My son called me and asked me questions that I could not answer. I live in Idaho and he lives in Michigan, which is a big altitude difference. I make homemade wheat bread (it is actually mostly whole wheat and some white flour) and when they came to visit got the recipe so they could make it when they got home. He has said that the first rising of the bread, the bread rises just fine but when they roll it out and shape it and put it in the bread pans, that rising isn't as good. He says that they have noticed that it will rise the first 30 minutes and then if they leave it longer it doesn't do much after that. Their bread doesn't come out like mine. I didn't know what was going on except that I have found out that the higher your altitude and shorter rising time you need. He said that they have let it rise in the pans for a little over an hour and it just didn't do much. Should they let it rise longer in the pans....could it be maybe as long as 2 hours? So that is his first question.....what is going on there and if anyone has any ideas for them. Also he has said that they bake it for as long or a little longer than the recipe calls for and it seems to be doughy in the middle. He has said that he feels if they bake it any longer it will burn. He says that they take it out and tap on the bread and it sounds like it is hollow. Do any of you have any ideas that I could pass on to them? I would sure appreciate it. Also they are using gluten and a dough enhancer. The dough enhancer they use is potato flakes and vinegar which we got off of a baking site. Anyway if anyone can help us out, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much.
Colleen