- I use a cast iron bread pan -- it really makes a difference
- I prefer to use a good quality bread flour, like King Arthur. Haven't had luck with all-purpose flour.
- I do everything in a single bowl, up to the point that the dough is transferred to the bread pan
- I keep the oven at 450 degrees F throughout, and only start it 15 minutes before baking.. works well enough for me
- I use the "3/4 of original" ingredients in the recipe to make one single loaf of bread, which fits perfectly in my bread pan
- I tend to apply coconut oil to the top of the bread half-way through baking, rather than before baking. It's a lot easier to apply coconut oil when it's melted, which it'll readily do atop hot bread, so this is the easiest way to do it for me. But I still oil the inside of the bread pan beforehand as usual.
- I like to use instant yeast, so I can mix it directly in to the flour without needing the extra step of activation. It's worked great for me.
- Before adding the yeast, I mix the salt thoroughly in to the flour. Yeast should not be dumped directly on a pile of salt as that could kill it. Also, don't let the water you add get too hot, as that can also kill the yeast. I make the water luke-warm to slightly warm and that's resulted in a big rise in the dough for me.
http://dpaste.com/1JH41V3
Recipe modifications and tips:
- I use a cast iron bread pan -- it really makes a difference
- I prefer to use a good quality bread flour, like King Arthur. Haven't had luck with all-purpose flour.
- I do everything in a single bowl, up to the point that the dough is transferred to the bread pan
- I keep the oven at 450 degrees F throughout, and only start it 15 minutes before baking.. works well enough for me
- I use the "3/4 of original" ingredients in the recipe to make one single loaf of bread, which fits perfectly in my bread pan
- I tend to apply coconut oil to the top of the bread half-way through baking, rather than before baking. It's a lot easier to apply coconut oil when it's melted, which it'll readily do atop hot bread, so this is the easiest way to do it for me. But I still oil the inside of the bread pan beforehand as usual.
- I like to use instant yeast, so I can mix it directly in to the flour without needing the extra step of activation. It's worked great for me.
- Before adding the yeast, I mix the salt thoroughly in to the flour. Yeast should not be dumped directly on a pile of salt as that could kill it. Also, don't let the water you add get too hot, as that can also kill the yeast. I make the water luke-warm to slightly warm and that's resulted in a big rise in the dough for me.