Found the taste, now need help with the texture
I am semi-new to bread making. I made quite a bit when my children were little and I had a wonderful woodstove near which I was able to let it rise. Now, I have a machine and have been experimenting. My hands aren't up to kneading like they once were. Anyway...
I've been lurking on the forum to learn and now's my time to ask for help. I have experimented with yeast, sugar, etc., and found a white bread I really like. I've baked all loaves in the breadmaker thus far. I'd like to make loaves in the oven, but need to get there. The loaf I made today was amazing, but it seems like it needs a little more air in it. It's a bit dense still. It rose well and is pretty derned delicious (I used it to make a cheese/herb toast to go with dinner).
Any suggestions for a lighter loaf?
But before I add my two cents, it's important that you get pretty detailed with things like your recipe, timing, how you determine when to start your bulk rise, when your dough's ready to move to loaf formation, how you know when to start baking your loaf, and at what temperature you bake your bread.
If you're making a fairly typical 33% hydration dough, the most probable solution to making a lighter crumb is letting your dough rise nearly double in the bulk rise and the second rise. But that assumes your oven temperature when baking is around 350 F reliably and that you're not degassing your dough prior to baking it, among many other things.
That's what I was thinking, that in this case, the rise is the thing. I am going to try taking it out of the machine and doing the second rise in a loaf pan. I do have some experience baking bread, but it's been a very long time and definitely did not involve a machine.
I appreciate that you responded. My plan for oven baking is 350° at about a half hour (from what I've read, that's a standard starting point).
I am in this for the long haul and will surely have some successes and failures.
As for the dough that I have enjoyed thus far, it includes sugar, egg, milk, bread flour, 2-1/2 teaspoons of yeast, and salt. I let the yeast dissolve in 110° water, added a teaspoon or so of the sugar to feed it; scalded and cooled the milk (1 C of whole milk) after allowing the butter to soften in the milk, blended it with a slightly beaten egg; added half of the bread flour, the milk/egg mixture, the remaining sugar, and salt, then the rest of the bread flour; and let the machine do the work. It was a "copycat" of Golden Corral rolls. For this recipe, I would decrease the sugar next time as it did turn out a little sweeter than I would want.
Later, I want to experiment a little with almond milk or coconut milk, a combination of coconut flour and bread flour, coconut crystals or honey instead of sugar, etc. Right now, I'm relearning and want to stick with basic bread. When I know what I'm doing a little better, then I will branch out!