FAQs

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

I’ve enjoyed answering reader questions on our blog since 2007.  Click on any of the questions below– these are the ones that seem to be on a lot of bakers’ minds.  If you’re having a problem with one of the recipes, breeze through these FAQs first. If you can’t find an answer there, click on any “Comments” field adjoining a “post” here on the website (doesn’t have to be related to the content underneath). Tell me which book you’re working from, and which recipe and page number, and ask your question. I’ll answer, right under your question (or maybe a few below), within a day or so. Please understand that I can’t write back directly to you–there’ve been tens of thousands of questions here on the site, and I want other readers to benefit from the conversation. 

And please understand that my publisher would disown me if I put all our full-detail recipes here on the website or in the comment responses. This site is mainly a way of reaching out to readers, and supporting them as they work on recipes that appear in the published books.

If the list of FAQs below doesn’t get you the answer you need, try the Search Bar. On the Home Page, it’s right over the picture of the bread. In narrower displays, it sometimes appears right underneath the orange BreadIn5 logo. Type in the bread style, ingredient, or technique that you’re interested in, and the search engine will show you all the similar posts I’ve ever done on it, with recipes and answers to many questions.    –Jeff

  1. BreadIn5.com is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, BreadIn5 LLC earns an affiliate commission.
  2. Comments policies: I posted a comment to this site but it hasn’t appeared. What happened? Can I put up links to other sites?
  3. Contest and Giveaway Rules
  4. Convection oven: Any adjustment needed?
  5. Dense or gummy crumb: What am I doing wrong?
  6. Flour varieties: Do I need to adjust the liquids when I use different kinds of white flour?
  7. Freezing the dough: Can I do it?
  8. Fresh-ground grains: can I use them with this method?
  9. Gluten-Free Frequently Asked Questions (GF FAQs)
  10. Gray color on my dough: Is there something wrong? Is it mold?
  11. High-altitude baking: How do I adjust the recipes for high-altitude?
  12. Incorporating dried fruit, nuts, or herbs into stored dough: How do I do it?
  13. Larger loaves/multiple loaves: What adjustments are needed?
  14. Left the dough on the counter overnight! Can I still use it?
  15. The scoop-and-sweep method for measuring flour by volume: How it was done when testing these recipes
  16. Missing instructions and missing recipes: Some of the web-based recipes don’t have everything I need to make the bread, and others are missing from the website altogether
  17. Nutrition content: How can I calculate it?
  18. Photographs: Can I post pictures to this website?
  19. Privacy Policy
  20. Refrigerator rise trick: The formed loaves or rolls rise overnight and are ready for the oven the next day
  21. Rising: My shaped loaves don’t seem to rise much before it’s time for the oven.  What am I doing wrong?
  22. Salt: Can I decrease the amount of salt in the recipes?  How do I adjust for different kinds of salt?
  23. Sourdough starter: Can I use it with this method?
  24. Steam alternatives: How do I create a steam environment for a great crust when my oven doesn’t trap steam well?
  25. Stone broke! What did I do wrong?
  26. Storing bread: What’s the best way to do it?
  27. Traditional recipes: How can they be converted to the ABin5 method?
  28. Underbaked! My loaf didn’t bake through to the center.  What am I doing wrong?
  29. Web or other uses: Can I use your recipes on my own website, in my class, or in a publication?
  30. Weighing ingredients instead of using cup measures: How do you do it?
  31. Whole grain flours and vital wheat gluten: How do you use them?
  32. Whole grain flours and doughs without vital wheat gluten: How do those work?
  33. Yeast: Can it be decreased in the recipes?
  34. Health questions posted here over the years

Note: BreadIn5.com is reader supported. When you buy through links on the site, BreadIn5 LLC earns commissions.

3,920 thoughts to “FAQs”

  1. Hello Zoe,

    I noticed in the video for “healthy bread…” you used parchment paper to transfer the loaf to the pizza stone. Can you do this with any/all of the bread recipes? I have arthritis and carpal tunnel and I just can’t get the bread on and off the peel without making a mess in the oven. I end up with corn meal EVERYWHERE! Please help.

    Reply

    1. Hi Anna,

      Yes, you sure can and it really does save your oven from getting covered with cornmeal. We give this option throughout the Healthy Bread book.

      Thanks, Zoë

      Reply

      1. Leslie, it’ just slows down the process. If you’re not getting the rise you’re looking for, just lengthen the resting-rising times accordingly. Jeff

      2. Hi,
        I want to make crisp Lavoch. The receipe in the first book seems to be for a soft lavoch. Is this just a matter of cooking it longer? Loves the recent class at Cooks with Zoe–my daughter and I are baking like crazy. Thanks.

      3. Judy: Roll it thinner, and bake a little longer if neccesary, like any of our cracker recipes in the books.

  2. The Bialys were SO good, but I had a problem getting the tops to brown. After about 18 mins I finally yanked them because I was afraid they would overcook. Could it have something to do with the pan I used for the water underneath stopping the circulation of air? What can I try next time? Maybe I need to cook it at a higher heat because my oven temp is off?

    Reply

    1. Hi Eric,

      Are you using an oven thermometer? It could be that your oven is running a bit cool. Having said that, the bialy I was raises on were pale. I like them with a bit of color, but that isn’t the tradition I grew up with.

      Cheers, Zoë

      Reply

      1. Just realized I goofed and used bleached flour. Could that be why? Funny that I thought mt dough was too dry not too wet so I used 1/2 cup less for a half recipe.

      2. Hi Eric,

        The dough should still work, but it will be interesting to see the difference when you try it with unbleached flour.

        Thanks, Zoë

      3. I moved my baking stone up a level in my oven and also raised the temp to 475 and they came out great! This batch I didnt flatten them enough so they came out like bagels, but I think I like them even better that way. I didnt bother with the cornmeal. I just flattened them on the counter with some flour under them so they didnt stick and then just put them on the stoneware. For the topping I just used dried onions reconstituted with hot water.

      5. Didnt notice any difference using the unbleached flour except for one thing. The dough did not rise nearly as much. Im using the same yeast, but I am using a new container. With the bleached flour I used a 4qt container and made 1/2 recipe and it rose to the point it almost pushed the lid off. With a full 6 1/2 cup recipe and a new 8qt container it ended up only filling it 1/2 way. Seems like I almost have the same amount of dough with 3 cups as with 6. Cant be the flour can it?

      6. Eric: Just doesn’t make sense to me– should get more rise from unbleached (has a little more protein). Not sure about why looks different in the container. Main question is the result. If it’s over-dense, something’s wrong. If not, then you’re OK. Jeff

    2. How many bialys should I get out of a full recipe? I think maybe I started making them bigger because I enjoyed them big and puffy like the size of a bagel so thats probably why. I got 11 out of this last batch.

      Reply

      2. I only got 8 out of my third batch and the dough seemed to really deflate more than the normal amount. After the initial rise I know it deflates alot about halfway. This batch deflated to about 1/4 of the original size. It seems to have continued to deflate over the few days since I made it. What could cause this?

      1. Ah. For bagels, use high-protein flour (bread flour) as in that first book. Rather than the Master Recipe.

      2. The bialys come out great with the master recipe. Thats not the issue. I want to know what could cause the volume of dough to vary greatly from one batch to the next. The 1st batch with bleached flour came out great. The next with unbleached flour have each gotten dramatically smaller.

  3. My kids love the Hawaiian Sweet Bread you can buy at the store. Is there a recipe in the Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day that I can use to make our own Hawaiian Sweet Bread? How do I tweak it to make it as similar as possible?

    Thank you so much!

    Reply

    1. Hi Danielle,

      This is a bread that I have been meaning to make, so I will check into it and let you know! Thanks for the idea.

      Cheers, Zoë

      Reply

  4. I’m looking for a recipe for sissel bread. It’s a variant of a sour dough rye bread (with onions) made and sold in the Northeast US. Searching google turns up nothing promising.

    Reply

    1. Sissel, as I understand it, is just another term for light rye, which is bran-depleted rye, so more like a “white” rye. Light rye is what’s typically rye used in American deli-style or Jewish rye bread. I tend to use the darker rye in our rye breads. Just get some light rye and you’ll be set. You can use light rye (sissel) in the recipe for rye in our first book. Jeff

      Reply

  5. I’ve been making your bread for a couple months now and my husband is loving it. And while I like it, I have a weakness for those delightfully crusty-on-the-outside-fluffy-on-the-inside baguettes I can get from the store. This bread is quite a bit more dense. Am I doing something wrong, or is there a way to alter this recipe to result in a fluffier bread, without sacrificing the awesome crust?

    Reply

    1. Hi Chelsea,

      The crumb on our bread is going to be denser than a Frech baguette. The wet dough produces a different texture. You can play with using a flour with less gluten, like bleached flour, this tends to make a slightly more delicate crumb. If you do that, you may want to use slightly less water as well.

      Thanks, Zoë

      Reply

  6. hello–i am wheat free for allergy purposes–feel great but want bread. i have your book but want to know what flours i can use to avoid wheat, barley, and rye. i can get bobs red mill products and others. please help. thanks. jp

    Reply

  7. Hello,
    I want to begin using only sprouted flours, would you please tell me what adjustments I would need to make, if any, using ABin5?
    Thanks so much,
    Rachel

    Reply

    1. Rachel: Haven’t used sprouted flours, but I’m guessing that you’ll be in good shape if you keep the sprouted grains to less than about 15-20% of the dry ingredient and you should be fine, dial up the vital wheat gluten if you’re finding it heavy.

      Which of our books do you have? Jeff

      Reply

      1. I have Artisan Bread in five minutes a day – and love it! I just recently read about the difference in nutrition and chemical make up of sprouted flours, and although expensive, am determined to switch over.
        Thanks for having this website, it’s a blessing.
        Rachel

  8. This is a storage question: I want to bake some bread to take to a friend (bread to be baked day before). I’m worried about the bread becoming chewy or dried out if I put it in a plastic ziploc for transportation (2-hour car ride). What should I put the bread in to keep it fresh but still have a crisp outside and tender inside? Thank you!

    Reply

    1. Sherry: For a two-hour car ride, not much protection is needed. The crust will preserve best if you do NOT use a plastic bag or other sealed container. Leave them loose, or in paper (but even paper may soften the crust).

      Reply

      1. Thanks! I should’ve been a little more clear — I’m not worried necessarily about the 2-hour car ride, but the fact that I will be baking it the day before and then transporting it in the car. I’m going to just wing it and hope for the best. I think I’ll leave it out after it’s baked, uncovered, and then the next day put it on a plate or cover it with parchment (cut with a slit). Really appreciate your response!

  9. Love your New Pizza Book.. ? re one of the recipes.. I want to try to make the Pita bread and the recipe says to use a LEAN DOUGH .. I am not sure I understand what dough it is talking about.. can you clarify that for me

    Thanks..

    Reply

    1. Hi Renita,

      You can really use any of the doughs between pages 59 and 95. “Lean dough” just means it doesn’t have any eggs, dairy or a large portion of oil/fats.

      Thanks and enjoy the book! Zoë

      Reply

  10. I just got the new book. I went directly to look for pita. Found it BUT I can’t find the recipe for Lean Dough. It’s supposed to be somewhere between pgs 59 to 95. I have flipped thru the pages dozens of times and can’t find Lean Dough just a lot of pizzas. Then I looked in the index and see no mention of Lean Dough. Please direct me to that recipe. I really wanted the book to make pita. I’m perfectly happy wit the pizza I make now and don’t need those recipes.
    Thanks.
    Terry

    Reply

    1. Terry: There’s no recipe for “lean” dough, it’s just a category. All the doughs in that page range fit the bill; there’s minimal shortening (oil or butter) and minimal sweetener. As opposed to “enriched” dough. Jeff

      Reply

    2. Terry: There’s no recipe for “lean” dough, it’s just a category. All the doughs in that page range fit the bill; there’s minimal shortening (oil or butter) and minimal sweetener. As opposed to “enriched” dough. Jeff

      Reply

  11. Please let me know WHERE you will be at when your Book Tour in Washington DC on Dec.7, 2011. I would like my books signed.

    Thank you 🙂

    Reply

    1. Hi Minh,

      We are not quite sure where we will be in D.C. Yet, but will update the events page as soon as we have any details.

      Thanks, we look forward to meeting you! Zoe

      Reply

  12. I’ve tried the soft whole wheat sandwich bread twice and both times one side of the loaf burst open, while the other side is perfect. It still tastes great but I’d like to get it completely perfect. I noticed this recipe doesn’t call for slitting the bread, could this be the problem? What do you think

    Reply

    1. Hi Anne,

      If you slit the top of the bread it will open in a more controlled way, that is more attractive. You can also try letting the loaf rest a touch longer, but breads want to rise and that often means it will crack open the top crust.

      Thanks! Zoe

      Reply

    1. Chuck– can’t verify the medical claims so can’t re-publish here. All I can tell you is that if you want to avoid pesticides and GMO in your bread, only option is organic flour… and practically speaking, the only way to get that is to bake it yourself. Jeff

      Reply

  14. I just read your Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day and am eagerly making bread. What is different about baking these loaves in a closed dutch oven vs the open oven with steam – the wet dough is similar in both methods. Also, when I just baked my first boule, I forgot to cut slashes in the top and it didn’t crack. Is it important to do the slashes for any other reason – does the heat get to the center of the bread better that way? Thank you for your great book!!

    Reply

    1. Cathy: Slashes are really for appearance, I’m not convinced that the bread gets done any more effectively. Some ovens don’t trap steam well and in those, the Dutch Oven yields better results. Jeff

      Reply

  15. Please advise me as to weather “Amaranth” can be added to any of your bread receipts, and if so, how, or does it appear in any of your receipt’s. Love your reciepts, and any info will be greatly appreciated Thank for your help, and most especially for your books.

    Reply

    1. John: We haven’t tried amaranth, but from what I know of it, you can probably use about 15% to 20% in a recipe, where the rest is white flour. Maybe whole wheat, but then you’ll need vital wheat gluten. Which book are you using? Jeff

      Reply

  16. I made doughnuts with pumpkin pie brioche dough this morning and even though I’m familiar with the Artisan/Healthy Bread in 5 method, I was STILL blown away by how easy and delicious they were. I was wondering if you’ve ever tried making a HBI5 version of apple cider doughnuts?

    Reply

    1. Hi Suzy,

      I was just talking about making doughnuts out of the pumpkin brioche yesterday! I have been thinking about making an apple dough for this very reason, but haven’t yet.

      Thanks, Zoë

      Reply

  18. Hi Zoe and Jeff! I have a couple of questions. The first is about freezing the uncooked dough. I’ve currently a batch of your whole wheat brioche chilling in my fridge and I noticed that you have the option of freezing the dough in 2 lb. batches. How exactly do I do that? Wrap in plastic wrap? Air tight container?? I tried looking in the book but I cannot find anything about it.
    Next, some of the recipes call for 1 1/2 lb. portions of the dough. What can be done with the extra 1/2 lb of dough I have left over (since most batches are for 2 lb loaves)? Thanks for all your help 🙂 🙂

    Reply

    1. Hi Jamie,

      You want to wrap the dough in plastic zip lock bags. I usually do it in two, so the dough doesn’t pick up any flavors from the freezer.

      I use the extra dough to make doughnuts/beignets! 🙂

      Thanks, Zoë

      Reply

  19. I just made the Cinnamon-Raisin Bread from the first book for Sunday brunch company. It smells and looks fantastic. But unfortunately my company was about to leave so I had to send it home with them instead.

    I love being able to entertain with fresh bread, something I never would have considered without using your stored-dough method. And I’m generally able to do it – an hour and 40 minutes after I get home I have bread on the table.

    This recipe takes longer, though. Starting from refrigerated dough, preparing two loaves, proofing, baking, and cooling takes a little over three hours. While it’s worthwhile effort, on a Sunday morning it’s more than I’m willing to do.

    My question is this: can I shift some of the time and effort to the night before, or must I just bake the night before?

    For example, if I roll out the bread the night before can it proof overnight in the loaf pan (left out, or in the refrigerator)? Or can the unformed dough rest at room temp overnight so that a short rest suffices after rolling in the morning, as you suggest for handling fresh, unrefrigerated dough?

    Reply

    1. Hi Noa,

      Yes, we highly recommend that you form the dough the night before, place it in the greased pan, cover loosely with plastic and refrigerate. In the morning you can place it on the counter while you are preheating the oven and then bake it, even if it isn’t completely warmed through. It will have risen slowly over the 8 to 10 hours of refrigeration.

      Here is a video about handling wet dough: https://artisanbreadinfive.com/2010/03/08/new-video-shaping-the-ball-from-a-very-wet-dough

      Thanks, Zoë

      Reply

  20. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my “Artisan Breads in Five Minutes” cookbook!! I bake a lot of bread to give as gifts and am looking for an attractive way to give the bread away. So far I can’t find paper bags that are the right size. Any ideas?

    Reply

      1. Thanks Zoe! I checked out the link. The bags are really cute.
        I’m making buttermilk bread and breakfast sunflower bread today.
        Stacie

  21. hi! so it took a snow storm in october here in virginia for me to discover you and your books yesterday! better late than never! even though i ordered the books today on amazon i didn’t want to wait until i got them to make my first loaf, so i found the recipe for the rosemary flax baguette on the web and now have the dough sitting on the counter! one question though – does it matter whether you use the rapid rise yeast or just the regular active yeast? this may be covered in the books, but i was curious. i had packets of the rapid rise and used that so hopefully it will be fine. i now know what a bunch of people on my christmas list will be getting this year 🙂 thank you!

    Reply

  22. I posted this question to Twitter but I haven’t had much success using Twitter so I thought I’d ask here as well: In ABin5, p 100-101, the recipe for Oatmeal Pumpkin bread: the blurb before the recipe refers to using leftover oatmeal, but the ingredients call for old fashioned oats. There are no instructions to cook the oats, but step 4 says to “mix in the oatmeal” – which to me, is something different from dry oats. Am I supposed to cook the oats first? If not, may I recommend correcting it in later editions to say “mix in oats” to avoid confusion?

    Reply

  23. I purchased your book “Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day” and have made page 53 recipe 3 times with the same disappointing result. The dough will not rise either in proofing stage or in oven. My Red Star yeast is good until Oct. 2012 & I increased the amount slightly each time. What can I do? Thanks for your help!

    Reply

    1. Hi Dianne,

      Does the dough rise at all?

      Have you watched any of our videos to see if your dough is the same consistency as ours? if your dough is much wetter or too dry, it may not behave well.

      Are you baking at high altitude?

      Thanks, Zoe

      Reply

  24. No, I’m not in high alt. And yes, your videos are very informative. My texture looks the same as yours, & a handful pulls out of my container w/o being very sticky. I’ll buy new pkg of yeast as it really isn’t rising at all. Perhaps my OLD Tupperware container is the wrong thing to use? I leave the lid on w/just small opening. Thanks

    Reply

  26. hi,i am type II diabetic and when i use only white flour my sugar count soars. with this in mind which of your artisan bread books would be best for me to buy??? thanks,bob

    Reply

  27. Hi,

    My post must have been thought of as rude, because it didn’t get posted or answered. Let me try again. My bread (the basic recipe) needs more flavor. The crust is great, the rise is now great (I had to fool with it for high altitude), but I am not getting a very complex taste. It tastes like something I can make with a bread machine. How can I give the bread more flavor (more BREAD flavor, not adding herbs etc.) Thanks! I am not trying to be rude. Just trying to improve my bread.

    Reply

    1. Barbara: Try aging the dough for longer– stagger your batches so you never have younger than 3 days old. Also, try incorporating a handful of “old” dough from the prior batch into your new batch, and never wash the container unless you’re making something with eggs or dairy.

      Also, I answered your question, go back to where you posted and check. Jeff

      Reply

  28. Hi ,
    I bought your book “Healty bread in five minutes a day”. It’s very nice, I love it but I have a question. In my country (in Türkiye) the vital wheat gluten is not sold in the markets so is there any substitution for this you could tell me?
    Thanks

    Reply

    1. Nese: So glad you found the book, where is it sold in Turkey? Other readers have asked.

      Unfortunately there’s no substititute for VWG— have you tried mail order from the UK? Jeff

      Reply

      1. Hi Jeff
        I bought it from amazon, unfortunately any bookstore is selling these books yet. I will try UK.

  29. Now I’m baking loaves from my second batch of dough from your first book. When I slash the loaf before baking in either a cross or tic tac toe pattern the points where the slashes cross curl up like leaves during the baking, and frequently burn. Why? I’ve tried making my slashes deeper and shallower than 1/4″ and it doesn’t seem to matter. Is my dough too dry? Too wet? I try to be careful about the rising and baking times and the temperature. Also, I’ve taken photos of one of the loaves to show what I’m talking about, but I’m not very knowlegable about facebook & can’t figure how to send them from my computer to your facebook page, but have posted them on my facebook page. Can I send them from my page to yours somehow? Nancy, the old granny.

    Reply

    1. Hi Nancy,

      Are you using an oven thermometer? Maybe your oven is too hot?

      We will check on why the photos aren’t uploading on Facebook.

      Thanks, Zoe

      Reply

      1. Zoe, Thanks for your response. Yes, I do use an oven thermometer & have for years. Right now I’m in a new (to us) house that has a 43 year old oven. So the first thing I did after burning my first try using the oven (not bread) was to put in an oven thermometer. According to that, my oven cooks about +25F, therefore I have compensated by reducing the temp setting by 25d. However, I did notice that during the baking of your bread recipe, the oven does not quite get to 450d. I’m hesitant to raise the temp again. So maybe I’ll just hang in there till we remodel the kitchen & replace the oven (in the near future). Nancy

  30. Well I have to tell you about the adventures in bread! I have very much enjoyed the recipes (and messing with them!). I started with the Master Recipe in ABin5. Very good! I then tried it using a local Wheat beer (Boulevard Wheat,Kansas City,MO) in place of the water. That was quite good too!
    My latest try is with the Soft American-Style White recipe. I added two cups of sourdough starter to it. Crust was wonderful!! Very tender crumb and great sourdough taste. The last one I did was to sub the water for apple juice and I again added sourdough stater. I also added a couple of tablespoons of dry milk powder.
    I have to say this was very good sort of sweet and still a hint of the sourdough! With a bit of honey-butter that a friend likes to mix up it was a nice dinner bread.

    I also found that I have been baking my bread in a 6inch iron skillet that I found a few weeks ago. I put a bit of bacon grease on the bottom and it makes a wonderful crust on the bottom!

    Thanks for the great books! I am having a great time with them! (My Wife seems to like the goodies I keep baking up too!)

    Dave

    Reply

  32. Hi! I made the Soft American-Style White Sandwich Bread recipe from the first book and it turned out great the first day! But I stored the dough overnight in the same way that I store the master dough and it was so dry the next day that the dough didn’t rise during resting. The bread turned out flatter and denser than before. Should I be making all of the loaves on the first day from now on? Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Selena: No, that should be storable. What kind of flour are you using, how are you measuring? Sounds like you just need more liquid (for some reason). Drier doughs can’t be stored. Jeff

      Reply

      1. Thanks for responding! I used unbleached all-purpose flour and I measured with the scoop-and-sweep method. It made beautiful bread the first day, just not the second or third day.

  33. Selena: Our results are a little denser after the 1st day, but not much. Some people just prefer it earlier in the cycle, and that might be you— go with your preference… Jeff

    Reply

  34. Hi, I want to try the soft whole wheat sandwich bread, particularly for use as hamburger rolls, but I’m not a fan of honey with my whole wheat breads–will omitting the 1/2 cup of honey from the recipe be problematic? Thanks (and I just love the whole grain rye bread)!

    Reply

  35. Hello!

    I just made the dough for the Vollkornbrot and am very excited to bake it tomorrow. I am German and really miss this kind of bread here in the US.

    In your book it says to put it in loaf pan, then to preheat the oven with the pizza stone and to place the loaf on the rack. Do I need a pizza stone at all if the dough is in a loaf pan?

    Also, I do have a dual fuel stove. Which mode would work better, convection, convection bake or regular bake?

    Thank you both for such a great book!

    PS: Found rye berries at http://www.nutsonline.com

    Reply

    1. Kerstin: Could drop the stone when making a loaf pan bread. Try the regular bake first and see what you think– experiment from there. Jeff

      Reply

  36. Just received King Arthur flour catalogue and they have starters for rye and sourdough. Can we incorporate these in your recipies

    Reply

  37. Hello!

    I just made the first recipe out of the book (100% whole wheat sandwitch bread) but it turned out very bitter!!! 🙁 What did I do wrong?..
    Any help is appreciated..

    Thank you

    Svetlana

    Reply

    1. Hi Svetlana,

      Sometimes whole wheat flour can go rancid and it has the bitter flavor you have described. You should check your bag of flour and make s ure it still is fresh. You may also prefer the taste of white whole wheat?

      Thanks, Zoe

      Reply

  38. Have you ever tried coconut oil in any of your recipes calling for melted butter or oil? I like to use it in pie crust and other things, but didn’t know how it would work in bread. I am going to try the pumpkin pie brioche next and would use it there.

    Reply

  39. Loved your book, Healthy Breads in 5 minutes. Do you ever use a bread maker? I have noticed that Zojirushi now can bake artisan type breads, so I am curious.
    Carla

    Reply

  40. Hi, I am loving all the fresh bread I am baking and am very grateful to have found such a wonderful method and so many incredible recipes. I just baked 2 loaves of the Oat Flour Bread from AB in 5, and for some reason, they both emerged from the oven with these growth-like bubbles jutting out of the top of the loaves toward the side, sort of like the loaf split and expanded at the top side of it–this happened with both loaves. I used the size pan recommended in the book and rested the dough as recommended, baked at the appropriate temp and used steam. Any ideas of what I did wrong? I’d love to know. Thanks!

    Reply

    1. I am having the same problem with just the regular white bread from the AB in 5, we love the taste, I can’t bake enough loaves 🙂 but they all come out looking like they have a growth. I flour the top and score the bread but still get this thing growing out of my bread! I would love to make a nice round loaf for once!

      Reply

  41. Thanks for the tip regarding the boule, but my bread is baked in a loaf pan. I rested the Oatmeal Flour Bread dough in the pan for 1 hour 40 minutes as indicated in the recipe, and both loaves I baked came out with this ‘growth’ on them, ironically on the same side. Is there any difference for loaf pans?

    Reply

    1. Hi Lisa,

      Sorry about that. The only way to prevent this from happening is to slash the loaf down the center. This will cause the bread to open up more regularly. Give that a try and see if you are happier with the result.

      Thanks, Zoë

      Reply

  42. I know you have the most experience with the King Arthur gluten-free flours for your gluten-free bread. Have you used Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour mix? May I substitute this mix for the total amount of flour in your master gluten-free recipe or will I need to make some adjustments.

    Thanks so much for your passion and generosity!

    Reply

    1. Hi Hunter,

      We generally mix our own special blend of flours. I have not tried the Bob’s Red Mill product, so I’m not sure how it will work out. If you do try it, let me know what you think.

      Thanks, Zoë

      Reply

  43. I bake bread quite a lot. Do you have a stand mixer or two you can recommend? Hoping not to break the bank but if would make life easier.

    Reply

    1. Hi Heather,

      I have a kitchenAid mixer that I have had for over 20 years. I love it, but I’m not sure if the ones made today are as sturdy?

      Thanks, Zoë

      Reply

      1. They are highly rated but very expensive. I am not sure I want to spend close to $300 dollars for a mixer. Have you heard of any other good ones?

      2. Hi Heather,

        I don’t know of any stand mixers that are inexpensive and strong enough to last. You may check on Craigslist? If I hear of another brand that people like I’ll let you know.

        Thanks, Zoë

  44. Is it possible to freeze the sticky carmel nut buns or the cinnamon crescents, either after shaping but before baking, or after baking? These look great for the morning, but I dont want to get up early enough to shape, let rest, and bake in time for breakfast!

    Reply

    1. Hi Sue,

      We recommend that you shape them, put them in the pan and loosely cover with plastic, refrigerate overnight and then bake in the morning. They will have risen over night, so you can bake them first thing in the morning. Don’t freeze if you want them ready for the next morning.

      Thanks, Zoë

      Reply

      1. Thanks.
        If I want to have them ready for next week, for example, could I shape them and freeze them, then take them out the night before to thaw and bake in the morning? Or would I let them rise before freezing?

  45. I am absolutely amazed by your first book. I have never been able to make bread this easy or tasting so great. The only issue I’m having occasionally is that sometimes my baked loaves seem to have a center crumb that is a bit darker in color and has an odd smell, I’m guessing the smell is a yeast smell maybe? It’s usually in the center of a slice and doesn’t happen all the time. What could be causing this?

    Reply

  46. I’m interested in buying your first book, but was wondering if it has been converted into metric measurements for any of the international publications. I’m American but now live in Germany and have become more comfortable baking by weight. Thank you.

    Reply

  47. Hi,

    We have your book and noticed vital wheat gluten is necessary is every recipe.

    Can’t seem to find it in Melbourne, Australia. Any suggestions? Thanks heaps!

    Reply

  48. Hi Jeff,

    Another post from me. I left my dough in the fridge longer to improve flavor, as you suggested, and that did help a little.

    I also tried a no-knead recipe from Cooks Illustrated, and I got a little more “flavor” from the dough. Would it be safe for YOUR recipe to add a little milk, in place of some of the water (as a “starter”)and leave it out for 12-24 hours, and then mix and follow your instructions from there?

    Also, I am at high altitude, and I have made the changes you recommend (but I weigh the flour, thanks to your video, so that I get the right amount per cup <—that changed everything for the better!).

    I was wondering, as I normally use regular yeast at this altitude, even when fast is called for, because fast usually crashes here. What yeast (rapid/regular) do you recommend for high altitude? I used regular with your recipe, and it worked, but on baking day, it took a LONG time to rise (and was still a little heavy, which could have been from the yeast choice or the waiting a little over a week to make the bread. However, it didn't crash either, so, what is your expert opinion on high altitude and yeast? Thanks in advance for your reply.

    Thanks for your help!!!

    Reply

  49. Hi there! I am really excited to buy your “Healthy Bread…” book, but noticed on Amazon that one reviewer mentioned a stand mixer. We do not have a stand mixer, just a hand mixer and a food processor. Will we still be able to use your method/recipes? (our hand mixer is fairly sturdy, 55 years old, but only has beaters no other options… and it’s too heavy to hold up for very long)

    I’m hoping to get this for my husband for Christmas, since he’s expressed an interest in learning how to bake bread. I think it would be so fun for our family. 🙂

    Thanks for you help!

    Reply

    1. Hi Nicole,

      I’m not sure what the reviewer was referring to? We don’t require a mixer for any of our breads. In fact, we suggest using a large bowl or container, so there is less to clean up.

      Thanks, Zoë

      Reply

      1. Thank you so much, Zoe!

        It’s great to see there is a such a wonderful community on your site, and that you are really here to help people out. I think it’s a truly rare and wonderful thing how you make yourselves available.

        🙂 Nicole

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