Bread baking disaster!

13 years ago

Well, after bragging about how I can now make some of my breads for the market with my eyes closed, I was due the disaster I had today! The Bread gods were agin' me!

Several weeks ago I ordered some FREE sourdough starters from NYBakers.com. I activated the SoCal starter and parked it in the fridge. Friday I took it out and fed it, divided it in preparation to make some sourdough bread.

I made at least two mistakes with this bread: 1) I only added about 5 cups of flour instead of six, remembering that my recipe is a batter bread and 2) I put the dough into pans that were too small. Why? I don't know....seemed like a good idea at the time....

When I went home at lunch just now to bake the bread, I had dripping dough all inside the oven where the pans of dough were rising, dough on the floor of the oven, dough on my pizza stone on the lowest oven rack, blobs of dough everywhere! I scraped up as much of the raw dough as I could and turned on the oven. The dough continued to rise up out of the pans and drip onto the floor of the oven. Why you ask??? Because I used pans that were too d*%# small! What a mess! And ugh! the smell of burning bread!

The bread was difficult to remove from the pans, but it still tastes good - so it won't go to waste. And I really like this new sourdough starter!

........back to square one......... Teresa

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Comments (12)

ann_t
13 years ago
Teresa, I feel for you.

If the loaves do not look good enough to sell, maybe you could cut them up and make Croutons to sell. You could leave them plain or seasoned.

Ann
jessicavanderhoff
13 years ago
Dang-- I am sorry to hear that.

Don't be too hard on yourself. I bet you were stressed out and busy-- and if you buy your supplies in bulk, you probably didn't waste too much money.
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sheshebop
13 years ago
Teresa,
I think it is the July 26 Gods, not the Bread Gods. I had a disaster today in canning peaches...had to dump everything and start over. How could you screw up water bath canning you ask? Well, I found a way! I definitely will NOT buy a lottery ticket today...I would probably have to pay the state a million dollars!
lindac
13 years ago
I am always amazed by the things that seem like a good idea that turn out to be such a spectacular BAD idea!
But suppose this were your first attempt at bread baking....you might never try again! At least you know it was an isolated incident.
well tomorrow is another day....who said that? Scarlett? Or Li'l Orphan Annie?
Linda C
jessyf
13 years ago
Teresa, I have a few people things in mind to sacrifice to appease your Gods. Just give me the word.
Teresa_MN
13 years ago
Teresa - that's too bad about the bread disaster. How long have you been selling at your market (local farmer's I imagine)? New here so I do not know much about you. What types of bread do you bake?

I rarely run across anyone who spells Teresa like I do.

Teresa in Minnesota
teresa_nc7
Original Author
13 years ago
I've been baking breads for the market since last July - the market runs from the first Saturday in May to the first Saturday in November. I make mostly yeast bread loaves and rolls plus the occasional muffins and sweet tea breads. This past Saturday I sold out before 11:00 a.m. which was wonderful because it was very hot!

Gripes me no end when people assume that I spell my name with an "h." You too?

Teresa - no H
Teresa_MN
13 years ago
Absolutely - I hate it when I have to spell my name over and over again.

I used to be a vendor at the Minneapolis Farmer's Market. I still help out my friend that sells soap because it is so fun. And last weekend I worked way to many hours helping out my friend Bonnie's husband Jim. Bonnie died a week ago Saturday of breast cancer. She was an artist and designed some fabulous t-shirts, shorts and skirts. She will be missed. I am sorry to say, now that the artist is gone, this will be the last year at the market for the T-shirt people (as they are known).

I'm not much of a baker and admire that you have a product so good that sells out so quick!

Our market starts in early April and runs thru Christmas - yes - in Minnesota! And then the meat and egg people still show up every other Saturday from January until it all begins all over again!

Teresa - also NO H please! lol
annie1992
13 years ago
Teresa_nc7, every time I get complacent, I get a bread disaster, LOL. It helps me stay realistic, I think.

At least it tasted good, so you can still eat it or freeze it or as Ann T suggested, make croutons and sell those at the market.

Since you gave the bread baking classes a couple of years ago and did all that cookbook work on bread, I had to smile when I read the title and thought that your disaster probably wasn't much of a disaster. But what a mess, sorry about your oven.

Annie
lindac
13 years ago
One of my regrets is that I couldn't make it to paney camp...
I don't believe I have ever had home made bread that wasn't at least good for one meal.
And it makes great croutons and home made bread crumbs.
mustangs81
13 years ago
Teresa_MN, to your statement New here so I do not know much about you. Teresa NC was our dough master at Painy Camp a few years ago. While she was a task master, she was so knowledgeable as were our Canning Coaches, Annie and KatieC, the previous year. It was such a great experience to learn from these ladies who know all the tricks. The bonus was learning side-by-side with great CF friends then the enjoyment of preparing meals together. Can you imagine a kitchen full of CF friends??
teresa_nc7
Original Author
13 years ago
Awww, Cathy, thanks! This is another reason why I love this place - I can find such great cheerleaders who will toot my horn now and then - LOL!

Teresa

Bread baking disaster!

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