Beginner's problems
Hello all,
I've only very recently started making my own bread.
I've been trying to make some bread at home, but I'm having some problems. So far I've made 3 small breads, but none of them have turned out great and one of them was just horrible. The problems seems to be that the bread doesn't grow on the 2nd rise or in the oven. The last time I even had the impression that it shrunk while in the oven. What I use and do:
I use the yeast in block form, not the one in powder form
I put the yeast with some sugar in lukewarm water, I mix it and stir it and let it rest for about 5 minutes. I use 1 block (15 grams) of yeast for 400 grams of flour.
I mix my flours in a bowl. For the last bread I used 200g of wholewheat and 200g white flour.
I make a small hole in the middle of the flour and sprinkle some salt near the edge of the bowl (about 1 thee spoon or a bit less).
I pour some of the liquid (with yeast and sugar) into the hole and mix it with the flour, I pour a bit more, mix it again, etc. until all the liquid is into the mix. By now the dough makes a ball.
I add a bit of butter and knead for about 10 more minutes.
I let it rise for about 45 minutes in the bowl with a towel over it. I usually put the bowl with towel in the oven to decrease draft. The oven is off, ofcourse.
After about 45 minutes, the ball of dough has about doubled in size.
I knead it a 2nd time. I only kneaded it, I did not punch it. Is this a mistake?
I shape it and put it in a baking form (with butter smeared on the inside)
I let it rise again for about 45 minutes. At this point it does not rise as much as it did the 1st time.
I bake the bread for about 45-50 minutes. The bread does not rise at all while in the oven
When it comes out, the bread is not airy enough inside. Actually it's quite dense. The taste isn't great either: a bit bitter, yeasty, beery. I'm not sure what I'm dong wrong. Can anyone help me or give me some tips, please?
Thank you very much.