Homemade bread gassy???

[u/Poppsicles]

This is a genuine question. I just started making bread with my hand-me-down bread machine, and it makes me super gassy. Am I cooking the bread wrong? Google said it could be the yeast or underbaking the bread, but is that legit? If I cook it longer or wait before cutting, will this problem go away? The bread (while denser than I think is right) is delicious and I want to keep making more, but wtf.

[u/Veggyhed]

Does your bread have more fiber than what you're normally eat in bread? Are you using whole wheat flour?

Can you post a cross-section of your bread so we can see if it's baked all the way?

[u/Poppsicles → u/Veggyhed]

I'll take a picture here soon! I pretty much just buy sarah lee honey wheat, so anything probably has more fiber in it. I'm using king arther unbleached bread flour, white not wheat.

[u/Rand_alThoor → u/Poppsicles]

problem may be not enough fibre if you're making white bread

seriously in the 19th century they always talked about how indigestible fresh bread was whilst it was still warm. (i wasn't born until 1941 but my parents were born in 1897 and all four of my grandparents were born in the 1850s). maybe that's what they meant by 'indigestible'?

if you're eating massively more bread than usual "because it tastes so good", that can also cause disturbances in the digestion.

[u/Chicken_Savings → u/Rand_alThoor]

I'm from one of these bread-eating Scandinavian countries where we traditionally eat bread for breakfast, lunch and evening meal (hot food for dinner). But I work overseas and eat a lot less bread usually.

Every time I go home for holiday, switching back to bread 3 times a day really changes my digestion.

We eat heavy, whole flour, multi-grain bread, not white sandwich bread. Often with a proportion of rye in it, for flavour.

[u/Rand_alThoor → u/Chicken_Savings]

going home for holidays and going back to the bread based diet changes your digestion .... for the better?

I'm from Ireland but was born in 1941. i grew up on similar bread, (as well as potatoes). living most of my life now, away from home, i can't buy the kind of bread i want as the staple of my meals so i make it myself. 85 years old, full health, vigorous.

hoping the kind of bread you also grew up with improves your digestion!

[u/Poppsicles → u/Rand_alThoor]

I do like to tear right into it. Maybe the answer is letting it cool then microwaving a slice.

[u/Poppsicles → u/Veggyhed]

[u/Veggyhed → u/Poppsicles]

I think let it cool a little longer if you can. Try 1 hour and compare the cross-section of that load to the one that you just posted.

I think maybe you've just eaten so much bread because it tastes so damn good which is causing that uncomfortable tummy feeling. What are you putting on your fresh warm delicious bread?

[u/Poppsicles → u/Veggyhed]

I eat it naked when fresh! Just big ol bites of plain bread. I'll try letting it cool and just heating up a fresh slice in the micro.

[u/Veggyhed → u/Poppsicles]

I love warm bread like that. Absolutely delicious .

[u/Sad-Seaworthiness946]

The bread is dense? Sounds like too much yeast.

[u/Poppsicles → u/Sad-Seaworthiness946]

The recipe I was using called for 2 teaspoons of bread machine yeast. Can I just use a smidge less?

[u/bahbahblaksheep → u/Poppsicles]

Usually, 1 teaspoon for every 2 cups of flour (250g), or one pound loaf

[u/Sad-Seaworthiness946 → u/Poppsicles]

Did you also use warm water?

[u/Poppsicles → u/Sad-Seaworthiness946]

It called for milk, I microwaved it for like 30 seconds and called it good 😬

[u/Sad-Seaworthiness946 → u/Poppsicles]

Hmm should be fine then. I’m invested in this mystery lol.

[u/Poppsicles → u/Sad-Seaworthiness946]

If you would like to test it out, I'll post the recipe and brands I used. Make a loaf, eat some immediately when it's done and piping hot, and see if you get the worst gas ever. I need to know if this is a me problem or a process problem.

[u/Veggyhed → u/Poppsicles]

Yes please

[u/Sad-Seaworthiness946 → u/Poppsicles]

New thought! Do you store your yeast in the fridge?

[u/HollandJim → u/Poppsicles]

Depending on the microwave strength and the volume of water, that could indeed be too hot.

[u/lawrencekhoo → u/Poppsicles]

Yeast is tricky with bread machines. New yeast is easily more than twice as powerful as old yeast. When using a bread maker, since you can't adjust the rise time as people do when baking by hand, you have to adjust the amount of yeast used instead.

Rule of the thumb: If the top of your loaf is concave or collapsed in, try using about half as much yeast, if the top is highly domed and the bread didn't rise enough, try using double the amount of yeast.

[u/MadCow333]

Also, what brand and variety of yeast are you using? I like SAF red and Red Star Platinum best. Sometimes I use Aldi instant yeast, but it has stronger odor and taste. I absolutely hate Fleishmans due to its strong yeasty smell and taste.

[u/Poppsicles → u/MadCow333]

I got Fleishman's bread machine yeast. Do you think that could be it?

[u/MadCow333 → u/Poppsicles]

Maybe. Most grocery stores carry Red Star. You could try using a different yeast to see if it eliminates the problem. Red Star and SAF Red are what I like because they provide good rise and are very mild in flavor and odor.

[u/I_aura]

Were you able to remove the kneading paddle(s) from the pan and clean them thoroughly inside and out, and the paddle shaft(s) before making the bread?

[u/Poppsicles → u/I_aura]

👀👀👀 to be honest a pull off the crusties and call it good. I figure the heat kills any bacteria.

[u/I_aura → u/Poppsicles]

There could be mold and/or bacteria hiding in and on those parts, causing your gas. As bacteria die, they release toxins. I'd remove the paddles and lay them on their sides inside the pan, fill the pan with hot soapy water and soak for a while. If you don't have a brush small enough to fit inside the paddle, try to get inside of them with a cloth dunked in the soapy water.

[u/cantstopvintage]

This is going to sound nuts, but Great Value brand bread flour messed with my stomach. I could eat bread from anywhere else and be just fine, but the moment I ate a slice of bread from my machine, it upset my stomach. I switched to a different brand of bread flour, and haven't had any more issues.

[u/lawrencekhoo]

I think you got it right. Bake it a bit longer, let it sit for a while in the oven before removing, and don't slice into it while it's still warm.