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What to do if
questions and answers
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These answers to 'help' questions will be added to as our customers ask us questions about their baking experiences with our bread mix.
If you don't find the answer you are looking for, complete the 'Help Question' form below and we will get back to you with an answer and more than likely we will post it on this page as well.
What if I knead the dough? Unnecessary, but it should not be a problem if you do.
Unlike gluten based breads which require kneading to develop the gluten to enable it to stretch and give a good rise and light texture, our FG Roberts Cottage Bread Mixes do not need this to attain a stretchy dough.
As long as the dough is well mixed, it only needs a single rise and bake. If you find a light knead is easier than mixing the dough thoroughly in your bowl with a spoon (arthritis sufferers), then mix as best you can in the bowl first, then tip it onto your floured board. By giving it a light knead for a couple of minutes, you will give the dough a better mix before it rises. This will still result in a light, even textured bread.
What if I overproof (over rise) the dough? Leaving your dough to rise for too long may result in excessive shrinkage during baking, dough collapse, very open texture or loaves that refuse to brown at all (due to yeast food depletion).
Can I knock it down and start the rising cycle again? This is not recommended and results will depend on how much it overproofed, how much yeast food remains in the dough to feed the yeast for another rise, and if the dough has dried out too much for another rise. More than one rise can cause the dough to be too rubbery and lose the fine, light texture
Cracking of the crust: Some initial cracking of the crust may be evident as loaves cool in some ovens with some loaf types. Keeping the crust moist during rising and having moisture available in the oven during baking usually prevents this.
Large holes in the bread: Using too much yeast, too much water, or too much vinegar in your recipe can result in a large cave in the centre of the bread or rolls. When making salad rolls or hamburger buns, do not over-flatten the dough using a rolling pin as this may affect the rising and result in large holes inside your rolls.
Bread not rising enough: The most common causes of this is
1. Poor yeast (either dead, dying or not a very active brand) or a good yeast which has not been kept at the correct temperature. Yeast needs to be kept refrigerated if it is not vacuum sealed (rock hard) otherwise it will need food or die. The cold simply puts it into hibernation till you activate it in warmth. Even supermarket shelves can contain in-active yeast which has been there too long or has sat in a warm environment.
A good yeast will stay active for
a few weeks on your pantry shelf
around 6 months in your fridge
around 12 months in your freezer (it does not need thawing before use).
2. Dry dough. If you are a little under the required liquid when making your dough... especially when rising it in tins, your rise will be poor and the loaf texture yellow and coarse.
Loaf side-suck: The higher the sides of the baking tins you use, the more the cooling loaves will suck in at the sides
up to around 1cm each side. This can be reduced by removing the loaves from the tins during the final 15 minutes of baking but some suck will likely remain. It is one of the costs of obtaining better keeping bread!
Lower sided tins or pans have less side-suck.
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