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Tips for bird bread?

Parakeet88

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I made one batch of successful bird bread a few months ago. I tried making it three more times since then and none have come out good. It always stays wet in the center even if the top gets burnt. It’s so frustrating to put so much time and money into it only to have it not bake properly. I was so excited to spend my day snowed in cooking for the flock but now I’ve just wasted the entire day :banghead:

I use crushed zupreem natural pellets as the main dry ingredient and add fruits and veggies. I add bee pollen and various seeds/ grains if it seems too wet. The mixture always comes out heavy and dense, I’m assuming this could be why it doesn’t bake right but I don’t know how to fix it. Any help is appreciated
 

CheckeredTail

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When I used to make mine it was always moist, somewhat like a chewy brownie, I just made sure to only have a few pieces thawed in the fridge at a time, with the rest frozen so that it wouldn't get moldy or go bad too fast. I might suggest a sprouted grain flour, quinoa flour, or whole wheat flour or even corn meal to add a bit more dry, but most cakes like that just ARE moist and dense like a banana bread, not dry and crusty like a french bread. At least that's my experience. Have you tried any specific recipes that are out there?
 

Peachfaced

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I know mine typically takes a long time to bake, and at a lower temp (~350 F). It's dense and heavy because there is no leavening agent to introduce air in to it.
 

Parakeet88

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I mean I’m not expecting it to be light and fluffy, I just don’t want it so wet that I can’t even cut it. I like to give it to them with their dry food in the afternoon before I go to bed because when properly cooked it doesn’t go bad as quickly as chop does but they’re still getting more than just pellets through out the day.

I haven’t tried any recipes, I like to cram in as much pellet and veggies as I can. I have bourkes that I haven’t been able to get off seed, so the pellets are good for them and I have two conures who are fruit junkies and could use more veggies in their diet.

I will look into a healthy type of flour to try next time and I’ll try keeping the temp lower for longer
 

Mizzely

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What I usually do is Harrison's Bird Bread. But I don't follow the directions completely lol.

Their directions are:
1 bag Harrison’s bird bread
2 eggs
15 ml (~1 Tbsp) oil
1 cup of water
Bake at 350 for 25-35 minutes

Mine is:
3 eggs
1 Tbsp of oil
1.5 Tbsp coconut flour
3 jars of baby food
Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes

You could try to add coconut flour to your mix as it is a very thirsty flour. It will help sop up some of your moisture. A little goes a long way!

Also what kind of pan do you bake in? If you are having issues with the middle not cooking try spreading it thinner. I use a 9x9 pan most times but if your bread is thicker than 1.5 inches approximately then you should try a 9x13 or even spreading it on a jelly roll pan.
 
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Parakeet88

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It probably would help if I spread it thinner. It’s also something I want to be able to give them pretty much every day so I’m trying to avoid a lot of oils and unhealthy grains which makes coming up with a recipe difficult.

I still have it in my fridge. I peeled the burnt layer off and was going to try to do something with the rest. Maybe I’ll try spreading some on to a cookie sheet. Or maybe a muffin pan?
 

Shezbug

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You can also slice it and keep baking it into biscuits so you do not waste what you have made :) I have done that when I got a batch out that I did not test, it cooled and i learnt it was wet:wtf: so I sliced it and put it on trays and recooked it at a lower temp till the slices were drier.......Burt actually liked them when I did them that way :)
 

Mizzely

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I usually use red palm oil which is quite healthy for them. You can omit it though. And 2 Tbsp of coconut flour isn't going to vastly change the nutrition profile. It has no grains, just dried and ground up coconut meat.
 

Parakeet88

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I just spread some on a cookie sheet and put some in a mini muffin tin, we’ll see how it comes out, if it’s still no good I’ll try the squares
 

Hankmacaw

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Because bird bread is generally wetter than cornbread (which it is based off of) it needs to be cooked at a lower temperature and longer. I make a 1/4 steam table liner pan (Big) at a time and also use aluminum free baking powder. I put lots of frozen vegetables in it - very wet and quite a bit of fluids - fruit juice - even wetter. Red Palm Oil is very good for your bird and does not contribute to them becoming fat.

I cook in a 350 degree oven and usually at least an hour. I also check it with a toothpick in the middle of the pan several times when it gets near done.

 

webchirp

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Cut out the cooked parts and continue cooking the wet...that's what I do because I am so not a cook. I have to work with what I have...:ashamed3:
 
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