notbob wrote:
>
> > For a 'french bread' I am assuming 100% white flour so it you have a decent
> > protein level flour (better for bread etc), added gluten isnt needed at all.
>
> This is getting really old. I even bought a fresh jar of Fleischmann's
> BreadMachine yeast. It still came out a brick. A 60%-of-pan size brick as
> opposed to the last 40%-of-pan size brick, but a brick just the same. Nice
> even air pockets (small), good flavor, good crumb (?), but definitely not a
> loaf of French bread. No loft. No large air pockets. This getting very
> frustrating. I might try the other machine. The other machine gave me a
> bigger (more rise) loaf despite being a rye recipe. Grrrr.......
>
> nb

Try this recipe: (from 'The Cook's Encyclopedia of Bread Machine
Baking')

2/3 c water
2 c bread flour
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp yeast

Adjust the flour/water to get a slightly sloppy dough while it's mixing.

Haven't made this recipe but others from the book worked fine when we
still had a breadmaker.


Too much yeast can cause the bread to hit the underside of the
breadmaker lid during the final rise. After that it will collapse and
become remarkably brick-like. BTDT and made breadcrumbs from it