What am I doing wrong with this recipe?!
Here's the recipe I'm using:
3/4 cup water (I use the water that I boiled the potatoes in)
1/2 cup mashed potatoes
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
3 tbsp. dry skim milk powder
2 tbsp. potato starch
1 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 large egg
4 cups whole wheat bread flour
2 1/4 tsp. bread machine yeast.
I use program setting 1 (White), which is what the recipe says is recommended, but whenever I try making this bread, the dough doesn't get kneaded properly - it becomes a sticky, lumpy mess that doesn't rise at all. And it's only with this recipe. Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong?
Answers:
For 4 cups of flour, you should be using at least 1 full cup of liquid. That's a lot of dry ingredients and whole wheat flour is pretty stiff stuff.
If you are able to, lift the lid during the first knead and see if it's dry and crumbly. Slowly dribble a little mashed potato water onto the mass, but don't overdo it.
You could also use more sugar for the yeast to feed on. 1 tsp of sugar isn't much when you're using 2 - 1/4 tsp of yeast. Try 2 or 3 tsps or up to 1 Tbsp.
I have never used a bread machine but unless the recipe specifically says to use the water you boiled the potatoes in, that could be your problem. The potato water contains way more starch than tap or bottled water,