Really simple recipes…
First two attempts this: YouTube: Fu1hhff25UQ
Today this: YouTube: Z-husjZkxHw
But every time, the dough ends up being wet. To be extra safe, I tried lower heat today (35 min. @ 180C for about 400g of dough) but… still didn’t work.
Compared to the videos, it looks like my “bread” is always a lot denser, so maybe that could explain it? But I don’t get why because I’m following the recipes closely…
The videos have not come through. Looks very doughy indicating underfermented. Is this a sourdough? You say third attempt so I assume your starter is very young. How do you know it is ready to make bread yet?
When it comes to how aerated it was, I unfortunately have no base for comparison. Is it possible that somehow, not enough air got into the dough while I was mixing ingredients?
Unfortunately, I don’t own a dutch oven and my oven is too small for my frying pan.
But this has made me wonder about something else that might be a problem - I’m baking in a large microwave with convection function. Which might not let as much moisture escape as a regular oven?
Not the same thing as an oven. This answers everything! However good a microwave is and even if it has a convection setting it’s not really suitable for bread.
Using very little in terms of ingredients, make a thin shape and bake it at lower than normal temperature until it starts to char.
If it’s still wet even under those conditions, I should probably give up.
When I lived in Asia, I baked bread and pizza in my microwave oven. Most folks in America, where Breadtopia is, do not know there are counter-top (bench-top) hybrid ovens for places with limited space. Looking at the pix of your bread, it looks like it was baked in a regular oven or a hybrid oven. Either one of those would be fine for baking your breads.
You mentioned adjusting the temperature you used for cooking the bread … you cannot adjust temperature on a microwave oven. Instead, you adjust the power setting. I think your oven is ok.
Your bread looks proofed ok. I suspect you are baking at too low a temp. You should be baking the damper at around 210-220°C. If you can get your hands on an instant read thermometer, the inside temp of the bread should be around 97°C/205°F when it is fully cooked. Let it cool before cutting into it.
Currently, hybrid ovens are available that are microwave, broiler, air-fryer, and convection oven all in a single counter-top unit. See the Panasonic HomeChef oven. Don’t know if they are available in the US or UK, only seen hybrid ovens in Asia. A lot of appliances in Asia are available in Australia and NZ. Technology moves onward …
Just got my hands on a Kenwood mixer, accidently. Costco sold off legacy model 7 lt bowl, 800w motor Major Titanium … $199 (156GBP). Kicks butt on KitchenAid. Any chance you could put in a good word for those of us over here so we can get those things imported back into America?
Huh, this just made me discover pretty severe bias on my part. Over the last 20 years, I bought a microwave with convection function wherever I moved. London (about 10 years ago), Stuttgart, Vienna, smaller cities.
To me, it’s been such a given that I just assumed it has become the norm over the years. Because why would anyone waste time and electricity heating up a full size oven if the microwave would do? Or these days - an air “fryer”, which is probably even more efficient. And so even when there was a full size oven in the apartment, I would only use it for things that wouldn’t fit into the microwave.
But… “Technology moves onward” - looks like it hasn’t.
Even in Austria (where I live), still only ~10% of microwave models offer convection.
“hybrid ovens” - that term makes me wonder whether you’re referring to full size ovens with microwave functionality. Because I’m really talking about microwaves that simply have a convention fan (and even more frequently a broiler) built into them. See… ah, I can’t paste links. Just search Amazon for “microwave convection”.
They’re often as small as most microwaves and people probably primarily use them as microwaves. Although mine is larger (in between the average microwave and oven) and particularly powerful - rated 3330W.
Could it be a lack of information rather than lack of availability? Because it seems strange to me that companies like Samsung, Panasonic or Sharp would sell these appliances all over Europe and Asia but not North America. And American amazon seems to have plenty listed.
You mentioned adjusting the temperature you used for cooking the bread … you cannot adjust temperature on a microwave oven. Instead, you adjust the power setting.
Wanna bet?
I’ve been using this particular microwave for 6 years.
Not being able to choose the temperature would be stunningly inconvenient, since it requires using a thermometer. But I believe you when you say that that exists.
Your bread looks proofed ok. I suspect you are baking at too low a temp. You should be baking the damper at around 210-220°C.
I’m aware of the normal temperatures, I only started using lower ones because as far as I’ve read, that increases the chances that the inside will be cooked through when the crust is done. Which makes sense to me but please let me know if I’m mistaken.
Let it cool before cutting into it.
Hm, I was wondering about that at some point but then I thought - you see steam coming off of the bread in some of these videos when the bread is cut open, yet they don’t look doughy like mine.
I swapped my microwave for a tabletop oven. Much prefer it. Yes, on the odd occasion it would be convenient to zap something in the microwave but i’d never go back. Food from an oven is far nicer. Only if I had any spare room then i’d have a microwave too.
Have you not been following the conversation?
Nothing in this thread is about “zapping”. It’s all about baking. Just because your microwave didn’t have a convection function, don’t take it out on those that do.
In hindsight, it was probably naive of me to think that maybe a microwave would keep moisture in. After all, full size ovens have thick insulation to prevent steam from leaking out too.
