The Bread Thread

[ibglowin]

One of these things is not like the other!





The little loaves were baked in our counter top WOLF oven. The burnt ones were in the LG.

I am at wits end with my POS LG Range. Anybody have a range that they love for baking bread?

Gas or electric I have both connections. The LG has now died for the 3rd time in 2 months. It blows the thermal fuse every time I try and use CONV Bake. Doesn't matter what temp I have it set at. 450 (blows). 425 (blows). Each time about 35 mins into the bake. I now keep 2-3 fuses on hand at all times. $6 part that takes me about 15 mins to swap out. This is an electric range that Consumer Reports rates as one of the top. But if you look at the reviews of people who actually own one nobody recommends it. Not only is the oven and its design horrible, if you just walk by the oven and bump it in the slightest you can accidentally turn on an element and possibly set the house on fire if anything should be sitting on top of the oven.

Its out of warranty and I am ready to cut my losses. This thing sells for $1900 MSRP. I think I snagged it at Thanksgiving when they have the big appliance sales for like $1300. Everything baked either burns or comes out undercooked in the middle.



ones

 

[GreenEnvy22]

We bought this one a couple of years ago, love it.
https://www.canadianappliance.ca/product/Maytag_MGS8880DS_Range_Maytag_MGS8880DS.htmlToday I decided to see if the temperature was still accurate.

 

[ibglowin]

Did some googling and found another owner with the exact same oven and issue so its not just me it seems. He ended up having to pull his range out from the wall so it got more air circulation and that seemed to stop the issue so I guess I will give that a shot as well as maybe try a small fan to help blow some cooler air down the backside. Just replaced the fuse for the 3rd time. Getting faster with each time. New record today. 10 minutes. I figure each time I replace a fuse myself I'm saving ~$150-250 in service calls and repair. Heck the trip charge alone these days is $75 minimum. I figure I will have saved enough in repair bills to pay for a new oven real soon! Will start doing some research for the next time the big box stores have their major appliance sale. Right now everything is full MSRP.

 

[Boatboy24]

Did some googling and found another owner with the exact same oven and issue so its not just me it seems. He ended up having to pull his range out from the wall so it got more air circulation and that seemed to stop the issue so I guess I will give that a shot as well as maybe try a small fan to help blow some cooler air down the backside. Just replaced the fuse for the 3rd time. Getting faster with each time. New record today. 10 minutes. I figure each time I replace a fuse myself I'm saving ~$150-250 in service calls and repair. Heck the trip charge alone these days is $75 minimum. I figure I will have saved enough in repair bills to pay for a new oven real soon! Will start doing some research for the next time the big box stores have their major appliance sale. Right now everything is full MSRP.

The Presidents' Day sales will probably start next week.

 

[Kraffty]

Mike, I can't speak to your exact situation, oven, stove combo but I've had my GE electric double wall ovens now for over a year and absolutely love them. Too bad they don't make an electric oven with gas cooktop. Best of luck.

 

[ibglowin]

Thanks for the vote on the GE. If I may ask is yours a "Profile" or regular GE? Does the oven inside have the heating element inside the back wall like this?




They actually do make "dual fuel" Ranges these days with gas cooktop and electric oven. They are $2-3K in price. I would pay $3K in a heartbeat if I could bake a loaf of bread and not burn it or blow a fuse each time. Honestly I think this new design with the heating element in the back wall is crap but all the manufacturers seem to have gone to that on the higher end ovens. IMHO the heat needs to come from the bottom for bake and top for broil. Heat rises as we all know and having a heating element inside a wall placed 2/3 of the way UP from the bottom is a horrible design defect IMHO. Nothing browns (bread wise) if you use the lower shelf below the element. You place bread at the element or just above it and it burns as all the heat is coming out of a 6" opening with a small fan to blow the heat out in CONV mode.

Thanks for your input.

Mike, I can't speak to your exact situation, oven, stove combo but I've had my GE electric double wall ovens now for over a year and absolutely love them. Too bad they don't make an electric oven with gas cooktop. Best of luck.

 

[Kraffty]

It's the standard style, Not Cafe or Profile. No back fan or heating element. It does heat from both the top and the bottom which seems to really make the heat uniform. Seems a tiny bit hotter in the back half, I do turn things half way through cooking when I remember but really not necessary. Have a dedicated 50 amp breaker powering it and not a blip even with both running on high.

https://www.geappliances.com/appliance/GE-30-Built-In-Double-Wall-Oven-JT3500SFSS

 

[sour_grapes]

Thanks for the vote on the GE. If I may ask is yours a "Profile" or regular GE? Does the oven inside have the heating element inside the back wall like this?


Thanks for your input.

Is that a heating element, or just the convection fan?

 

[ibglowin]

It is both. There is no element on the bottom but there is one on top (broil)

Is that a heating element, or just the convection fan?

 

[Boatboy24]

Mike, I can't speak to your exact situation, oven, stove combo but I've had my GE electric double wall ovens now for over a year and absolutely love them. Too bad they don't make an electric oven with gas cooktop. Best of luck.

I have an electric oven with a gas cooktop. "Old school" heating element in the bottom of the oven and another on top for the broiler, but gas burners on the stove. It's GE Profile. Over the last few years, we've replaced our other GE Profile appliances with Kitchenaid. So far, very happy with the fridge and dishwasher. They certainly weren't the cheapest, but you can also spend much, much more. When the oven/range goes, I'll replace with a Kitchenaid dual fuel.

 

[ibglowin]

Just looked at that. You see this is how you bake evenly in an electric oven. heating element on the bottom. Those are almost impossible to find these days. The little counter top WOLF has a heating element on the bottom and top and it cooks perfectly. Its just small and tops out at 450.

It's the standard style, Not Cafe or Profile. No back fan or heating element. It does heat from both the top and the bottom which seems to really make the heat uniform. Seems a tiny bit hotter in the back half, I do turn things half way through cooking when I remember but really not necessary. Have a dedicated 50 amp breaker powering it and not a blip even with both running on high.

https://www.geappliances.com/appliance/GE-30-Built-In-Double-Wall-Oven-JT3500SFSS

 

[Kraffty]

I have an electric oven with a gas cooktop. "Old school" heating element in the bottom of the oven and another on top for the broiler, but gas burners on the stove. It's GE Profile. Over the last few years, we've replaced our other GE Profile appliances with Kitchenaid. So far, very happy with the fridge and dishwasher. They certainly weren't the cheapest, but you can also spend much, much more. When the oven/range goes, I'll replace with a Kitchenaid dual fuel.

We looked (I actually coveted them) repeatedly at the Kitchenaid but just had too hard of a time convincing myself to spend the money for matching fridge, oven, cooktop and dishwasher. Maybe an additional 8 to $10,000 total verses the GE. Sounds like the performance justifies the expense though.

 

[Boatboy24]

We looked (I actually coveted them) repeatedly at the Kitchenaid but just had too hard of a time convincing myself to spend the money for matching fridge, oven, cooktop and dishwasher. Maybe an additional 8 to $10,000 total verses the GE. Sounds like the performance justifies the expense though.

8-10k? Wow. Yep, that's a ton. We've done one at a time, so maybe it didn't seem so much. But yeah, as I recall, a lot of dishwashers were 5-600 and we spent 900. At the time, it seemed like a lot, but I read a ton of reviews that supported it (and it was recommended by our plumber). The other good dishwasher (don't recall other appliances) at the time was the Bosch. One piece of advice that both plumbers and appliance sales people told us was stay away from Samsung.

 

[sour_grapes]

I see absolutely no need to match appliances by brand! I have a Bosch D/W, a Kitchenaid fridge, and a Bluestar range, and a Panasonic drawer microwave. Each appliance was the best for our purpose for that application.

Edit: Oops, my drawer microwave is a Sharp.

 

[GreenEnvy22]

I almost consider it a matter of pride that not a single appliance in my kitchen matches brands We've got almost everything over to stainless now, just the 16+ year old microwave left to replace, but it's an LG fridge, kitchenaid dishwasher, maytag stove, panasonic microwave.

It's funny, for my homebrew I much prefer to use electric, but for cooking/baking I much prefer gas (and then there is smoking and grilling where I much prefer charcoal).

And yea, I'd be wary of buying any major samsung appliance. They, most of any brands, seem to be all in on the planned obsolescence.

One thing I would suggest, is if possible get a stovetop that is stainless around the burners. Our stove is painted black on the cooking surface (stainless everywhere else) and we burned something onto it when it was a couple months old and have never been able to get it clean. With Stainless I could take a scouring pad to it, but with enamel the most I've been brave enough to try is barkeepers friend and oven cleaner. Both helped but didn't get it totally off.

 

[justsipn]

OK...I'm really hoping someone can give me some advice here. I desperately want to be able to make good bread and it's one type of cooking that I have not been able to master. I've tried white bread, wheat bread...this weekend I tried Brioche. I've tried multiple recipes, read articles on line and actually watched a Masterclass on it.

My problem is, I can not get the bread to rise properly so it's not a dense biscuit consistency. Typically, I can get the bread to double in size the first time it rises. Then, when I punch it down and put in the bread pans, I can not get it to rise again like all the recipes say it should so that it's a nice light fluffy bread. I've tried leaving it on top of the stove covered up. I've tried putting it in a slightly warmed oven. I just can not get it to the consistency I want.

I'm jealous of the pictures of the breads you are making.

What could I possibly be doing wrong?

Thanks in advance.

 

[sour_grapes]

Not sure, @justsipn . I punch down after lunch (~1 pm), and then let it proof until late afternoon, say 4 or 5 pm.

What kind of yeast are you using?

 

[justsipn]

Not sure, @justsipn . I punch down after lunch (~1 pm), and then let it proof until late afternoon, say 4 or 5 pm.

What kind of yeast are you using?

I've tried both Redstar Active dry yeast and fleischmanns bread machine yeast. I don't use a bread machine, but it's what my wife picked up unfortunately.

But, I have the same problem with either. Any recipe I use says to let it rise 1-2 hours the second time. To short of time?

 

[sour_grapes]

I've tried both Redstar Active dry yeast and fleischmanns bread machine yeast.

I use Redstar. I have their quickrise and their regular Active, like you. I use the quickrise on same-day bread (focaccia) and regular on next-day bread. I have no idea if it matters!

But, I have the same problem with either. Any recipe I use says to let it rise 1-2 hours the second time. To short of time?

I think maybe too short. It depends on temperature, etc., but I like to go 3. But if I go too long, I get large, rustic bubbles.

 

[Bkat]

OK...I'm really hoping someone can give me some advice here. I desperately want to be able to make good bread and it's one type of cooking that I have not been able to master. I've tried white bread, wheat bread...this weekend I tried Brioche. I've tried multiple recipes, read articles on line and actually watched a Masterclass on it.

My problem is, I can not get the bread to rise properly so it's not a dense biscuit consistency. Typically, I can get the bread to double in size the first time it rises. Then, when I punch it down and put in the bread pans, I can not get it to rise again like all the recipes say it should so that it's a nice light fluffy bread. I've tried leaving it on top of the stove covered up. I've tried putting it in a slightly warmed oven. I just can not get it to the consistency I want.

I'm jealous of the pictures of the breads you are making.

What could I possibly be doing wrong?

Thanks in advance.

Breadmaking is a lot like winemaking. On the surface, it is very simple. But as you go deeper, it gets more complex. Until you reach a point that you find it to be simple after all.

For ages I wrestled with trying to make a decent loaf. I made enough Louisville Sluggers to equip a baseball team. Then suddenly something just clicked. Now I can do it in my sleep and turn out an acceptable, if not quite decent, loaf I'm proud of.

A good place to start is the no-knead route. Something like this. No-Knead Bread Recipe I've stored this basic technique in the back of my head and deviated from it over time. I forgo the cast iron Le Creuset and just invert a big steel mixing bowl over the loaf. It works fine.

Bread is essentially flour, water, salt and yeast. Use decent quality ingredients for all four (and yes, water matters) and you're almost there. Then the more you do it, the more you pick up on subtle things like the effect of ambient temperature, humidity, etc. I'm bad in that I barely measure and go by feel. But once you get the basic dynamics, riff on that and use different types of flour, add ingredients (herbs, etc.) replace some water with milk or wine, or even add oil. (But then remember to cut back on the water.) All can work.

As for your question about rising, either your yeast is bad or the room temperature is too low. If the latter, give it more time or put it in a warmer place (like an oven that isn't on) and, if the yeast is alive it will eventually rise. Remember, your eyes are a better guide than any recipe book.

I make no claim to be an expert and our current oven is pretty bad. But when you consider some bakers made exceptional bread with a wood-fired oven which has very little fine tuning of temperature for centuries, you'll be fine.

Good luck!