What am i doing wrong?!


Question: I made irish brown bread today. i cooked it the correct amt of time and it says to check also that it is done by tapping the bottom of the bread and if it sounds hollow it is done. well i thought it was done but when i cut it it wasnt fully cooked inside so i put it back in.the oven. now it tastes right, but the outside/crust is way too hard. how do i make it to where its cooke inside but not hard on the outside? i even cooked it lower then what the recommend temp said. what am i doing wrong? lol


Answers: I made irish brown bread today. i cooked it the correct amt of time and it says to check also that it is done by tapping the bottom of the bread and if it sounds hollow it is done. well i thought it was done but when i cut it it wasnt fully cooked inside so i put it back in.the oven. now it tastes right, but the outside/crust is way too hard. how do i make it to where its cooke inside but not hard on the outside? i even cooked it lower then what the recommend temp said. what am i doing wrong? lol

BROWN SODA BREAD

1 c. whole wheat flour
2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tbsp. baking soda { heaping }
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400*F degrees. Measure flours, baking soda, and salt into mixing bowl. Add buttermilk and stir with fork until mixture is well blended. Place dough onto floured board and knead for a minute. Then pat into an 8 inch round. Grease a sturdy baking sheet and place round of dough on it. { I USE AN 8'' CAKE PAN. GREASED WITH SHORTENING }Use sharp, floured knife to cut a deep cross into top of bread; this allows more even distribution of heat. Bake about 40 minutes or until loaf is well browned and crisp. Cool on rack. Makes 1 (8 inch) round loaf. For a more tender crust
brush with butter as soon as it comes out of oven.
{ NOTE }
Let butter milk warm to room temp. before you start mixing dough.
If you like a darker bread add 1/4 tea spoon carmel color or kitcken bouquet to the milk. I hope you find this bread more to your liking. jim b
ps. most problems with brown soda bread is if you use more whole wheat flour than white flour you get a heavy more dense loaf

Wrong size pan.

Um. You shouldn't have taken it out of the oven and put it back in. Instead, you should have left it in there for a bit longer. Bread it easy to tell when it's done, but it really does take practice.

Sounds like a problem with your fats/oils content.

Hard fat, like shortening or lard, tends to make a hard crust, while oils tend to make a soft crust.

I'm wondering if maybe you used butter. Butter is an emulsion of 80% fat, and 20% water-phase. The extra water would make the bread wetter, and thus require more baking time, at the same time that the hard fat in butter is making the crust hard.

I'd recommend using a little less water than what the recipe suggests, and switching to a liquid oil instead of a hard fat.

If you cooked it for the right amount of time but at a lower temperature it isn't going to be done...you have to use the same temp and time.......You could have covered the bread with aluminum foil when you re baked it to keep the crust from getting over cooked....good note for next time tho.

The bread tastes like s..t no matter how you make it. Go to the store and buy - 15 grain (Brownberry) bread.

Seems to me others have struggled with making great Irish brown bread too. Here are a couple of links that may help you in understanding what might have gone wrong. Please do let us know what you find helpful.

http://www.dochara.com/eat/traditional/b...
references this link for basics....
http://www.dochara.com/eat/traditional/w...

Raylee seems to know what she is talking about :) I would also look into the pan you are using (is it a bread pan) is your reci. meant for 1 or 2 loafs to much in the bread pan will over cook the outside and undercook the inside. They have these really awsome new cookware things out they are almost like rubber not metal eversice I bought them I hardly ever get bad baked goods. (they are a little$$$$$) but if you love fresh baked they are worth it :) good luck





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