potlucklady

I've been trying to make a recipe for Portuguese Sweet bread I got from a friend. I know everything is fresh, since I had to go out and buy yeast, flour, etc to make it. It seemed to be going well, but the final product was rather dense and doughy when everything was said and done. Any ideas?

BakerMum

Not a warm enough rising environment? Not long enough to rise? Not kneaded enough? The yeast not stored correctly in the store, and hence failed to activate?

katie

That's the problem with baking fresh bread, it could be any of the reasons that bakermum stated. I do know (from experience! ) that if the bread doesn't rise enough, it will be dense and doughy. Maybe the next time you try, you should let the bread rise more, even if it's longer than the recipe calls for. How warm the area is where you place your dough to rise is also a big factor. The warmer the better!

alexis

I have always had issues with bread making so any tips I can learn the better for my husband. He always tells me that I am lumpy, meaning the bread not me but still he gets a snack for it.

Chef Caine

The oven (turned OFF of course) is a nice, safe place to let your bread dough rise. Guaranteed draft-free.

BakerMum

In the winter I actually turn my oven on for a few seconds because we don't heat the house a lot. It can be pretty frigid. A few seconds is enough to make it warm enough to rise.

If you have problems with any of the above, as long as the yeast isn't completely dead, then just leave it longer. Stop following the recipe so strictly and instead pay attention to when the dough is doubled (at least) in size.