[Homestead] The cast iron bread thing..

SJC indexer at localnet.com
Sat Nov 1 01:49:17 EDT 2008


Lisa K.V. Perry wrote:
> A question though, probably a stupid one. My bread had risen (twice) and
> looked like it would be a beautiful loaf. I put it in the oven where it fell
> an inch or so while baking. It didn't completely cave in, but what's the
> problem? I have fresh yeast. This has happened with each loaf of bread I've
> made. Is it the movement from getting it into the oven?
>   
No clue about cast iron except that it wouldn't heat up real fast when 
put in the oven like a thinner pan.  I'd put bread in over a tad 
under-risen maybe, sounds like it might be over-rising and then it's apt 
to sink some when that happens.

I'm totally unplugged about breadmaking.  I just do it.  It's such a 
habit these last 60 years that I never think about what I'm doing.  
Basically I take whatever's around, oats or wheat or barley from 
breakfast, add some liquid and the yeast, let it sit a while, add flour 
and often cheese or steamed wheat or whatever (I like nubbles), mix and 
knead, shove it in the oven (gas over, pilot light), let rise, punch 
down, let rise on a flat medium weight pan sort of like a cookie sheet, 
again in the oven, when almost as high as it "should" be (don't ask, no 
clue!), I turn on oven.  Nose reminds me to check.  I used to threaten 
to write it all down, but while I was threatening the boys all learned 
to do it by having to help from time to time, now no need to do it, but 
those are the basics.

Where are Don and Gene when ya need 'em?

SusanJane, in Maine



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