Jill replied:

>>> I'm currently working overseas in Bangkok, Thailand and tried to make
>>> home-made white bread without success. Does anyone have a recipe for
>>> Asian baked bread. This betty crocker cookbook doesn't seem to work
>>> over here.
>>
>> By the way! I don't have a bread machine over here.. It's all hands
>> guys.. so how about helping out..
>
> I'm afraid I wasn't of bread-baking age (nor interest) when I lived in
> Bangkok 35 years ago. Do you have A/C in your kitchen? The humidity in
> Bangkok is awful. I do know it's critical to keep your baking powder and
> your flour as fresh and dry as possible in a humid climate. Perhaps you
> will need to buy these items fresh each time you want to bake bread,
> although if you're buying them from an unairconditioned market it may not
> help at all. If and when you hit upon a batch that works for you,
> remember to bake a number of loaves and store them in the freezer. Good
> luck!

I'd be willing to bet that the problem is the flour. Flour in Asia isn't
made from hard wheat, so gluten doesn't form as readily. The best you can do
is follow the recipe but knead a LOT more to develop what gluten there is to
its maximum potential.

Personally, I'd abandon the attempt at making white bread and try making
American-Southern-style biscuits or Irish soda bread instead. The flour
ought to be fine for those, or for pie crusts.

Bob