Ten Troubleshooting Tips for Yeast Breads

Excerpted from Brilliant Food Tips and Cooking Tricks, by David Joachim.
Even for the experienced home baker, bread holds a certain mystique. Here is
how to come ever closer to the perfect loaf.

Problem: Dough is not rising
Possible Causes: Yeast is old; yeast was dissolved in too-hot or too-cold
water; dough was kneaded too stiff--gluten was overdeveloped; rising
location was too cold.
Solutions/Suggestions: Try proofing new yeast and kneading it into the
dough; additional flour might be necessary.

Problem: Dough is bloated and blistering
Possible Causes: Dough has over-risen; rising place is too warm.
Solutions/Suggestions: Punch down, reshape, and let rise again.

Problem: Bread rises and bakes unevenly.
Possible Causes: Dough was shaped unevenly; dough was not scored or scored
unevenly; oven heats unevenly.
Solutions/Suggestions: Try rotating the loaf; there is little more you can
do at this point.

Problem: Bread browns unevenly on top
Possible Causes: Loaf is or was too close to the oven top; oven heats
unevenly.
Solutions/Suggestions: Rotate loaf if browning unevenly; lower the rack on
which the bread sits if browning too quickly.

Problem: Bread is too brown on bottom
Possible Causes: Baking stone or oven is too hot.
Solutions/Suggestions: Place a rack or wire cake stand between loaf and
stone; check that oven is calibrated correctly.

Problem: Bread is too brown all over
Possible Causes: Oven is too hot.
Solutions/Suggestions: Lower the heat; check that oven is calibrated
correctly.

Problem: Bread interior has gaping holes
Possible Causes: Too much yeast was used in dough; too little flour was
used; too little kneading; dough over-rose; oven was too cool.
Solutions/Suggestions: Use the bread for toast; the uneven texture is
desirable in certain breads such as sourdough and French bread.

Problem: Bread didn't rise high enough
Possible Causes: Water was too hot for yeast; too little flour was used; too
little kneading; dough was under-risen; pan was too large.
Solutions/Suggestions: Slice thin and serve small pieces.

Problem: Bread is heavy and dense
Possible Causes: Too much flour was used; too little kneading; dough was
under-risen.
Solutions/Suggestions: Slice thin and serve small pieces.

Problem: Bread has a yeasty taste
Possible Causes: Dough over-rose; temperature was too high during rise.
Solutions/Suggestions: Let the bread dry 1 day and use to make bread crumbs.