On Sun, 28 Sep 2014 15:08:45 -0700, "Julie Bove"
> wrote:

> I used this recipe:
>
> http://www.redstaryeast.com/our-best...-bread?tid=102
>
> Only thing I did not do was put the butter on the top. But in looking at
> the picture on the website, my bread looks very similar. It's not bad.
> It's just not quite right. Oh and I made only half of the recipe.
>
> I did not use the mixer. I'm not even sure that the hand mixer would work
> with this. The name "batter" does not seem to apply. It made a very thick,
> sticky dough. Hard to work with. Perhaps I did not beat it for long enough
> as it was so very hard to work with. I also had issues with my old honey.
> It had crystallized. I melted it but in eating the bread, I bit into a
> couple of tiny, crunchy bits which was probably some honey that didn't melt.
>
> The other issues are that the crust seemed overly thick on the bottom. But
> when I look at the picture on the website, all of the crust looks overly
> thick to me. And the crust has a slightly bitter taste. Not sure why that
> would be. Perhaps slightly overbaked? I took it out at 40 minutes.
>
> It's also a very dense bread and the bottom of the loaf seems to have
> compacted a little. As in, it is more dense at the bottom and slightly more
> fluffy with larger air holes if you will towards the top. Again, could be
> from not beating enough.
>
> Also, it didn't get a lot of height. I am used to baking bread that
> continues to rise as it bakes. This did not. So I didn't even try to toast
> it because for one thing it is fresh and for another, the slices are very
> small.
>
> I will make this again but I will also keep looking for other recipes.

I have a problem with denseness and wetness when I make no-knead bread
(even though I don't take it out until the thermometer says 200°).

The batter bread that always turns out well for me is beer bread -
which is made with self-rising flour (baking powder, not yeast) and I
always do the butter part because it's added deliciousness.


--
Avoid cutting yourself when slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold them.