Author Topic: Help need with a crumbly zucchini and coconut loaf.  (Read 3755 times)

Offline achookwoman

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Help need with a crumbly zucchini and coconut loaf.
« on: January 20, 2012, 09:27:35 am »
I have a friend who is trying to reduce the amount of sugar,  fat and eggs that she and her husband eat.  They love the flavor of this loaf but it crumbles when cut.  I thought i had solved the problem by adding 2 additional egg whites,  but as the loaf cooled,  it became more crumbly.   Below are the ingredients.

1 cup of grated zucchini
1 egg and 2 egg whites
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
3/4 cup of sug,  (1/2 brown and 1/2 Stevia)
1/2 tasp. vanilla
1  1/2 cups of plain flour
1 teasp. bi carb.
1/2 teasp. baking powder
1/2 teasp. salt
3/4 teasp. cinnamon
1/2 teasp. nutmeg.
1/2 cup of shredded coconut
1/2 cup currants.

The mix was a little on the dry side when tipped from bowl into tin.
It was cooked at 180 C for 45 mins.
« Last Edit: January 20, 2012, 10:04:53 am by achookwoman »

Offline CreamPuff63

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Re: Help need with a crumbly zucchini and coconut loaf.
« Reply #1 on: January 20, 2012, 09:43:04 am »
chookie, I just googled and this came up how to make your loaf less crumbly:


1
Switch flour. If you are using whole wheat flour in your bread recipe, switch to white wheat flour which has more gluten and will hold your loaf together with fewer crumbs. If you are using regular flour, switch to bread flour, which is finely milled and will give your bread better texture.

2
Reduce the amount of flour in your bread recipe. Too much flour can affect the dough consistency and cause the finished loaf to be crumbly. Slowly reduce the amount of flour you mix in and use less flour when kneading.

3
Knead your dough more thoroughly. If you don't spend enough time kneading, the gluten will not have enough time to form, so spend some extra time on this important step.

4
Allow your loaf to cool completely before cutting. Cutting a loaf before it is completely cool can make your bread more crumbly.

5
Watch your dough while it is rising. Allowing your dough to rise more than double its size on the first rising can lead to crumbly bread.

6
Soften your whole grain flour before mixing. If you are making whole wheat bread, the gluten might be breaking where it encounters a piece of the whole grain. Soften the flour with hot water before mixing to cook the whole grains down so that they mix more easily and you may experience less crumbly loaves.



Read more: How to Make Bread Less Crumbly | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2294762_make-bread-less-crumbly.html#ixzz1jzRIsLEf
Non Consultant from Perth, Western Australia

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Offline judydawn

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Re: Help need with a crumbly zucchini and coconut loaf.
« Reply #2 on: January 20, 2012, 09:52:50 am »
Chookie, the amount of zucchini is missing and the oven temp should be 180oC should it not??

This recipe is very similar, how does it compare with your method.
« Last Edit: January 20, 2012, 09:55:37 am by judydawn »
Judy from North Haven, South Australia

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Offline faffa_70

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Re: Help need with a crumbly zucchini and coconut loaf.
« Reply #3 on: January 20, 2012, 09:54:34 am »
I wonder how it would go with the apple sauce as a replacement for 1/2 the sugar and 1/2 the oil. A little more moisture in there (instead of sugar) ??? ???
« Last Edit: January 20, 2012, 02:25:06 pm by faffa_70 »
Kathryn - Perth WA :)
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Offline achookwoman

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Re: Help need with a crumbly zucchini and coconut loaf.
« Reply #4 on: January 20, 2012, 10:07:29 am »
CP,  this is more of a cake than a bread.  Thanks for your trouble.

Judy i have fixed what you have pointed out.

Faffa,  i was also wondering about the Apple sauce.

Offline achookwoman

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Re: Help need with a crumbly zucchini and coconut loaf.
« Reply #5 on: January 20, 2012, 10:16:30 am »
Judy,  i think you have hit the nail on the head,  as usual.  She said the recipe came from the internet.  It may be a bit like the bread machine recipe that my DS got of the internet,  to make bread dough it said to knead for 2  1/2 hours.  Mum sorted him out. ;D ;D ;D    Think i will try faffa's method tomorrow when i get more  Zucchini.

Thanks CP, Judy and faffa.

Offline faffa_70

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Re: Help need with a crumbly zucchini and coconut loaf.
« Reply #6 on: January 20, 2012, 02:26:01 pm »
I'm watching with interest Chookie as I love zucchini type breads and am always looking to use up egg whites  ;)
Kathryn - Perth WA :)
Mum of 5 hungry mouths :D
Noni to 3 more hungry mouths!

Offline achookwoman

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Re: Help need with a crumbly zucchini and coconut loaf.
« Reply #7 on: January 31, 2012, 11:34:20 pm »
I think I have fixed the problem with this loaf.  Will post.  Thanks for all the help.