MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
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I've been using a Kenwood BM250 bread machine to make bread for quite some time now and recently the loaves have been turning out a bit soft and crumbly when sliced. Now whilst this is perfect for making doorstop wedges of toast it is quite tricky to cut thin slices for sandwiches. When cut thinly the bread just falls to pieces.
What do I need to do to firm up my loaf? What should I increase / decrease from the following variables:
Water
Yeast
Salt
Sugar
Flour
Time
Ta in advance.
You are either adding too much sugar, which is there to feed the yeast, or not enough salt, which is there to control the yeast.
If it's crumbly I'd suspect too little gluten or it's not kneaded for long enough. Too dry a mixture could be doing it too. It's odd that it's just started, have you changed the flour you use? You could try using stronger flour.
Fat? My bread always has circa 25g of butter or olive oil in it.
Oh, I forgot to mention that I also add 4 tbsp of olive oil to the mix.
Try butter, I switched from olive oil and the wholemeal loaves improved no end
Fat. More of it. Olive oil is a bit rubbish, you need something with more guts.
I'd consider using butter... I love my olive oil, but butter is better for bread.
(I have a theory that olive oil is good for chains)
How much butter then?
(I'm using 500g of flour - 250g white / 250g wholemeal)
Olive oil is a bit rubbish
Heretic!
25-30g of butter I'd have thought