Does anyone have experience baking bread at high altitudes?
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Aqua (
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January 2nd, 2011
I got a slow-rise yeast bread cookbook for Christmas and made some decent white bread over the holidays. Now that I’m back from vacation, I’m living at high altitude (around 4,500’). I tried to make some bread recently (using this recipe) and it just doesn’t have the same consistency as before when I baked it at a lower altitude. It tastes great, but it doesn’t have the consistency to be used as sandwich bread. It’s too flimsy. It rose fine, and at the end of baking it looked done and there was that nice “thwack” when I knocked on the loaf.
I’ve done some Google searches and there seems to be some variation in the suggested adjustments. What have you found that works?
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10 Answers
I live in Alberta, a little high. I’ve never used lard, only 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp yeast, 1 tsp sugar, and about 7 -71/2 cups flour for that much water. I never let it rise as high as my mom did because of the softness so maybe that’s a difference, too.
I live at 9.5 ft. above sea level…I’d best not comment. ;)
Ha ha! I knew exactly what you meant by “flimsy”! I’ve made bread for years at different altitudes, and after all that work it really sucks when your bread falls apart.
Don’t use “bread flour”. You want something that hasn’t had all the gluten worked apart; a courser grind. I also had better luck with breads with additional binding agents at higher altitudes, like egg, chopped onion, fresh herbs.
Oh, I forgot. How you “proof” your yeast makes a difference also. When I forget about it and it gets really foamy, I get light, fragile bread. Just soften the yeast for a few minutes for a firmer loaf.
@faye: Yeah, I’ve never used lard either. I usually use margarine or butter if it calls for lard.
@Blueroses: Good. I’m glad someone knows what I’m talking about. It’s hard to describe it to someone if it’s never happened to you before. Are you sure about not using “bread flour?” I used all-purpose flour because that’s all I had, but the book I have says to use bread or high-gluten flour made from hard spring or winter wheat. Thanks for the hint on proofing the yeast.
I baked a “almost no knead bread”, up near Glacier Natl Park this summer. Came out great. If you want that recipe, which takes 18–24 hours to rise, give me a hollar
Btw, that bread is very crusty, very yummy, very complimented, and better for soaking up soup or pasta sauce, but still wonderful.
@stevenb Is that Michael Smith’s no knead bread? I make that all the time and change it, add all manner of things.
It’s Jim Laheys, modified slightly.
15 oz flour, ¼ tsp yeast, 1½ tsp salt, then 7 oz water, 3 oz lager beer, 1 Tbsp white vinegar. I have been adding a lot of extras lately. Crushed fennel is amazing. Roasted garlic always good. Dried onion with the beer bumped up a bit. It is cooked in a Dutch oven with the lid on for half an hour at 425, and lid off for ½ an hour.
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