Dept. of Glorious Failure

[kaffy_r]

Yeast is Yeast, and My Bread Killed It

I have just made the most spectacularly bad bread I have made in decades.

It's oatmeal bread. I have never before made oatmeal bread, and I decided to do it this afternoon in the wake of recovering from a remarkably bad migraine.

I knew as soon as I started kneading it that it wasn't going to rise.

When I got them out of the oven, I laughed so hard I cried. So did Bob. It did wonders for our mood.  And the bread doesn't taste bad.

But man, it's spectacularly bad.

Comments

[smartie56.livejournal.com]

Have you tried putting baking soda into it as well? My breads usually puff up nicely with this combo.

[kaffy_r]

I haven't done that, but I can see how it would help. What would also help, of course, ws if I hadn't put as much flour in as I did. And perhaps a little more yeast and warm water. Heh.

[ljgeoff.livejournal.com]

I beg to differ. It made wonderful french toast.

Oatmeal makes a very sticky dough. I always have trouble with sticky doughs because I add too much flour to them and then they're too dense.

[kaffy_r]

Bingo! Precisely! (But I'm glad it made good french toast!

[viomisehunt.livejournal.com]

Oh--never tried Oatmeal bread, but the ratio has got to be different. Did you try yeast and warm milk, and perhaps a little more yeast. Are eggs in the recipi?

[kaffy_r]

I stuck to the recipe and used warm-to-hot water, although I did try to use a little more yeast. The recipe didn't call for eggs, either; the regular white bread recipe I use does use eggs. I think I put too much flour in, and didn't let the yeast bloom for long enough before mixing it in with everything else.