Great ideas all. I never thought about removing the paddles. I have, for years, pulled out the bread and wrap it in a "tea" towel, like the ones my Mother used to use for drying dishes. It is still put on a cooling wrap, but the towel wicks up moisture, allows it to cool a bit more slowly and about 30 minutes or so into the cooling, when it gets the the light warm stage I put it in saved plastic grocery bags. Sometimes I get those bags that never had anything in them and I save them especially for bread along with those bags that had things like boxed food items in it. NEVER anything that had chemicals like cleaners, soaps and never any that had meat in it. When I make 100% whole wheat bread I always put in a heaping tablespoon of Vital Wheat Gluten and usually add 1 tbs of milk to the recipe along with the normal amount of dry milk called for. The gluten also adds "dry" to the mix that needs to have some moisture to compensate for it. Fallen tops of loaves indicate too much rise, too quick and less yeast is a general overall best cure. I also add just a pinch 1/16 - 1/8 tsp of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) as it adds structure to the gluten as a dough conditioner. Don't skimp salt either as it helps to subdue the yeast from getting out of hand and adds necessary flavor.

• Reply