High Altitude Bread (Baking)

[Holding Pattern]

We've been at 6,000 ft. for almost a year now and we're till frustrated by high altitude baking... it seems our breads never get a good rise and if they do it seems they still bake into paperweights.

Any advice please?

[Grainlady]

Are you making the appropriate alterations suggested for high altitude baking? I've included some links with more information.

I'd also suggest using a dough rising bucket (http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/...-rising-bucket) so you can accurately know how much your dough has risen, because you only want the dough rising almost to "double" - not over.

In a dough rising bucket, if you place 1 quart of dough in it, snap the lid on tight, when it rises ALMOST to the 2-quart line you know it's time to punch it down. If your container doesn't have any graduated markings on it, use a ruler to measure where the dough comes to on the outside of the container, double the measurement and mark where just under "double" will occur so you don't let it rise past that mark. If there is 1-inch of dough, then don't let it rise past 2-inches.

You can get similar containers at restaurant supply stores (square or round food storage containers - just make sure the lid fits on tightly and the sides are straight), or if you have a straight-sided plastic container with a tight-fitting lid (used ice cream pail, Rubbermaid storage canister, etc.), use it. I normally use a 2-quart (around 2-pounds of dough) or 4-quart (for multiple loaves) size container.

Slant-sided bowls are impossible to correctly tell when "double" has been reached because the base of the bowl is much smaller than the top, so that's the reason for a straight-sided container. An enclosed container, like a dough rising bucket, is also going to keep the dough from drying out. A perfect little environment. Just handle the dough with oiled hands when placing it into the plastic container - no flour.

Dough rises faster at higher elevations, so don't go by times in recipes. Besides, dough doesn't know how to tell time no matter WHAT elevation it's made at. Dough rises according to the ambient temperature, moisture/humidity, and the strength of the yeast. Rising times in recipes are just good guesses, common times written into recipes, or what happened in the test kitchen - which probably has a different temperature, humidity level and altitude than your kitchen, to affect the rise.

Some helpful hints...

http://highaltitudecooking.blogspot....ast-bread.html

http://www.astray.com/recipes/?show=...itude%20baking

http://www.swcoloradohome.com/articl...d/020114_b.asp

http://www.csuextstore.com/store/pc/...=&idproduct=27

If you have an Extension Office in your county, call them for more information. They will probably have free handouts on the subject.

[Early Bird]

Here's a recipe that works well in the old Welbilt breadmaker:

http://www.recipezaar.com/Basic-High...admaker-236964

I have 2 of those breadmakers, and I've seen some on the used market as well.

In Recipe Reviews, someone has posted how she baked this at 8500 feet without a breadmaker. Successfully.

[Holding Pattern]

thank you both, looking forward to tomorrow, baking day.