Troubleshooting Yeast Breads

As promised earlier here is my post on troubleshooting Yeast Breads from the book : The Joy of Vegan Baking.

IF YOUR DOUGH DID NOT RISE :

• The yeast used was too old.
• The water you used to "proof" your yeast was too cold to activate it or too hot and killed it.

IF YOUR DOUGH IS TOO STIFF :

• The rising location was too cool.

IF YOUR BREAD FALLS WHILE BAKING:

• Your baking pans are too bright and reflect heat away from sides. Try baking in darker pans.
• Your bread was not placed properly in the oven. Try baking in the center of the oven.

IF YOUR BREAD HAS A SPLIT OR BREAK ON ONE SIDE

• The oven was too hot.
• The rising time for the dough was not sufficient.

IF YOUR BREAD CRUMBLES EASILY :

• The dough was not troroughly mixed.
• You may have added too much flour.
• The rising location was too warm.
• The rising time was too long.
• Your oven temperature was too low .

IF YOUR BREAD IS TOO DOUGHY OR MOIST ON THE BOTTOM :

• You did not remove your loaf from the pan to cool on a rack after taking it out of the oven.

IF THE CRUST ON YOUR BREAD IS TOO THICK OR HARD :

• there was too much flour in the dough.
• the rising time was insufficient,
• the oven temperature was too low.

IF YOUR BREAD IS HEAVY AND DENSE :

• There was too much flour in the dough.
• The oven temperature was too low.

IF YOUR BREAD IS WET INSIDE AND HAS A COARSE GRAIN:

• the rising time was insufficient.

IF YOUR BREAD IS DRY AND HAS A COARSE GRAIN:

• there was too much flour in the dough.
• the dough was not kneaded long enough.
• the dough rose too much
• your oven temperature was too low.

IF YOUR BREAD HAS HOLES IN IT :

• the air was not completely pressed out of the dough when the loaves were kneaded.
• the dough rose too long.

IF YOUR BREAD SMELLS AND TASTES OF YEAST :

• your dough rose too much.
• the rising location was too warm.

IF YOUR BREAD HAS A SOUR TASTE :

• the rising location was too warm.
• the dough rose too long.