Bread

[Wheeledweenie]

It's ok to mix up the ingredients in a blender but kneading is far better when done by hand. I shall attempt to find my bread recipe as it's never failed!

Also, I'd do it in tins, easier to slice and much better with regard to cooking time. One large loaf of indeterminate shape is far harder to bake properly.

 

[Piemaster]

This mornings attempt at rolls was much better. Not in Helens / Cp class by any means but its improving (if either of you need help I have butter )
I'm sure I'll get it right eventually.
I'm probably going back to work tomorrow so I'll see how the ships cook does his, though he does 2 dozen rolls every morning. Very hard to resist with crispy bacon for breakfast. His bread looked like mine a couple of years ago but he has got the knack of it now.
Still time for another go yet though......

 

[srw]

It's the taste that counts, not the shape or the texture. If it tastes good, that's the main thing.

Do you know about the test for done-ness? Turn the loaf upside-down and knock with a knuckle on the base. It's done if it sounds hollow.

 

[Fab Foodie]

With all due respect to your expertise, I can't agree. Canadian wheat is good only for shape, which is the last thing I care about in bread. For flavour you need something better. I use either Waitrose own brand organic strong white or else one of the branded organic strong whites. Organic food production tends to give a much better flavour, and that really comes across in wheat.

No offence taken srw, I'm not an expert on breadmaking and I'm certain there are those that make fab bread here, just pitching-in to help the OP make something bread-like at least. My experience as a relative newbie is that good high protein flour always seems to make a consistently acceptable loaf whereas lower protein flowers are more sensitive and that if you never get to that stage you'll give-up loaf-making (I have access to a pretty big flour mill too and so have experimented a bit with this and the millers advice holds). The Canadian flour and similar higher protein flours always worked so we've stuck with it for now and make nice bread. I agree that we could make more flavoured or more interesting bread and have used combinations of other flours with varying sucess. It seems there's a lot of trial and error it seems in breadmaking.

I'd be interested in peoples recipes, materials, methods and books, should we start a seperate thread?

 

[User482]

I have a Panasonic breadmaker, and use Dove's Farm organic flour & yeast. I always get a cracking loaf.

 

[swee'pea99]

If it's not rising you've either used not enough yeast or too much salt.

When I produced some 'too flat' loaves, I read somewhere that it's bad to use too much yeast - causes it to over-rise, then it collapses back, or something. Anyway, you're using two teaspoons to 500g; the recipe I use uses 1/2 tsp to 500g, and it works well. There again, as someone else said, your recipe includes no sugar - mine has 1dsp. (Your salt also seems a bit on the high side, which isn't great for blood pressure. I get by with 1/2 tsp.)

 

[Twenty Inch]

Also worth pointing out that making consistently good bread is very much a matter of practise. I don't bother with recipes now, as I know roughly how much of what and for how long and so on, but I've been making my own bread for 15 years. So keep practising, it will get better.

 

[Fnaar]

is nobody going to make the "because he kneaded the dough" joke?

 

[theclaud]

Life's FAR too short to make your own bread.

It's far too short not to.

 

[Happiness Stan]

Get fresh yeast and hand knead for goodness sake.

 

[numbnuts]

I use a bread maker

 

[Ranger]

My experience is that hand made bread doesn't rise as much as bought (or even bread maker made). One question, when you put the dry ingredients in the bowl do you keep the salt and yeast well separated before you mix it? Salt does inhibit yeast if they come in direct contact.

 

[HelenD123]

I dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water first them rub together the dry ingredients. This stop the yeast coming into direct contact with the salt. As you say, the salt will kill the yeast.

 

[wafflycat]

Today's loaf is just out of the breadmaker. It's my standard 50/50 strong wholemeal and very strong white. It is well risen, smells delicious and tastes delicious. The taste of homebaked bread made from good flour, yeast, water, a bit of sugar, salt and little else and then you really don't want to eat supermarket bread again.

 

[HelenD123]

I forgot to put the oil in with the rest of the ingredients for my 85% wholemeal loaf today in the Panny breadmaker. It's certainly....dense!

I wonder why 2Tbs of olive oil makes so much difference?

It helps the gluten cells slide against each other so they can rise (I think).