[Just thinking (OP)]

Is there a trade secret to making fluffy bread? My bread always turns out like bricks.

[Colin2B]

Hydration is one factor in commercial bread which is usually wetter.
For home made bread proper kneading, proving time and knocking back/shaping makes a difference.
Can you describe what sort of bread you are making as techniques differ.

[Just thinking (OP)]

Hydration is one factor in commercial bread which is usually wetter.
For home made bread proper kneading, proving time and knocking back/shaping makes a difference.
Can you describe what sort of bread you are making as techniques differ.

Thanks for the reply. OK, 500g bread flower, 2x teaspoons of dry yeast, 1x teaspoon of bread improver, 1x teaspoon salt, 1x tablespoon sugar, 1x tablespoon vegetable oil, 130ml warm water, 130ml milk. I knead the dough for 3 to 4 minutes folding squeezing bashing then let rise for one hour to 1.5 hours in a warm place a damp cloth over the top of the bread tin then cook for 35 to 40 minutes and presto I have a brick and a few less teeth. Is it due to lack of kneading or more than that?

[Colin2B]

If you are using milk I’m assuming white bread in which case 260 of liquid is quite low. I would normally do a minimum of 300-320 depending on the flour strength. Bread machines often use 500:360 which is quite a sticky dough.
I assume you are activating the dried yeast.
You are right, it’s not a lot of kneading, 10min at least. Push the dough away to stretch the gluten, fold, turn 90° and stretch again. When it’s done you should be able to do a ‘window pane test’, stretch a small part of the dough and you should be able to see your fingers through it without it breaking, the thinner the better.
Proving time sounds ok, but will depend on temp. Give it a poke test - push your finger in up to first knuckle and the indent should come out very slowly & not feel rubbery. (My grandmother told me this is what navels are, god testing the babies to see if they are ready for the oven. Set my biology back by years, but did wonders for my baking  )
After proving you need to shape properly. Put the dough on a surface and pull/fold the sides (4) into the centre, this stretches the gluten and seals the surface of the loaf so the CO2 can’t escape. Turn it upside down with the folds underneath and put it on your baking sheet - preferably hot sheet in preheated oven. Have a roasting tray of water in the bottom of the oven to keep the air moist.
If you are getting really hard crusts you could bake in a casserole for 1/2 time and then take lid off.
Good luck

[Just thinking (OP)]

If you are using milk I’m assuming white bread in which case 260 of liquid is quite low. I would normally do a minimum of 300-320 depending on the flour strength. Bread machines often use 500:360 which is quite a sticky dough.
I assume you are activating the dried yeast.
You are right, it’s not a lot of kneading, 10min at least. Push the dough away to stretch the gluten, fold, turn 90° and stretch again. When it’s done you should be able to do a ‘window pane test’, stretch a small part of the dough and you should be able to see your fingers through it without it breaking, the thinner the better.
Proving time sounds ok, but will depend on temp. Give it a poke test - push your finger in up to first knuckle and the indent should come out very slowly & not feel rubbery. (My grandmother told me this is what navels are, god testing the babies to see if they are ready for the oven. Set my biology back by years, but did wonders for my baking  )
After proving you need to shape properly. Put the dough on a surface and pull/fold the sides (4) into the centre, this stretches the gluten and seals the surface of the loaf so the CO2 can’t escape. Turn it upside down with the folds underneath and put it on your baking sheet - preferably hot sheet in preheated oven. Have a roasting tray of water in the bottom of the oven to keep the air moist.
If you are getting really hard crusts you could bake in a casserole for 1/2 time and then take lid off.
Good luck

Thanks Colin I will give this a go. I will study your recommendations what you have said sounds like good advice to me I have nothing to lose except my last two teeth. LOL! I will have another try in a week or two and let you know how I got on. I feel a little bit silly as I had a great uncle that was a baker just before the first world war but he passed away before I was born. I think one must be a hard worker to make good bread and I am a bit lazy I will make an effect and see if I can improve thanks again, Colin Ian.

[Petrochemicals]

Fresh flour, the flour you have in supermarkets has probably been there for weeks. It's like saying dried herbs are as good as fresh.