What To Do With Failed Bread Dough?

[confettine]

I've tried it dozens of time. Making nice, stretchy bread dough. I've adjusted everything I could, and I'm coming to the idea that I just don't have the skills for kneading. However, I can't stop trying! But when I cannot get it stretchy enough, developing the gluten and all, what can I possibly make with it? It makes HORRIBLE bread! I really don't want to eat it. I've made pizza a few times, since when it's stretched out as a thick dense crust, it's not as bad, but maybe someone here would have different ideas for me?

 

[PattyCakes]

I'm afraid you're limited when it comes to failed bread dough - I've had my fair share of them when I started making bread!! The trouble is that bread dough that's gone wrong is unpleasant to eat, and that means I usually just feed it to the birds as I hate to waste it completely. You could bake it, break it up into chunks and put it in your food processor to make bread crumbs. You can use these to coat fish and other things, and they will keep in the freezer for months.

I'm wondering what's causing your bread dough not to turn out well though - are you over kneading? Particularly after the first rise when you shape the dough before its final prove - if you over knead at that stage you'll end up with a tough crumb to your bread, with little or no lightness to it.

Something you could try is the no-knead method. This involves having a slightly wetter dough, but as you won't really be handling it much, you don't have to worry about the headache of working with it. Here's a link to some info:

http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-noknead-bread-home-109343

My neighbour couldn't get her bread dough right either - when she used this method, she was a convert.

Take a look, see what you think. Hope it helps!

 

[ACSAPA]

If you're stuck with chewy, dense dough, maybe you can roll it out into thin pizza crust, makeshift tortillas or bread sticks.

 

[confettine]

I like the tortillas suggestion!

To be honest, my boyfriend studied to be a baker -- my time apart from him was when I kept missing my dough, and then I should ask him now that I'm with him for instructions to get it right, it's just...

He's a horrible teacher. >.<
But eventually I'll try to get a day where he seems to be more patient and, well, try it. :S

 

[DancingLady]

You could bake it anyway and then make croutons. Since they are dried I think the texture issue wouldn't be so noticeable.

 

[primalclaws1974]

It would just be like making unleavened bread. There are plenty of uses. You could make it into bread pudding (which actually requires harder bread). You could add flavoring and cook it very crispy and crumble it up for a variety of toppings on anything from casseroles to salads. You could use it as a filler for a meatloaf. It could be used as the base for a homemade stuffing. There are plenty of options.

 

[Winterybella]

The first thing I thought of was feed it to the birds. I have a sneaky feeling they are going to be thrilled when you have a failed recipe.

But I read on and there are those who want to deprive the poor birds. They came up with quite a few suggestions. I was pleasantly surprised. I really have never done this kind of work but I am grateful for the suggestions. They might come in handy for me,

 

[Trellum]

Hi there! I think you have already gotten a lot great suggestions I hope you get a better dough soon, getting failed bread dough can be so disheartening, specially when it keeps happening. Kudos to you for keep on trying, I did the same thing when i started baking and everything I did turned out not good, I'm glad I never gave up =D

 

[primalclaws1974]

I personally feed the wild and stray animals a lot of leftovers, and occasionally accidents too, but that doesn't happen too often. Not to quote Bob Ross (but I will), my "happy accidents" get reinvented, and the family will be served the food anyway. The other day I was going for a cheese sauce for rice, and it turned out too thin, so with quick rethinking, it became cheese onion soup. Don't get my wrong, I don't feel that feeding animals is a complete waste of food, but I want to try and feed my family first, before I throw out the money/time I invested into the meal.

 

[Tina Nord]

What about making some doughnuts or cinnamon rolls with the dough? I usually make my cinnamon dough really dense because it gets gooey with all of the cinnamon filling and the glaze on top. I have never been much of a bread maker myself.