This weekend I decided to give it another go. I had Fred get a different brand of yeast. As soon as I put the new yeast into my liquid/sugar mixture, it gave off that beautiful yeasty smell and foam. I knew I had a live one. First I attempted a round loaf. It turned out very nicely, but didn't get the lift I was hoping for. The flavor and texture were excellent. Light flaky, yummy.
I was feeling encouraged and decided to try another type. This time I modified the recipe on the King Aurthur flour bag. I probably shouldn't have modified, but sometimes I just can't help myself. I subbed 1/4 c pecans, 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, and 1/4 cup ground flax for the 3/4 cup walnuts the recipe called for. Fred thought it was a bit bitter. I loved the flavor. The texture was pretty dense and heavy. It only raised up to 1/2 the height of a normal loaf. Although I wouldn't call this an unqualified success, I really like it! It is really filling.
I will not give up on my quest to make a more fluffy loaf. If you have any suggestions on a great vegan breadmaking book, please share! I love the smell of that bread cooking in the oven. I'm looking forward to getting some proper loafs soon.
I used to make great bread. then I started having issues. The last loaf I made was using the dave's killer bread recipe that's on http://www.everydaydish.tv/
ReplyDeleteworked like a charm. wouldn't say it's fluffy though. still a bit afraid about making bread again because I don't want a failure.
For fluffy bread, focaccia might be a good one to try.
I need to make bread more often. There is nothing like fresh warm bread, I could probably eat half a loaf right away with some EB. That's probably why I don't make it that often
ReplyDeleteI'm a huge fan of Peter Reinhart's books when it comes to bread - and he has a lot of vegan friendly stuff, esp in the Whole Grains book. I have used his recipes for years. Check out Emily Buehler as well. And Mat from the PPK has directed me toward Nigella Lawson's bread recipes, which look great, although I have yet to make anything.
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