I am new to baking. I'm trying to bake beer bread and have tried three different recipes. Two recipes are with 3 teaspoons of baking soda, one teaspoon of salt, one quarter cup of sugar and three cups of regular flour (the second recipe is the same, but with whole wheat flour). The third recipe was with three cups of self rising flour and three tablespoons of sugar only. No salt or baking soda. With all three recipes, you add 12 ounces of beer to the dry ingredients, mix and bake at 375 for an hour.
All three tasted good, but each had some drawbacks. The top crust of the one with regular flour "parted" leaving a gigantic crevice in the crust which makes it look unappetising and creates an irregular slice of bread. Good taste, rose high in the pan, dense, fairly moist, the crevice was the main problem.
The one with whole wheat flour was had a "parted" top crust also, but not as severe as the regular flour. It tasted good, was a more yellow color, of course, rose nice and high and was the most moist by far of the other two.
The third one with self rising flour had the most beautiful, perfect even brown crust you ever saw, good taste, not particularly moist, but okay. It was the best looking loaf of them all, but with one huge downfall. It only rose to about half of the height of the pan. It didn't rise like the other two. Of the three, I liked this one the best, but I need it to rise to normal height and also be more moist, if possible. What do you all suggest?
Would adding baking soda to the mix help? If so, how much? By the way, pardon my ignorance, but what is the difference between baking soda and baking powder? Thank you to all who respond.
All three tasted good, but each had some drawbacks. The top crust of the one with regular flour "parted" leaving a gigantic crevice in the crust which makes it look unappetising and creates an irregular slice of bread. Good taste, rose high in the pan, dense, fairly moist, the crevice was the main problem.
The one with whole wheat flour was had a "parted" top crust also, but not as severe as the regular flour. It tasted good, was a more yellow color, of course, rose nice and high and was the most moist by far of the other two.
The third one with self rising flour had the most beautiful, perfect even brown crust you ever saw, good taste, not particularly moist, but okay. It was the best looking loaf of them all, but with one huge downfall. It only rose to about half of the height of the pan. It didn't rise like the other two. Of the three, I liked this one the best, but I need it to rise to normal height and also be more moist, if possible. What do you all suggest?
Would adding baking soda to the mix help? If so, how much? By the way, pardon my ignorance, but what is the difference between baking soda and baking powder? Thank you to all who respond.
