Bread making?!
Answers: I want to make my own bread but I can't get my crust to be like it comes from a bakery. Does anyone have any tips for me on how to get crust that is golden and crusty not soft? Also any ideas on how to improve the texture? Thanks!
To make a bread like bakery you should use a oven with vapour. At home you can try to put a baking sheet on oven, nearly of fire, and let that for a couple of minutes. Put the bread on oven then pour water at baking sheet, close and let bake.
Get a Good Crust on Rustic Breads
Slash the top of the bread dough, put steam in the oven, watch the temperature and don't forget the salt ! For more information, go to Sourdough & Sponge Starters 101.
Doughs used to make rustic breads, such as French bread, sourdough or an Italian-style loaf, typically have crispy outside crusts. It is a wonderful contrast to the bread's insides, which are soft and porous with small holes throughout, as in the case with French bread, or chewy as in the Sourdough bread. But, how do you get a good flavorful, well-browned crispy crust ?
There are several tips below, but the main ones are to use baking or pizza stone or tiles and to create stem in the oven during the first 5 - 10 minutes. Rustic breads that we buy in the store, are made with a commercial hearth oven, which creates the perfect environment during baking, critical to a crispy crust. Steam allows the yeast to work a little longer in the dough and this, combined with a hot baking surface, produces an extra push of volume. In addition, steam coagulating the starch on the surface of the dough gives the crust its characteristic brown color.
The properties of a good oven include thick baking stones heated with gas fire for more even heat distribution. The oven should have heating elements at the top. They also have steam tubes which deliver large amounts of steam, necessary for a rustic crust. It is difficult to fully replicate the effects of a commercial hearth oven at home, but we can come somewhat close:
Sorry to say, but it's virtually impossible. I've tried making bread at home and it never compares to how it turns out in a professional oven. We use a $60k Combi oven at my school and it's beautiful. There are tons of little hints and tips out there, but they're all pretty much BS.
Beat one egg white (large) and 1 Tbsp water in small bowl with a fork. Brush over loaves. Make 3 diagonal cuts 1/8" deep across top of each loaf after rising. You will get a "French Bread" crust. 375 for 45 min.
This recipe was given to me by an Aunt of mine and since then I have been making wonderful breads.
5cups flour
1pack instant yeast
1/4 stick of butter
1tbsp sugar
salt(optional).
Method.
*Knead butter into flour with sugar and salt.
*Add yeast to it and keep kneading.
*Add warm water to flour and knead dough until it comes
together.
*When dough is formed add butter/margarine all around the dough.( This ensures that your crust does not come out very hard)
* When dough has doubled in size,form into three balls and taking a rolling pin,roll out the doughs.Fold it into the form of your bread pan and then place into pan.(Rolling locks out a lot of the air that may be in the dough).
* Cover dough in pans and let rise again.
*bake at 350 for 30-33mins.
You will have great bread.Try it.What I do to make my crust extra soft,is to spread some magarine on the dough when I place it in the pan.So if you minus this step(I did not include it in the method) your bread will have a nice crust to it and not be overcooked.
Make sure the yeast can rise at room temp.It is better to bake bread when the weather is sunny.
If you are really serious about baking breads at home, you might want to invest in a convection oven. Not only will it give you much better results on breads and other baked goods, but you will also be able to shorten cooking times on many things you put in the oven. It will roast with great perfection and cook much more evenly. I can't live without a great convection oven....I replaced the one in my current home as soon as I could because it was driving me crazy. I ended up with one that also has a proofing setting, so I can proof my breads with ease as well. My breads come out as good or better than bakery breads.
Use good flour to make better texture. Use a bread flour or even better, a high gluten flour. For a crusty crust, don't brush it with anything and let it bake for the maximum time.