[hamstergbert]

texture appears to be not too bad in your picture.   Suspect you are not too far off.

Bread machines on dough setting are supposed to do the kneading for you so be careful not to over-work the dough.  Afraid knowing what is enough comes with practice!  If y ou can stretch it gently sufficiently thin to be able to see the light through it you are done for sure! After the first prove, don't hammer the dough too much in the knock back step - half a dozen firm pushes usually does it for me.

The obvious thing I can see is that I like my bread rather higher baked than in your picture, and not just sourdough ones (when not starterless) which teeter on the edge of burnt. 

I also start with the oven set to absolute max and heated up with an empty old roaster then as I put the dough in teem a jug of water into it to flush the whole oven with steam and  I then turn the temperature down to 220 and off we go.    When it looks sufficiently dark for me (under the milk paint and poppy seeds on the top) I take it out of the tin and give it another 5-10 mins just sitting on the oven shelf.

Make sure it is wholly cooled before cutting!  Hard to resist I know but the structure does continue to develop slightly during that phase.

[chrissie B]

The thing with bread ive found the more you make the better you become and you will find a recipe thats best for you , but have to say your loaf looks very nice .
cheisse b

[allotmentann]

Hello. Your bread looks very good for an early attempt. I have had stodgy loaves in the past and (agreeing with Hamstergbert here) the problem was always underbaking. In the end l bought a thermometer to check the internal temperature of the bread and soon realized it needed a lot longer. Never worry too much about overbaking. A lot of the best bakers in the world will tell you that it is very difficult to overbake bread. Even if the outside looks a little dark (or even burnt) the inside is fine.
If you can take a piece of your bread and press it between your fingers and it turns back into dough, it was underbaked. It should spring back up if it was baked properly.
I would also second a good hot start and getting steam in there - even if it is only a pan with a little water in the bottom of the oven. 

[chrissie B]

I think though people arecafraid of baking too long incase it turns out dry i think a bit over baking gives a nice browntasty bit round the edges yum practice makes perfect and we all like our bread different , i like thin crispt toast and hubby likes thick .
chrissie b

[oldgrunge]

A lot more bread is ruined by under baking than over baking.

[Blackpool rocket]

Thanks for the kind comments.
2 things I will try.

Less water, I was trying to not be too dry, I think it might have been Paul Hollywood ( is that right) who said "the wetter the better" but I guess it's a happy medium....gained of course with experience.

I think I might have over worked the dough after the proving, I was trying to get rid of the stickiness. Next time as hamstergbert suggests I'll give it just a few turns.........watch this space......roll on the weekend 

Br

[chrissie B]

Ive tryed putting more fluid in and it collapsed for me .
i want to know if mr holliwood makes all his bread with his busy life  , just got his pies and pud book for 4 pound in a charity shop , bargin , my best ever was a delia for 50p from a church bizarre .
hubby thinks in abit cockoo as i call my books by their authers name , paul , mary ,deliad ect .
chrissie b

[compostqueen]

I love paul's olive, sundried tomato bread - homemade from his recipe that is 

[Blackpool rocket]

My latest effort, with just a few turns after proving. This seemed to work very well, thanks for the advice.

I also discovered that the plastic veg bags from the supermarket self select are a perfect fit for my loaf tin....I always knew I'd find a use for them.

Does this become adictive?

[hamstergbert]

My latest effort, with just a few turns after proving. This seemed to work very well, thanks for the advice.

I also discovered that the plastic veg bags from the supermarket self select are a perfect fit for my loaf tin....I always knew I'd find a use for them.

Does this become adictive? Ho yus!

Must say still look a little on the lightly baked side for me.
As well as another ten mins in the oven, you may like to try brushing with milk and sprinkling with poppy and/or sesame seeds beforehand.  Gives a lovely appearance and subtly enhanced taste too. 

Even better is to brush them with a bit of beaten egg white but I reckon that is only worth doing when I have remembered to keep the eggshells from earlier on and use the last remaining bits of white in those, or if doing omelettes for lunch, use my brush to scavenge the beaten egg/milk clinging to the jug and paint that on. 
Makes the top crust dark and glossy!

[grendel]

does it get addictive, my 82 year old mum has been baking a loaf every other day all my life, so I guess the answer is yes. (her dad was a master baker).
Grendel

[chrissie B]

Some nice bread there got to get me one of those bags
chrissie b

[compostqueen]

Just imagine that. Being a Master Baker!  What a complete honour 

I love the fact that when you get your hands on a piece of dough it's always going to be different and the outcome at that point could go one of two ways    Jeopardy 

I had to laugh, when I put some uncooked pizza bases in the fridge to keep them til I needed to cook for a crowd. I opened the fridge later in the day and the things had risen like life rafts and filled the fridge with billowing masses.  Good bit of yeast there   

It's fun!

[allotmentann]

It is definitely addictive. It gets to be a real passion. There is the challenge of constant improvement. But like Compostqueen there is just such a thrill every time you open  the oven door and see what you have turned out this time. Then the anticipation of cutting into it to look at the crumb and then of course the tasting! 

[mumofstig]

It is addictive, but I had to stop baking, bread and cakes - because there's only me to eat it, and you could tell I was eating it all 

Now I only bake when I have friends or family coming round, and I make sure they take the leftovers away with them