Bread Question

[donutsweeper]

I'm not sure anyone here will really know the answer, but maybe someone'll know where I can ask.  I spent all damn day making challah, followed the recipe exactly, but every time I make it the lovely braid effect gets ruined because of how it rises and bakes.  So it comes out like this:


with the lines of where the braids were, instead of looking all nice and pretty like this one from online:


anyone have any ideas what I'm doing wrong?

Comments

[stackcats.livejournal.com]

I haven't made bread in ages (and have never heard of challah) but isn't it supposed to rise before you bake it, then not rise much at all when you bake it?

Sorry, not much help.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

That's the theory. Challah (and all shaped breads) rise twice. Once in an oiled bowl and again after being braided. And it looks just fine before I put it in the oven... but then POOF. grrr. no idea why

[stackcats.livejournal.com]

That's weird. The only suggestion I can think of is, have you got your oven hot enough? If it's not hot enough the yeast might have another fit of life before dying. Maybe. But I'm sure you'd have noticed something like that.

(Probably not much consolation, but it looks yummy anyway!)

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

it tastes great, but I wanted it to look pretty because I'm making it for my daughter's bat mitzvah.

So... you're thinking the oven should be hotter? That that would prevent the yeast from rising during cooking?

[stackcats.livejournal.com]

The way I understand it, the actual cooking is supposed to kill the yeast. Otherwise, under warm conditions, they'll just keep producing CO2, and the bread keeps rising.

It's frustrating when you spend all day baking and it doesn't turn out right; I hope you figure out what's going on!