HELP i can't make bread!

[buddie]

i can cook wonderful meals.. muffins, glorious cakes and homemade breads (baked on a cookie sheet) but when it comes to breads like zucchini or banana etc in a bread pan i FAIL!

this past week i tried the pumpkin struesal bread UGHHHh it never cooked...

my breads in bread pans either come out to dry...way undercooked (and that is undercooked after adding up to 30 minutes on the timer!). my oven temp is correct. i have tried glass pans and nonstick pans...

do you have any ideas for me??

[RunnerKim]

I'm not sure what could cause your quick bread to need sooo much additional time but here are some thoughts?

-- Did you use pumpkin pie mix vs. pumpkin (cans look very similar)
-- Did you use the same size pan - not a smaller one that would make it thicker and thus need more time?
-- As far as too dry: if you over mix the wet and dry ingredients that will dry out the bread (the gluten in the flour starts to develop). Or if you don't measure your flour by the "spoon into measuring cup, level with a knife" method, you're probably using too much flour.
-- are you precise when measuring liquid ingredients - look at eye level.
-- Things like elevation and weather can also affect it.

Good luck
Kim

[Vanessa]

If your oven temperature is correct and your only problem is breads it could be the pan you use. Is it the correct size? Some breads call for an 9 inch loaf pan vs an 8 inch.Also if you are using a glass dish vs a dark pan baking times will change (glass decrease temp and time by 10 minutes. with a dark pan you will need to decrease cooking time 10 mins.
Are you measuring your flour correctly? When you incorporate wet ing to dry ingredients are you mixing too much? Are you preheating your oven?
I just saw the Nov article on making bread is a very good one that guides you through measuring, mixing, shaping. Hang in there and keep experimenting

[andreajackson]

I have a story that might make you feel better! I thought one time that I would make Blueberry bread(this was early in my baking days) and so I mixed the batter and cooked it and thought the pan looked a little full but didn't think to much about it. About 45 mins. later I go and check and it's very brown on top! So without thinking I take it out of the oven. I let it cool a bit and then took it out of the pan, as soon as I layed it on the plate it fell! It wasn't done in the center. It was flat on the plate and I was so devasted! I have learned to always check with a toothpick before taking it out now!

[NancyR]

Sounds like you might be overmixing. Breads of this type should only be lightly combined until all dry ingredients look moist (no dry pockets). Things like zucchini and banana chunks are something like 98% water. If you beat the heck out of them you release all that water and make your batter too runny. Try a more gentle hand and let us all know how you do.

[buddie]

thanks everyone!

i think i am OVERMIXING!!!!!

trying bread this weekend!

thanks again

[Beth]

Yes, mix lightly, but also check your baking powder. I use that in some muffins, but esp. in quick breads and scones. I tried a new banana bread recipe that had been posted here with a new can of baking powder (the white one). I got the heaviest gummy goo. Since the baking powder was new, I suspected the recipe. The I made something else with similar results. If the bread doesn't rise as much as you think it should, check the date on the baking powder, or get a new can just for good measure.