The bakers' thread

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When you say used it all, did you have any scrapings of starter left behind in the container? Any at all?
Thanks for the help, but ... no.

I brought starter from London to the far reaches of Devon, leaving half in my fridge, so I thought. Used it all, cooked, ate. Cleaned the kitchen, tidied and locked the cottage, ready for the next tenant (the cottage is owned by a family who let my friend take a precious week there each year, so we cleaned it thoroughly). 4 hour drive back to london, carrying the spic and span jar the starter had been in, to open the fridge and ... nada!

So by the time I realised what had happened it was probably 12 hours since the last of the starter was scrubbed and fairy-liquidated into the Devon sewage system/groundwater - yup, I have no idea about the plumbing at the cottage.

Obviously in London I thought "Shall I split the starter, or bring half of it back? Bring half back" And when I got to Devon, I was completely convinced I'd split it.
 
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OP
glasgowcyclist

glasgowcyclist

Charming but somewhat feckless
Location
Scotland
I was watching Rick Stein's Mexico Road Trip recently where he was served a clam chowder in a sourdough, so I thought I'd try something similar but using Cullen Skink instead (I don't eat clams). Turned out pretty good and tasted fab but boy was there a lot of eating in it.


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OP
glasgowcyclist

glasgowcyclist

Charming but somewhat feckless
Location
Scotland
What’s the trick to baking healthier bread? Healthier than Hovis or Morrison’s for example...

None, all the trickery is in supermarket bread; preservatives, additives, enhancers etc. All sort of things to give the illusion of healthy, fresh bread for longer.

All you really need is flour, water, yeast and time.
 

threebikesmcginty

Corn Fed Hick...
Location
...on the slake
None, all the trickery is in supermarket bread; preservatives, additives, enhancers etc. All sort of things to give the illusion of healthy, fresh bread for longer.

All you really need is flour, water, yeast and time.

You don't need time though really, you only have to get involved for a few minutes, the bread does the rest of the stuff on its own.
 
None, all the trickery is in supermarket bread; preservatives, additives, enhancers etc. All sort of things to give the illusion of healthy, fresh bread for longer.

All you really need is flour, water, yeast and time.

And salt! ;)

@Tin Pot - just a wee note though. Unless you're talking sourdoughs most home baked lean breads i.e. just flour, water, salt and some kind of yeast tend to go stale quickly. They do make good toast, however. If you want home baked bread to keep, adding a little fat in the form of oil or lard works very well.
 

CharlesF

Guru
Location
Glasgow
I was watching Rick Stein's Mexico Road Trip recently where he was served a clam chowder in a sourdough, so I thought I'd try something similar but using Cullen Skink instead (I don't eat clams). Turned out pretty good and tasted fab but boy was there a lot of eating in it.


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This is called a Bunny Chow in Zimbabwe and Kwazulu Natal. There it is half a white loaf, hollowed out and filled with curry, bung the insides on top. Now that brings back happy memories as curry in Durban is made by the large Indian community.
 
As requested over on the Fray Bentos thread...

Chelsea Buns a la Gordon

Dough:
500g white bread flour
300g tepid milk
40g butter
teaspoon salt
9g dried active yeast
1 egg, beaten

Filling:
75g caster sugar
65g melted butter
300g mixed dried fruit (or whatever mix takes your fancy)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch ground cardamom

Glaze:
4 tbsp milk, scalded
enough sieved icing sugar to make a glaze that's not too stiff and not too runny

Activate the yeast in the milk. Rub the butter into the flour & salt. Make a well in the centre and add milk, yeast & egg. Knead dough till silky. Let rest for an hour. Roll out dough on floured board into a rectangle and cover with filling. Roll up tight and divide into 12 slices. Put onto a greased & floured baking tray. Cover and leave in fridge overnight. Remove, let prove for an hour or two, and bake in a preheated oven 200C for approx 25 mins until golden. Cool slightly before glazing - drizzle or brush according to preference.

P.S. This recipe was originally given to me by a chap who runs his own bakery. I have since adapted it a little, mainly to make the filling a wee bit more generous, as I didn't want to have to use a bicycle to cycle from one raisin to another. :smile:
 
It is when making bread. :smile:

I like the hardly-any-yeast-but-looooong-bulk-ferment type doughs. Which also have a poolish as well. About 2 days to make a loaf, but well worth it. :hungry:
 
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