Thank you 🙏

Thank you so much for the reply. I love your website and absolutely love experimenting with the recipes!

Hello Chantel,
Yes that is very well possible. The only thing I cannot give you is our experience with the method for this particular recipe. Depending on the temperature of the dough and the fridge and the fridge time, it could be that you might want to add a little less yeast in the final dough, if you plan to proof overnight or for a longer period, so the dough will not overproof. If possible keep an occasional eye on the dough to see how it goes.

Wishing you lots of joy with your baking!

Hello Paloma,
We are sure you did not do anything terribly wrong, maybe something needs a bit of tweaking. When bread comes out dense, there can be a few reasons. The first thing to asses is the kneading. Make sure the dough (and therefor the gluten in the dough) is well developed. Also look at the pictures above and see the quality of our dough. Equally or even more important is the proofing part. You really need to make sure you take the time for the final proofing at the right temperature. If the dough is not proofed at the right temperature as described, it can take much longer for the dough to reach perfect proofing. So be brave and maybe proof a bit longer.
And a third reason: People can sometimes add to much extra flour to their dough when handeling it, making the dough dryer and therefor denser. Make sure, during handling and shaping you add as little extra flour as possible.
Hope you will give it another go and with these suggestions, can get a lighter and airy result.

Enjoy your baking journey!

Dear Pam,
Your comment brings me so much joy. To think a recipe I love so much myself is baked, loved and shared by you. Wonderful.

Wishing you many happy baking hours with this and other favorite recipes,

Marieke

Just seeing your answer now. Thank you so much. I’ve already made this bread countless times and it’s everyone’s fav. It’s my 2nd fav, next to my sourdough….lol. I alternate.

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Hope this works for you!

The crumb doesn’t have large holes like yours but many small holes. How do I achieve a more airy crumb. Loaf is still soft though.

When I score the tops, it doesn’t open up and expand as much. After baking it still looks like slashes albeit it a touch bigger but doesn’t open up and flatten like those in your pictures.

Hope you(or anyone else) can shed some light on this.
@celinas_celina

Lightly toasted, slathered with salted butter, and a cup of good strong coffee to go with.

O, M, G.

Thank you for your great suggestions. I will soon be putting them into practice with my next loaf of Weekend Bakery Raisin bread.
Marlene

Marlene, since Marieke & Ed are taking a break from replying to comments I’ll offer you my suggestion but let me tell you what I do. I drain my raisins/cranberries a couple of hours before assembling my final dough I because use that liquid as my water. I sprinkle some flour on a large plate then tip the dried, damp fruit onto that flour and add more flour if needed after tossing it around a bit. They should be a bit damp. Then I mix the fruit in as instructed. Since that didn’t work for you I would suggest that you add the fruit using the stretch & fold (S&F) method. Add 1/4 of the fruit, fold the dough over, add another fourth, do a S&F and repeat until all is incorporated. See if that helps.
I too get lots of requests for this bread and it is personal favorite. So many of Weekendbakery recipes are my favorites. Take care. I’m happy to help
Jeanette T in AL, USA

Sorry for the late reply Maryanne, but so glad you had such success with this recipe too. We so love this loaf ourselves!

Happy baking from Holland!
Marieke & Ed