% WW Christmas Stollen (348), or the 100% Whole Grain Butterfat-and Yolk-Free Brioche (351). You can also try your own experiments pushing the egg proportion in these, to more closely appoximate the egginess of traditional brioche, but it’s going to take a lot of experimentation. In your experiments, if you’re getting too much density, try a shorter brioche, in other words a flatter one, which might help.
I have enjoyed working with my crock pot to bake bread. I place the dough ball on a floured piece of parchment paper and place the whole thing in the pot for 45 minutes. My questions relate to transferring to the oven for broiling.
1. Is 20 minutes to preheat the oven necessary before broiling? That seems too long.
2. Does the loaf stay on the parchment paper when broiling? I am afraid that the paper will catch on fire.
3. Where is the best place to place the oven rack for broiling?
Thanks for you help.
Which of our dough recipes are you using, from which book and page number?
How long should the dough be mixed in the mixer?
Which of our recipes are you working from, in which of our books / page number?
I’m using the classic recipe, the first recipe in the first chapter. My copy is misplaced, but it’s about 3 years old. I’m working from notes I made.
Assuming you mean our wheat-based book, the answer is– just until all the ingredients are mixed and uniform, and there are no dry patches.
Hi! My question is: why do the weights of water in the recipes of NABin5 not line up with the volumes?
This is for… Every page with a recipe, in New artisan bread in 5 first edition.
For example, the master recipe: 3 cups of water, or *680 g*?? On earth, at earth gravity, 3 US cups of water weighs 720 grams. That’s not a trivial amount or a rounding error to easy numbers like the flour weights being rounded to 5 or 10 grams for some reason. But your US weight is off by the same amount, and the hydration percentages you give seem to use these wrong weights as well.
So what do I use when modifying the recipes? If I add an extra quarter or third a cup for higher protein flours (per p.10), should I measure that by what a quarter or third a cup actually is, or using the same incorrect ratio as the recipes?
Thanks so much for taking the time! Been using your books since a professor introduced me to them a decade ago at a pizza party he hosted! Trying to improve beyond the basic master recipe now and hitting a wall.
If I could start from scratch, I wouldn’t use cup-measures at all, in any of my books–just metric weights, which would prevent this confusion. Unfortunately, that’s not the way U.S. bakers measured things in 2007, when I wrote the 1st book, and unfortunately, by and large, still. There is in fact rounding error, but there is also variability in commercially-available cup measures. To be very accurate, some authors use 8.2 (weight) ounces as the equivalence for a one-cup / 8 fluid ounce volume measure (not 8.0, which I chose for simplicity and easy math). The important thing is the hydration in the recipe– which is the ratio of the water’s weight (680 grams) to the flour’s weight (910 grams). That rounds out to 75% (it’s not a percentage of water in the total weight, it’s the ratio). Same for my US weight version of that recipe (24 ounces divided by 32 ounces is 75%). That 75% number for an all-purpose flour recipe is the real target here, for a dough that’s pretty wet–but not so wet that it won’t hold a shape. The US volume metrics are a nice round number which to approximates 75% hydration for most users who do scoop-and-sweep volumetric flour (see video for volume-measuring with flour at https://artisanbreadinfive.com/2010/04/28/how-we-measure-our-flour-using-the-scoop-and-sweep-method). If you have a scale, by all means use it rather than cup-measures. As for the adjustments you ask about, you don’t need to correct when using such a small amount.
Aaaaaah hahaha ok, so basically the weights came from weighing the water your cups were giving you (or vice versa) and not just from straight conversion of one to the other. That makes sense! Thanks so much for taking the time to answer so thoroughly and quickly!
np!