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  1. Thanks for your help with my bread that flattened from too wet dough. The video helped me know what to look for. And I not taking out 2T flour when I added wheat germ seems to be the biggest solution. I have since made two batches dough for beautiful cracked wheat rosemary boules.

    Thanks for your willingness to respond to questions.

      1. I have been trying to duplicate a pizza crust like the one in my favorite pizza restaurant using my home oven. The closest recipe I have found is on a site called pizzamaking.com and is called Lydia’s Cheater Round Table recipe. But it is tedious in that it requires making several thin crusts and layering them on top of each other to get the same effect. The site has photos of how the crust is after baking and is very close to the Round Table pizza crust. Do you know how I could get a similar effect in my home oven without having to make 3 or 4 layers? Thanks for your site, it is great.

    1. I’m not sure if this a related comment.
      In making Italian Semolina Bread at p. 80 of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes,I have been dividing the resulting dough into two circle shaped loaves. After the second rise, the loaves are quite flat and bake only about 2″ thick at the thickest part. I bake on a sheet pan with parchment following the other instructions.
      Is there a way to get a fuller loaf that is thicker?

      1. Steve: Form a higher ball at the outset, by more carefully “gluten-cloaking” the ball–give it more structure. See our videos and make sure your technique is right. OR, maybe your dough is just too wet. Semolina is a non-standard flour, and you may just need to decrease the water a little. Maybe 1/8 to 1/4 cup and see how the dough feels.

    2. I bought your book ABIF a week ago; a friend had suggested it. I made my first loaf last night and it was spectacular! – I am a self taught amateur chef, and so it was really no surprise. My question is, page 76 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread, calls for milk. Is it preferable to use whole milk or will it make any difference. We typically drink 1% at home. Many thanks! Making my first pizza for the hockey fans tonight.

  2. One of our 14-year-old friends has been diagnosed with serious food allergies that has left him quiet ill, in a great deal of pain and with a temporary loss of the use of his hands. It is my desire to find a bread that meets his new dietary needs as a gift to him and his mother.

    If you could offer insight into a recipe that excludes wheat including gluten, corn and corn byproducts, rice, soy, nuts, yeast and dairy. Any direction you could provide would be appreciated. I will continue my personal research into a delicious solution to this challenge.

    Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter,

    Ida

    1. Ida: Unfortunately we have nothing that meets your requirements. Sounds like you’re looking for a non-grain carbohydrate?

      1. Ida–Try sprouted grain; it’s basically just the sprout as in ‘Ezekiel bread”; t can be ordered–kinda pricey.

  3. I am trying GF bread for the first time. What is the consistency of the dough supposed to be with the Gluten-Free Crusty Boule on pg. 236 thru 237 in your ‘Healthy Bread in Five Minutes A Day’ cookbook?

  4. I put together the basic dough for healthy bread in five and the dough more than doubled in one hour. I just put it in the fridge but there isn’t much room for more rise. I used the 6 qt bucket like you use. Is this normal? I used king arthur white whole wheat and all purpose flour.

    1. Hi Georgia,

      Are you baking at high altitude? If not, this is just fine and your dough should do really well. Your water was probably warm, which gets the yeast going quickly.

      Thanks, Zoë

      1. Thanks, Zoe. It turned out fine but very heavy. Is this normal? I like ww bread but not so much this one I made from the Healthy bread book.

      2. Hi Georgia,

        Our whole wheat breads are denser than the whole wheat breads you typically find in the stores, but I’m not sure if your bread came out even denser than is normal for ours? Did it look like the loaf on the cover?

        Thanks, Zoë

  5. Bob’s Red Mill does not seem to have Vital Wheat Gluten, anymore, only VWG flour. How should I adjust the measurements of the flour and water to compensate for the difference, please?

    Thanks,

    Paul

  6. I could sit here and write a lengthy paragraph about how much your book has changed my life and has given me one of the best hobbies I have ever had! Talk about being able to impress friends!!! But quickly, I made pumpernickel bread last night, omitted the caramel color and now wondering since I am so desiring that darker color, can I add caramel color to my now risen and refrigerated dough??
    I love you both and thank you for producing such a GREAT book!!

    1. Thanks Elise: If you’re really motivated to do this, you could make a slurry of the caramel coloring with a 1/4 cup water, and mix that into the dough– it’ll be some work. Then work in 1/2 cup more of flour to adjust for the water you just did– and let it rise at room temp for 2 to 4 hours to re-establish air-hole structure.

      Or try the liquid version I put up at https://artisanbreadinfive.com/2008/10/26/pumpernickel-bread-how-to-make-your-own-caramel-coloring. Try our black and white pumpernickel at https://artisanbreadinfive.com/2011/04/11/one-last-pumpernickel-as-cool-weather-baking-season-starts-to-wind-down. Jeff

  7. Ingredient question for Cracked Wheat Bread, p.109 in “Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day”. Can I substitute bulgur wheat for cracked wheat in this recipe? If so, do I need to make any adjustments in the amount of liquid (or other ingredients)in the recipe? The chapter on “Ingredients” has information on bulgur wheat but does not have any specific information on cracked wheat. And I looked through the book and can’t find any information on it. How is cracked wheat different? Love this book and have made many of the breads with great success. Would like to try this recipe next. Thanks!

    1. Priscilla: Treat the bulgar the way we do for the recipe on page 152 and you should be fine. Cracked wheat is a very similar product except smaller particles (the variety of wheat may be slightly different too, not sure).

      You may need to adjust the liquids or flour to yield a dough of usual consistency…

  8. HI

    I saw you on youtube whilst searching for artisan bread. I have now sent off for 2 of your books as this sounds like my kind of cooking.

    A couple of problems. I live in UK and I went to supermarket for white all purpose unbleached flour.

    Asked in store as could not find it on the shelf and they did not know what it was!

    How do I know if its bleached or unbleached & what is all purpose as we have plain, self raising or strong bread flour???

    The other problem is the yeast as yours seems to be a paste and ours is in granules so how does one convert the measurements.

    The final problem is salt as yours is kosha which i think is milder than normal uk table salt so again how does one adjust.

    Totally love your recipes & just what is needed for the busy working mum that still wants quality food on a budget. Thank you.

    Kind Regards
    Beverlea

  9. My husband is the one who actually uses your book so far ( I only replied to a fan as I had some answer). My own question is: are you the folks who said he could leave the bread out on the counter uncovered? Now he leaves everything that way on the same principle; that it’s somehow ok — open, cut bread, even with cheese in it etc. I think the only reason we have no pests so far is because we have a regular pest-service from the time we did have pests. Sorry;thanks.

  10. help i,m trying to make your bread from the english book here in Spain, 2 questions…help

    I cannot get unbleached flour so should i mix in any strong flour to it

    and

    I can only get fresh yeast how much should i use it comes in grams and is there anything different I should do to it

    many thanks

    kira

    1. Kira: Fresh yeast isn’t as compact as granulated so you need to use double the volume (compared to granulated yeast) but keep in mind you can decrease the yeast in our recipes; see https://artisanbreadinfive.com/2007/12/19/low-yeast-version-of-our-master-recipe

      Strong flour will help if your basic flour is low in protein– and bleached flour is often lower in protein. See our post on different flours at https://artisanbreadinfive.com/2008/02/10/qa-flour-and-water

  11. Happy Holidays! I tried to make 10 grain bread from Healthy Bread in Five Minutes A Day, pages 111 and 112, but didn’t have the 10 grain hot cereal. So I tried using Bob’s Red Mill 7 grain hot cereal since I always have it. After 24 hours, dough was too dry but I tried to make a loaf. Didn’t rise well but tasted fine. Just tried a second loaf wetting my hands to shape loaf and it didn’t rise at all, just spread out so loaf was obviously too wet.

    Is it possible to successfully substitute 7 grain for 10 grain cereal in this recipe? Would first soaking cereal in water for an hour be helpful?

    I have two loaves of drier dough still in refrigerated 6 qt. container and I am uncertain what to do to the dough to revive it. However, even as drier dough with gluten that has no stretch to it, it produces a tasty loaf!

    Thanks for your thoughts.

    Love what you two have done to bread baking in the world!

    1. Jodie: This is always the risk with lots of whole grains– they absorb more water and you can end up with a dry dough. The Bob’s product is absorbing more than what we tested with. You probably don’t need to pre-soak, just increase the water in the initial mix. Increase by 1/8 cup or even 1/4, and then see what you think. May need to adjust with a little more flour in case this is over-doing it. Jeff

  12. Yes, it looked good. I think I will try less of the white whole wheat flour next time. And more salt? I measured by weight the King Arthur flour. Yesterday, I put the basic dough together for the white bread. Am looking forward to making that today.

  13. Georgia: Sounds like you might like a loaf more the like the Master Recipe from that book, which is about 75% whole grain. You can increase the salt; in our 1st book, we used more, 1.5 tablespoons for a comparable batch– that was too salty for some…

  14. Wow, I made the crusty white bread from artisan bread in 5 along with 2 other recipes from different source and yours was the best in taste and texture. Love that it is so easy. the others had to rise and ferment for hours! You really are changing the home baking experience. This is a great thing. Thank-you Jeff and Zoe. Now we can have homemade bread every day. And the best part is that all this bread eating is not making me gain weight. I am on a lifetime pass to ww and have not gained by eating bread. I love it!

    1. Hi Georgia,

      So glad you are enjoying the bread! We eat bread at nearly every meal and don’t gain weight. We’ve learned to eat it in moderation and all is well.

      Cheers, Zoë

  15. There are several milestones in your life that can lead you to gain weight. Rumour has it when you are first married, you can expect to add 25 pounds (I have lost the first of those fifteen and working off the last ten after 28 years happily married!).

    Another time is when you discover Zoë and Jeff’s Bread in Five. We have never eaten such good bread – be it loafs or pizza – as we have with Bin5. (We may need to find a Bin5 Anonymous!)

    Thanks, from our hearts and bellies, for the wonderful books, recipes and guides.

  16. thank you for your reply , loaf 4 is looking good, have you any plans to do your other books for the english markets soon….kira

    1. Kira: Yes, supposedly a version of Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day will be released by Ebury, but that could be as far off as 2 years. Not sure yet, will announce on website when that’s finalized. Jeff

  17. Hello, I refer to page 113 whole grain rye bread.
    I need to be able to bake a low GI bread and prefer sourdough, could I substitute a sourdough starter for yeast in this recipe?
    I am after a bread that is low in carbs and high in fibre.
    Vital wheat gluten is very difficult to source in Australia, so that would have to be excluded, this does not trouble me as it is less carbs.

    1. Hi Col,

      Have you tried baking our breads without the vital wheat gluten? It will require some adjustments to get the dough from being too wet. You may be able to find it under the name of gluten flour or vital wheat gluten or even a powder in Asian markets for making seitan. The vital wheat gluten is actually the protein of the flour, so it may be an ingredient that is helpful in your low carb breads.

      There are breads in our books that add bran to the dough, which you can do to most any of the recipes. You can’t add a significant amount or it will change the recipe.

      You can use sourdough starters in our doughs:https://artisanbreadinfive.com/2009/11/30/sourdough-starter-in-our-recipes

      Thanks, Zoë

  18. I use a metal pan for the water in the oven during the baking and it is getting rusty. What sort of pan do you use to avoid the rusting?

    1. Hi Sue,

      My old broiler pan is getting rusty, but it is only used for this purpose so I don’t worry about it. There are some pans that are covered with enamel that will not rust, but they tend to be more expensive.

      Thanks, Zoë

  19. I use the bottom part of the somewhat flat broiler pan that came with the oven. It fits nicely on the rack just below the bread stone and since it has a relatively large footprint it steams the water nicely when you put the cup of hot water in. It helps to wash and dry it after each use to prevent staining.

  20. I am having so much fun making bread from both books! Success with every recipe. You are awesome. There are two breads I would love to make. Vior’s Bakery in Santa Barbara made a Squaw Bread which we could buy hot and fresh from their back door. Dark brown and a bit sweet. And VanDeKamps Salt Rising Bread is greatly missed. Any thoughts?
    Pollyanna

  21. I have just discovered your amazing books through a friend so I haven’t started baking yet. I would just like to know if I can use something other than plastic to cover the bread while it is rising.

    1. Judy: Can use anything– stainless, ceramic, pottery, etc. Prob not cast-iron. Turn a bowl-shaped whatever over on the loaf. Jeff

  22. I’m planning to bake your Gluten- Free Brioche for my granddaughter this week. The recipe is on page 252 of Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day. I’ve been to 5 different stores to get all the ingredients and cannot find Brown rice flour, but I did get Bob’s Red Mill white rice flour and I’m hoping this will be an acceptable substitute. What do you think?

    1. Linda: Obviously a different nutritional profile, but unfortunately also absorbs water differently– will probably need less water so you’re going to need to experiment to keep it at the right level. 1/4 cup less? Not sure.

  23. I would like to use my sour dough starter in your white flour and whole wheat recipes instead of dry yeast. How do I make the substitution work?
    I have been making your bread for two years now and have several friends making bread for the first time and loving your method! I simply love it!
    Also, if possible, I would like to use my starter using your RECIPES but for just one loaf of bread ie using 3.5 cups of flour in total. How much sour dough starter would I use ?

  24. Dear Jeff and Zoe,
    I’ve been baking recipes out of your cookbook for about a year and love it! Found it at the library but had to own my own copy.

    Here’s my question: I tried to combine the Deli-style Rye and Pumpernickel doughs together after the first rise to create a “marbled” loaf. The first time it worked as a smaller loaf but the second time I got too ambitious and made a larger loaf. The outside looked beautiful but inside there was a large hole and wet dough. I had tried to combine the baking times: 450 degrees, 30 minutes with the 400 degrees and 35-40 minutes. Any suggestions? It was such a big hit with my boyfriend that I’d hate for him to think it was a fluke! Thanks for your help, Bonnie

    1. Bonnie: Smaller loaves are less tricky than big ones when using wet dough. First off, check oven temp with something like https://bit.ly/czmco2

      If you’re oven’s OK, sounds like you just needed more baking times. If a one-pound loaf needed 30 minutes, in general, a two-pounder will need 45, and a three-pounder will need 60. So long as the outside isn’t burning with those big ones, they can stay in–that’s what prevents what you saw.

      Also, allow to cool completely before cutting– esp with big ones, or they’ll seem wet. Jeff

  25. My wife bought me one of your books for Christmas, Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a day. I love it, the receipe really works. The bread is beautiful and as good as the bread from my local Artisan bread bakery. It really takes less than 5 minutes to get the dough out of the fridge/container and into the oven. the crust and crumb really did turn out as you say. great job. Can’t wait to try the peasant type loaves. Also, I made my own pizza peel out of some maple I had.

  26. Regarding dough storage, rather than in the refrigerator, can the dough be stored in the basement where the temperature is 50 degrees F? We live off grid and our refrigerator is usually a little tight on storage space. Thank you.

    1. Ron-Pam: Can do, but the dough won’t last as long before it over-sours and loses rising power. Consider half-batches and I bet it won’t matter. Jeff

  27. I received Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day for Christmas and love it. I would like to try using sprouted wheat flour when making the Master Recipe. What adjustments will I have to make, if any?

    1. Cathy: We haven’t tested with sprouted wheat flours– please let us know how your experiments go. My guess is that it won’t require all that much adjustment if you keep the proportion of sprouted wheat relatively low. Let’s say, like the Light Whole Wheat recipe. Jeff

  28. We have a wonderful Russian/Ukranian bakery here in Tacoma WA and they make a very dark rye which we love. It doesn’t have caraway and it is a small loaf-pan loaf. Maybe it is called borodine. Is there an Artisan in Five equivalent?

      1. Looks pretty involved! Yikes!

        Authentic Borodinsky Rye
        Jonathan Kandell, based on recipes by Auermann and Bolgov and Feldstein
        Makes one small loaf
        Overview
        Six steps: 1) Making rye sour 2) Scalding the flour (the mash) 3) Making the sourdough sponge 4) Mixing the final dough 5) Final Rise (Proof) 6) Baking
        I. Making a rye sour. The afternoon before baking add
        • ½c rye flour
        • 2T stored starter (any type)
        • enough water to make a liquid starter.
        Leave overnight till the next morning (as you do step 2) at room temperature until it’s light airy and full of bubbles. Feel free to follow a different refreshment regimen so long as one way or the other you end up with about ½ cup of active poolish-consistency rye starter.
        II. Zavarka (the mash)
        • Dark rye flour 1 C
        • Malt flour 3T (grind 3T of malted grain in coffee grinder: I prefer Maris Otter 2-row barley or rye malt, both available at brewery stores)
        • Coriander seed 1T fresh crushed coriander (not bottled powdered, unless extremely fresh)
        • Boiling Water 1 ½ c
        Scald the rye and malt: Mix ground malt and coriander with 1½c boiling water, stirring while adding boiling water. Enjoy the wonderful smell of malt, gather family and insist they smell it too. When cooled to 85F (slightly colder than your finger), around 2-3 hrs, proceed to step 3.
        III. Create the levain sponge Mix the active rye starter from step 1 thoroughly into the warm scald from step 2. Let sit at room temperature to ferment. When full of “air” and actively bubbling on top (around 4 hours), proceed to step 4.
        IV. Dough
        • Salt, 1 teaspoon
        • Coriander, crushed 2 or more teaspoons
        Stir above into sponge and mix well. Then add:
        • Dark rye flour 2 cups
        • White bread or all purpose flour ½ cup
        • Honey 2 tablespoon (or 1T sugar, 1T honey)
        Mix and knead. You may need up to ¼ c more wheat flour if the dough doesn’t come together, but try not to add much. Rye does not need much kneading, about 10 minutes in a bread machine on dough cycle. This rye dough will not move around the machine like wheat does; it will stay in one place, moist and slimy and sticky and gross. Use a spatula to continually push the dough in toward the blade. You can alternatively mix with a wooden spoon for up to half an hour, taking breaks as needed.
        V. Proofing. Form into a loaf in loaf pans. Using wet hands, slap the sticky wet dough firmly down into pan. I recommend a lightly sprayed silicon loaf pan sitting within a glass or metal loaf pan to hold the shape. Let the dough rise to just above the pan, around 4 hours. In a rush you can get away with half of that.
        VI. Baking Bake at around 350F for 1 hour and 300F for another half hour, or until hollow sounding when tapped on bottom. After cooling, wrap in tin foil and then in a plastic bag. Leave this wrapped cocoon out at least 24 hours. The bread will be moist in middle at first but the moisture will spread evenly after the wait.
        Notes: I like coriander, so feel free to adjust down. Experiment with dark and medium ryes and coarse and fine wheat flours. Experiment with different degrees of sourness in the rye starter or the second levain. The perfect Borodinsky is a balance between the sweetness of the honey and coriander and the sour of the rye starter. Experiment with different malts and different sweeteners, e.g molasses, sorghum. Note on cleaning rye: Rye is sticky and messy. I recommend cleaning your utensils immediately while still wet, dry rye is impossible. Use plenty of cold water. Use wet hands when you need to touch the dough (e.g. when taking out of bread machine pan, when patting down); keep a bowl of water near. Please tell me how it turns out!
        Jonathan Kandell, Tucson AZ, eval(unescape(‘%64%6f%63%75%6d%65%6e%74%2e%77%72%69%74%65%28%27%3c%61%20%68%72%65%66%3d%22%6d%61%69%6c%74%6f%3a%6b%61%6e%64%65%6c%6c%40%67%6d%61%69%6c%2e%63%6f%6d%22%3e%6b%61%6e%64%65%6c%6c%40%67%6d%61%69%6c%2e%63%6f%6d%3c%2f%61%3e%27%29%3b’)) Created: May 2006. Revised: June 25, 2006; April 2010. Share and modify this document freely so long as no money is charged, credit is retained, and the new document carries the same restrictions: All text licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/.

      2. Thanks J N,

        This looks like an interesting recipe. Love the coriander. We’ll let you know when we get a chance to try it out.

        Cheers, Zoë

  29. I really enjoyed your class today in Atlanta and when I got home, I received in the mail my quarterly Notre Dame magazine…please look at this article which I think is probably your recipe this graduate used to start his “Artisan Kit” business. This is a no-knead bread “kit” – it may be of interest to you.

    https://magazine.nd.edu/news/27952/

    Once again, thanks for today and I am going to order your first book – I wish they had them today!

    1. Hi Ellen,

      Thank you so much for joining us today, we had such a fun time at Cooks Warehouse with all of you!

      This article is very interesting indeed, thank you for sharing it with us.

      Cheers! Zoë

  30. Hi,
    I am making the dough right now and it has risen but not doubled? Think I used to much water or water temp was to cold? Need to start over or let it sit for another hour or two on the counter?
    Thanks,
    dawn

    1. Nadia: Believe it or not, I find it cheap and shipping-charge free to use Amazon (click on the links above). But re-sellers may get a better deal from the publisher than authors– you’ll have to buy in quantity though, I think. Will e-mail you with additional info… Jeff

  31. On page 28 of “Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day” you mention baking the bread in a covered cast-iron pot. I would like to do that instead of free-form on a stone. What size pot do you recommend? (for baking a 1 pound piece from the master recipe) Thank you.

  32. hi guys! just quickly: i’m going to make the sticky pecan rolls. what’s the best dough to use? (boule, challah, or broiche)

    thanks a bunch!

    ker

  33. Re: BPA in 6 quart containers

    Hi,
    What are your thoughts on the BPA in the platic containers you recommend sold on Amazon, etc.? I just got one and see it’s the number 7 which everyone says to avoid.

    Thanks,
    elisa in Seattle

    1. Elisa: US FDA has found them to be safe, but Canadian FDA has not. So I’m at a loss. If you want, you can store in glass, ceramic, or stainless steel. Or the softer plastics (cloudy not clear) that don’t have BPA. Jeff

  34. Hi Jeff;
    It’s very confusing. The same manufacturer makes containers that are number 5, and are BPA free according to King Arthur Flour (who just sells, does not make them). It does not seem a worthwhile risk to use the #7 (I just got one from Amazon and now it’s used to store containers) we switched our all our water bottles so I’m not going to make home crafted bread in something that might contaminate my dough. When my new container comes I will confirm it’s what they say.

  35. I bought your book “Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day” in the summer and have been working my way through it with my children…we love it and eat fresh bread nearly every morning now! This weekend was going to be when we start the “Flatbreads and Pizza” chapter, but it’s not there!!! The book jumps pages at page 114 and picks up at page 147?! Can you help? Our family of seven wants their pizza! 🙂 We purchased the book on amazon, but it is beyond the return window. thanks so much.

    1. Carrie: So sorry you didn’t notice before your return return window ran out. Only option at this point is to ask the bookseller if there is anything that can be done, and my guess is that they will expect to abide by their return policy. Sorry we can’t be more helpful. Meanwhile, there are lots of pizza resources here on the website for free.

  36. What thermometer temperature should the light whole wheat bread be at page 74 first book, Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day to get the lightest possible density? Thank you!

    1. Hi Elaine,

      Are you talking about the internal temperature of the loaf? This will be about 200°F. This is higher than traditional loaves, because our doughs are so much wetter.

      Thanks, Zoë

  37. I was asked by my church to start a baking ministry for the communion bread. My only directions were to find a loaf that won’t get crumbs everywhere when broken in half and won’t disintegrate when dipped in liquid. I have the original ABI5 book and have so far tested the original boule baked on a cookie sheet with parchment (trying to get a softer outer crust) and the white sandwich bread (baked in a round cake pan to try and get softer sides…). The first was too hard to tear, the second to crumbly (but both delicious!). Before I bake my way through every recipe (and my wallet), I wonder if you might recommend one of the recipes? Or would adding milk instead of water and/or more sugar to either of those recipes help with a more tender crust? Thanks so much!

    (also…we love the bagel recipe so much that we had bagels, and only bagels, for dinner last night. YUM.)

    1. Kelly: If you’re looking for something with a softer crust, try the Buttermilk dough on page 207. Or does it have to be dairy free because it won’t be used fresh? I’d use that buttermilk bread the same-day…

      Do get it even softer, can brush with oil or butter before baking. Good luck!

      1. Thanks, I will give the buttermilk dough a try today. The bread will be baked ahead of time and then frozen, so although it won’t be used the same day, it also won’t be sitting out…I haven’t tried freezing the bread before since we usually eat it all, so I’ll do a trial with that as well. Thanks again!

      2. Wanted to follow-up on our communion bread making…we are using the buttermilk bread recipe. In all my samples at home, it worked great! No crumbs when tearing it (I am using an egg wash instead of oil or butter, just because it is cheaper!). When I got to the church today to bake, though, I saw they had purchased 25 lbs of bleached flour instead of unbleached. I went ahead and mixed the dough, but haven’t baked it yet. Do you think I will need to make any adjustments due to the difference in flours? Thank you!

      3. Hi Kelly,

        Typically you will need to add a bit more flour if it is bleached. What brand is the flour?

        Thanks, Zoë

      4. Hi Zoe, I believe the brand is Peter Pan. Thanks!
        (My apologies that there is a duplicate of this comment…I did not realize I was on the wrong page when typing it!)

      5. Hi Kelly,

        I am not familiar with Peter Pan flour. I recommend that you mix the batch and see if the dough feels the same as usual. If the dough feels too wet, add another 1/4 cup flour.

        Thanks, Zoë

    1. Georgia: you’d need a double-sized bucket. Or not quite double, but otherwise will overflow. 9 or 10 qt should do it.

      1. I recently went to a local grocery stores’ bakery and asked for and gratefully received a bucket about 9 qts. and will give it a try. I have another question, I am prepared to make the soft ww sandwich bread and realized I don’t have enough www. Recipe calls for 650g and I have 466g. In substituting for ap flour I am not sure how much to use since they weigh in at different grams.

      2. Georgia: It’s true, but that’s pretty close, bet you’ll be OK. May need a little less water, since whole grain absorbs more. Or a little more flour.

  38. Because we prefer the shape of a loaf rather than the oval, round, or other odd shape, I prefer to bake using a pan. I noted somewhere in one of the recipies a reduced heat and time for the baking when using a pan. However, practically all of the other recipies speak only of a peel which I have, but prefer not to use for these breads most of the time. What is your recommended bake time and temp for breads using a pan wherever you have mentioned only the peel?

    By the way. I was delighted to see your use of USA Pans in your Pullman loaf blog. Keep up the buy American! I use USA Pans exclusively because I’ve found that they provide a much more uniform heat distribution.

    The requested info pertains to breads in the Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day book.

  39. Another posting. For some time over the past several years I’ve used a wide variety of flours from and equally wide variety of producers. One such producer which I found myself leaning toward more so than the others is Bob’s Red Mill. Last summer I had the opportunity to visit the Mill in Milwaukee, Oregon near Portland OR. They give an excellant tour and are quite happy to answer all questions. Since that tour I now use Bob’s Red MIll flours almost exclusively. I say almost because occassionally it is not possible to get a particular type of flour down here in San Antonio TX. Their quality, attention to cleanliness, attention to isolation from possible cross contamination, and attention to purity are most impressive.

    And of course, it is an American made product.

    1. Hi Don,

      We love Bob’s Red Mill as well! There are many flour companies that share their devotion to high quality products. We are lucky to have so many to choose from.

      Cheers, Zoë

  40. Zoe, thanks for the quick reply and excuse me for my very tardy response. I bread pan of choice is always the USA Pans (made in the USA) 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.75 inch type. I ahve tried numerous other producers and have found that the heat distribution seems to be better in these pans. They are also a breeze to clean, don’t really require any oily coating before placing the dough in them, and the breads never stick rather they fall out quite easily. They do require a differnt baking time though. While the breads are baked through, they tend to be slightly overbaked when timed in accordance with the HBin5 directions.

    I’ve got to get your latest(? book, the pizza and pita one, next.

  41. I have your first book and love the recipe, ive used it as piazza crust and everything
    However, I am needing to go gluten free & soy free. Do you have any suggestions of how I can alter your recipe?
    I would love to continue using it
    Wanda

  42. I’m making a different batch of your bread dough weekly. For the Lentil Curry Brea, pg 168 in Healthy Bread, what kind of lentils do you use, red or green?

    1. Brenda: I usually use brown ones. Red or green will also work (I know that some people call the brown ones “green”)

  43. School nutrition programs are soon requiring 100% whole wheat bread. Many schools bake their own product. Is there a way to receive a quantity recipe for WW Bread? Or -can you just “times (x)it” by the number of loaves or servings needed? Sometimes when increasing a recipe the integrity of the product changes.

  44. I’ve been making bread on my own for years, not always successfully adn when I found out about these books, I WANTED THEM ALL!! Well, for christmas I received Artisan bread and was over the moon. I’m working on trying to get the Healthy bread one, but as a single mom, who’s daughter rides horses you can only imagine that extra $$ goes to the horses and the teenager before any new recipes books. Anyway, I have been using the book I have pretty religiously, about 2-3 times a week thus far and LOVE IT!!!!!!!! You both are brilliant and I haven’t enjoyed making bread more in my life. It was always a bit of a chore, but now I have a couple of batches going at any given time. Make teh granola bread and it was loved by all. I am looking forward to trying all of them at some point, but sadly, my waist and my butt are beginning to give evidence of my latest hobby!

  45. OH MY GOSH! I bought your “Healthy Bread in 5” at the Mother Earth News Fair in Pa, and I’m finally just getting started with baking. Your “Soft Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread” is THE best sandwich bread I have ever had, homemade or otherwise!!! The kids, my husband, and I can’t get enough of it. We love it! And it’s soooo easy! Thank you so much! I can’t wait to bake myself through the entire book.

    1. Hi Janelle,

      Thank you for coming to see us at the Fair and for this lovely note, so glad you are enjoying the bread!

      Cheers, Zoë

  46. Hey guys–I’ve been using your book (and loving it!), but I seem to encounter the same problem every time I bake the loaf–the center rises a ton, but it doesn’t seem to “spring” evenly (the bulge is only in the middle). Is there something I’m doing wrong? For what it’s worth, I’m using a straight-up gas oven. Thanks!

    1. Hi Dylan,

      I think what you are describing may be fixed by a longer rise time. Which dough are you baking with?

      Thanks, Zoë

      1. This is just the normal “master recipe” you guys have in the book. I actually just realized that the first batch was made with bleached flour (blech!)…is it possible that’s the problem?

        I noticed it happened regardless of how long the dough had been sitting in the fridge. Thanks!

      2. Dylan: Bleached flr is too low in protein and yields a dough that’s too wet (protein absorbs water). So switch. But… I think Zoe’s right, the resting-time is probably going to help more than the flour. Jeff

      3. Thanks for letting me know! Are you suggesting I let the dough rest for longer than the 40 minutes you guys suggest? Is there something that the dough will do, visually, to let me know it’s ready to pop in the oven!

      4. Dylan: Try 60, or even 90 minutes (especially if you are using much whole wheat in the mix). When it’s ready to go, the loaf will seem “wobbly” when you jiggle the pizza peel that it’s sitting on (don’t overdo it with the jiggling). Slash deeply, maybe go more like 1/2-inch– shallow slashing can give off-balance results too.

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