NovelMama
07-28-2010, 09:42 AM
Okay, from the beginning:
1st loaf with bread machine worked lovely.
Next two loaves never formed balls. They looked really wet.
Today:
Followed bread machine recipe on Pamela's Bread Mix package exactly:
fill a 2c measuring cup with 1/4 c. oil, 2 eggs, then fill up to 2 c. mark with warm water. Pour into bread machine bucket, add 3.5 c. flour and 2.25 tsp. yeast. Set on basic white bread dough recipe.
It started doing the same thing: not forming a ball, but looking really wet. I added 1 TBSP. flour. It looked a little better. Added another. Looked a little better. Added a third. This time it nearly made a ball, but the dough was still "attached" to the bucket at the bottom. So I added a fourth--and suddenly it lost its almost-ball form, spread out to touch the bucket on all sides again, and wouldn't integrate all the flour I'd just added.
So I decided to experiment. I opened it up and tried mixing it in myself, there seemed to be a big air pocket at the bottom; suddenly it all collapsed down. Then I thought, "maybe the mixer blade wasn't able to "grab" all the dough because the air bubble at the end was pushing the dough away. Closed it up, turned it back on--it didn't ball up at all, just stayed a big, spread-out blob.
Then I decided to try kneading it myself. Floured up a cutting board, "poured" out the dough--and it was INSANELY sticky. And not just because I forgot to oil my hands. :doh I had AJ add about two more TBSP for me to try kneading in, but it wouldn't work, it was way too sticky to even knead. We tried about 2 TBSP--and now it was starting to feel sticky AND rubbery. So I finally just dumped it all into the loaf pan to rise.
WHAT is going on!? Why was is so sticky? Why did it *almost* make a ball, and then collapse out of the ball shape just because of more flour? Why did it work the first time I used the machine, but not again since? Today I actually let everything get to room temp before starting; I've never done that before but I thought maybe it would make a difference.
I have no idea what to expect from this loaf. Do you think it will be edible?
1st loaf with bread machine worked lovely.
Next two loaves never formed balls. They looked really wet.
Today:
Followed bread machine recipe on Pamela's Bread Mix package exactly:
fill a 2c measuring cup with 1/4 c. oil, 2 eggs, then fill up to 2 c. mark with warm water. Pour into bread machine bucket, add 3.5 c. flour and 2.25 tsp. yeast. Set on basic white bread dough recipe.
It started doing the same thing: not forming a ball, but looking really wet. I added 1 TBSP. flour. It looked a little better. Added another. Looked a little better. Added a third. This time it nearly made a ball, but the dough was still "attached" to the bucket at the bottom. So I added a fourth--and suddenly it lost its almost-ball form, spread out to touch the bucket on all sides again, and wouldn't integrate all the flour I'd just added.
So I decided to experiment. I opened it up and tried mixing it in myself, there seemed to be a big air pocket at the bottom; suddenly it all collapsed down. Then I thought, "maybe the mixer blade wasn't able to "grab" all the dough because the air bubble at the end was pushing the dough away. Closed it up, turned it back on--it didn't ball up at all, just stayed a big, spread-out blob.
Then I decided to try kneading it myself. Floured up a cutting board, "poured" out the dough--and it was INSANELY sticky. And not just because I forgot to oil my hands. :doh I had AJ add about two more TBSP for me to try kneading in, but it wouldn't work, it was way too sticky to even knead. We tried about 2 TBSP--and now it was starting to feel sticky AND rubbery. So I finally just dumped it all into the loaf pan to rise.
WHAT is going on!? Why was is so sticky? Why did it *almost* make a ball, and then collapse out of the ball shape just because of more flour? Why did it work the first time I used the machine, but not again since? Today I actually let everything get to room temp before starting; I've never done that before but I thought maybe it would make a difference.
I have no idea what to expect from this loaf. Do you think it will be edible?