soft non-crusty white bread?

[MrsFawkes]

What is the secret in making a soft white bread. I've tried lots of recipes out of english cookbooks and I still end up with a crusty loaf. But my hubby likes his bread soft and "squidgy" like sandwich bread from the shops. I suspect the trick is in the tin or the way they are baked, maybe a special oven?

Please help. We do get sandwich bread in Germany but it is much dryer.

[bigwheel]

Well tell him to keep a stiff upper lip of course. That bread crust will give him big muscles. That is how I learnt to like it. Now I only eat the crust and throw that squidgy part to the Rotty.
bigwheel

Originally Posted by MrsFawkes

What is the secret in making a soft white bread. I've tried lots of recipes out of english cookbooks and I still end up with a crusty loaf. But my hubby likes his bread soft and "squidgy" like sandwich bread from the shops. I suspect the trick is in the tin or the way they are baked, maybe a special oven?

Please help. We do get sandwich bread in Germany but it is much dryer.

[panini]

a pullman pan might help. A lot of german breads are soft when worked leading to a denser loaf.

[kuan]

You need a good old Middle America potato bread recipe! Next time you boil potatoes boil them without salt and use the water for the bread.

[Stavrogin]

Use a lower temperature for most of the cooking. You can set the oven to 450 to get your oven spring, then turn it down to 375 until it's done. About 200 degrees in the middle. That's often around 45-50minutes.

After it comes out you can spray or rub it with oil to get a very soft crust, but this will make the bread go bad much faster. I think some people use water to soften the crust, but I haven't tried it.

If you're spraying water into the oven to keep it moist, take care not to spray the bread or it can make it crustier.

[Stavrogin]

You should also keep making some good crusty bread, because he'll eventually come around to liking it more than squishy wonderbread.

[MrsFawkes]

The pullman pan looks like it's just what I need. I've been searching some English bakery sites and one of them said they bake their square bread with lids on. (I'd actually tried that but my mould is too big with a lid on). now I've got to find one that doesn't cost me an arm and a leg for postage. I will have to send mother-in-law on a hunt for me. Surely you must get them in the UK as well.

I spray water on my german rye bread during and after baking to make it nice and shine and crusty Especially for rolls and baguettes.
And I've got experience with baking at low temperatures. I learnt the hard way when trying to make crusty bread
And I will never stop making crusty bread, I love it and luckily so do the kids.

I've got a few potato bread recipes but they use leftover potatoes. I will try the water though.

Thanks for all your help, this forum is great!

[Free Rider]

Originally Posted by MrsFawkes

What is the secret in making a soft white bread. I've tried lots of recipes out of english cookbooks and I still end up with a crusty loaf. But my hubby likes his bread soft and "squidgy" like sandwich bread from the shops. I suspect the trick is in the tin or the way they are baked, maybe a special oven?

Please help. We do get sandwich bread in Germany but it is much dryer.

Far as I remember, the squidgy-ness of sandwich bread from the shops is a byproduct of the manufacturing process, in which preservatives and other junk is added to increase shelf life.

[mudbug]

Originally Posted by MrsFawkes

,,,now I've got to find one that doesn't cost me an arm and a leg for postage.

Look here.

"In lieu of a Pullman pan, place a loaf pan on a baking sheet, grease a second baking sheet, and invert it over the top of the bread. Place in the oven and lay a heavy ovenproof weight or a brick on top. Do not proof."

But I believe you need to be steered toward the proper type of bread which will yield a soft crust to begin with before looking for a recipe. Try a Parker House Roll recipe. You can make them in a loaf or numerous other forms of rolls and the crust should not be hard.

[nowIamone]

Auntie Vi's Bread! It doesn't have much of a crust. We make 10 loaves fresh every day, and can have more out in just over an hour if we need it.

This is quite fool proof, decent flavor. This makes 2 loaves, you can cut recipe in half without a problem.

Dump into your mixer bowl:
4 cups of warm water
2 tablespoons of yeast
2 tablespoons of sugar
let set 5 min or so, till you see the yeast softening, starting to work.

then add:
1 heaping tablespoon of salt
10 cups of flour

Beat with a bread hook attachment for 3-5 mins. Put in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, let raise 5 to 10 minutes, 15 at most.
Punch down, and shape into a tight loaf on a greased cookie sheet. Let raise 10 minutes and put in to a 350 oven for 25-40 minutes. We sometimes, turn the oven on as it goes in, it still works. This loaf barely browns, so not much crust. Just tap to see if it's hollow sounding.
It's great the first day, on the second toast, etc.

[Z~BESTUS]

NOWIAMONE:
Good morning. I read your bread recipe with interest. I must ask you however, is there a possibility that the amount of water you stated is a mis-print????. Maybe your recipe may read 3 1/4 to 3 1/2 cups of water.
The reason I ask is that amount of hydration equats to approx. 33% hydration. In yeasted lean bread dough it should variy from 58% to 65% as an average. Awaiting your answer. Thank-you & have a nice day.

~Z~ BESTUS.

[KyleW]

Mudbug is marching down the right path. It's fat that will soften things up. Butter, oil, eggs, milk, all of the above, some of the above...

I also agree with z~Bestus about nowIamone's recipe. It seems a tad dry

[felixe the dog]

I agree with KyleW, you need to add what are known as "enriching agents" to the dough, the most common are fat and sugar, the addition to your dough should be around 2 - 2.5% of the flour weight, this will give a softer crumb and finer structure, but be aware they have an effect on gluten development and fermentation, so you will need to adjust the mixing time and maybe look at a slight increase in your yeast levels or bulk fermentation time. With milk, drop the oven temp slightly, the lactose will cause the bread to color quickly..

Regards,
Felixe.

[Jock]

I think it's one thing to want to reproduce as best you can in the home a recipe from a good restaurant or just really good food in general. I must say though I've never quite understood why anybody wants to try to replicate mass produced supermarket or fast food items. I'd think it would be easier to go to the store and just buy it with all its preservatives and hydrogenated fat and all.

Jock

[nowIamone]

Z............
You are correct! I'll go back and edit it into correctness, right away.
Back on the produce farm if the bread man/milk man was late in the morning, this bread was made in the short time before lunch, which was when they fed the farm hands.