Author Topic: The Bread Thread  (Read 107938 times)

Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #225 on: 23 May, 2016, 03:21:17 pm »
Just made my first sour dough bread and it came out all right too yeah, I normally use a bread maker, but I thought I'd make a change to do it by hand, but I didn't like the idea of kneading it for 10 minutes so I did it in my Kenwood with the dough hook. Well pleased with the results have to make it again that's for sure.

Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #226 on: 03 January, 2017, 08:04:51 am »
Decided that the only bread I'm going to eat (at home anyway) shall be home made, so I dug out Peter Reinharts book again and got baking. His methods are super easy and I've always had great success with them, except this time, I could not get the dough to raise..at all. (overnight, in the fridge).
Ok, so I only stretched it twice and probably didn't wait long enough, so I tried again..Wonderfully smooth dough, but would it raise? Nope.
Checked the date on the yeast; Best before 2010!!!.
Bought some new yeast and it was almost bubbling before I could get it in the fridge. and had risen more than 3x after 4 hours, which is the minimum he recommends leaving it. It was a little too wet to shape properly and would probably have benefited from staying in the fridge over night, but man, it's still good.


I highly recommend trying cold fermentation and Reinhart's methods. Very little active work (no kneading!), but the stretch & fold techniques still sucks up time, as you have to do it 3-4 times with 10 minutes intervals.

Mrs Pingu

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Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #227 on: 03 January, 2017, 12:58:16 pm »
What recipe did you make Jakob? Have you tried any of his stuff with sprouted flour? (Didn't realise this was a thing until about 30 mins ago).
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Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #228 on: 03 January, 2017, 06:09:54 pm »
This was his basic lean/french bread. Never heard of sprouted flour :)

Mrs Pingu

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Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #229 on: 04 January, 2017, 07:28:44 pm »
This was his basic lean/french bread. Never heard of sprouted flour :)

It appears to be 5 times the price of unsprouted so I think I'll give it a miss...
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Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #230 on: 04 January, 2017, 07:58:52 pm »
Bet it makes you fart, too.

Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #231 on: 05 January, 2017, 07:23:53 am »
I got a Panasonic bread maker for Christmas to replace the ancient no brand second hand one that was given to me by my MiL. The old one only made a semi decent load about one in 5 attempts. The new Panasonic one has so far made three perfect loafs out of four attempts. They are much much better than the loaves made by the old one I am very chuffed. The only failure was one loaf that looked like it hadn't mixed properly and was completely unrisen, I presume I hadn't attached the mixing blade properly.
I will now attempt something more adventurous than a standard white or wholemeal loaf. Cheese and bacon bread will be first (the Panasonic has a hopper to dipense seeds, nuts or bacon at the required time into the mix).
I think you'll find it's a bit more complicated than that.

Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #232 on: 05 January, 2017, 09:31:11 am »
We have a Kenwood BM450 and it is amazingly reliable at knocking out consistent quality loaves.
Rust never sleeps

Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #233 on: 05 January, 2017, 02:00:44 pm »
I bought my father a Morphy Richards 48280 Fastbake for Christmas two years ago and he's only needed to buy bread on a handful of occasions since.

Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #234 on: 05 January, 2017, 04:53:05 pm »
Been using a Panasonic bread maker for years. Like all their stuff, very reliable. Although the manual says you can just chuck all the ingredients in, I always mix them well before finally adding fat and water. I use olive oil rather than butter.

If the bread hasn't risen you probably forgot the yeast.

DAHIKT

Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #235 on: 06 January, 2017, 10:20:32 am »
Made a really nice wholemeal loaf yesterday. Today I am trying a rapid brown loaf, slightly more yeast and a two hour process rather than four. I will have to buy more flour at the weekend as I have nearly run out !
I think you'll find it's a bit more complicated than that.

Mrs Pingu

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Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #236 on: 07 January, 2017, 04:54:21 pm »
After waiting all week for my sourdough starter to come back from the dead, I had rather a lot of it left after I'd made the levain,  so I've made some experimental dough using the starter, a tonne of Shipton Mill Smoked Stoneground Wholemeal and a dod of plain white strong. Made it up with a splash of walnut oil and guessed at the water. Hopefully it will be edible being as I made a kilo of the stuff...
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Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #237 on: 07 January, 2017, 05:17:43 pm »
Rye bread today. 75% rye, 25% plain (soft) flour, with added lard and black treacle.
Not had a chance to taste it yet but it looks pretty good. Heavy for the size but that's what I would expect from rye.
"No matter how slow you go, you're still lapping everybody on the couch."

Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #238 on: 07 January, 2017, 06:17:27 pm »
Rye bread today. 75% rye, 25% plain (soft) flour, with added lard and black treacle.
Not had a chance to taste it yet but it looks pretty good. Heavy for the size but that's what I would expect from rye.
Light or dark Rye? I have been making Rye bread lately. Started off using dark Rye and Strong Plain Flour but when I'd used that up I tried some light Rye with Strong Wholemeal Flour. This later combo was harder to knead (I always make bread by hand).

Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #239 on: 07 January, 2017, 08:06:29 pm »
Light or dark Rye?
Not sure! To be honest I'd forgotten there were two sorts. I just saw the flour somewhere before Christmas, remembered a recipe I wanted to try (that's for a cake and we are still well stocked from Christmas) and bought it on spec. I've just been downstairs to check and the pack doesn't specify either. However, from the colour it's light.
Quote
I have been making Rye bread lately. Started off using dark Rye and Strong Plain Flour but when I'd used that up I tried some light Rye with Strong Wholemeal Flour. This later combo was harder to knead (I always make bread by hand).
I only make by hand as well. This mix wasn't too bad to knead, if a bit sticky.
"No matter how slow you go, you're still lapping everybody on the couch."

Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #240 on: 08 January, 2017, 12:26:03 am »


More Peter Reinhart stuff, this time bagels. Under estimated how much they would rise 2nd time around, so I'll divide it into 8 bagels rather than 6 next time.   They're a little too much 'bread like' as supposed to 'bagel like', but supposedly you just need to poach them a bit longer. I'll experiment next time.
(They're still very good!)

Mrs Pingu

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Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #241 on: 08 January, 2017, 12:34:34 am »
I almost made cinnamon rolls this weekend but fortunately Pumpkin came and sat on my lap and saved me from bored baking-come-eating.
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Mrs Pingu

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Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #242 on: 08 January, 2017, 05:02:03 pm »
First sourdough of the winter turned out quite pleasingly :)
2017-01-08_04-58-13 by The Pingus, on Flickr
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Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #243 on: 08 January, 2017, 06:36:48 pm »
That looks promising!

Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #244 on: 24 January, 2017, 07:07:58 am »
Peter Reinharts "Lean Bread"
Dough raised so much over night that it popped the lid of the bowl and actually had a muffin top! (which was dried out and removed before I took this picture)


As always,I put the loaves too close together in the oven, but then you get to tear them apart and get this:


This is seriously the fluffiest bread I've ever made. I want to slice it up and put it my pillow case and sleep on it.

Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #245 on: 30 January, 2017, 02:44:16 pm »
I attempted cornbread for the fist time. Except the bicarb was, umm, 9 years old, and I put 80% too much flour in (doing a half quantity and misread 140g as 240g). Still, it was tasty, but rather stodgy.
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Mrs Pingu

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Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #246 on: 22 March, 2017, 07:43:54 pm »
Anyone made brioche burger rolls?
Worth it?
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Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #247 on: 22 March, 2017, 11:32:32 pm »
Haven't ever tried brioche buns, as I've found brioche a bit faffy, and tbh supermarket brioche buns are good enough for me. I've had good results from these though, which are also an enriched dough: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/may/28/burger-buns-poppyseed-barbecue-recipe

Worth it for special occasions IMO.

Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #248 on: 27 July, 2018, 09:43:10 am »
Interested in people's views on yeast types. Since it has become nigh impossible to find fresh yeast (Tesco instore bakery used to hand it out for free if you asked, not sue if they still do because that would involve going into Tesco) And I've been using Alison's standard dried as long as I can remember. A while back they re-worked their production resulting in smaller granules that took longer to reconstitute, I assume that change is around making it longer lasting or summat.

Anyhoo, I used "instant" dried yeast recently while in Portugal (he sort you mix dry into flour), and to be honest I would be hard put to tell the difference. I suspect the only reason I haven't used it is that Real Men Bakers Don't Use Instant, or some prejudice like that. Anyone found any difference?

Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #249 on: 27 July, 2018, 10:16:22 am »
If you've a Morrisons near you, they may sell fresh yeast, whether in packets on the shelves (seems variable), or by asking at the bakery counter; or is there a proper baker's anywhere local to you?

OTOH, I consider myself a Real Baker*, and I use Allinson's easy bake all the time†. I haven't noticed any real difference with fresh yeast, and the convenience is hard to beat - it means I can pretty much always have pizza on the table in just over an hour. Note that Campaign for Real Bread ultra-purists may want to steer clear of instant, as most have additives (The Allinson's has an emulsifying agent and some vitamin C - I think the former is for the production process, and the latter helps kick-start the dough proving) - IIRC even some of the organic brands have these.

*My sourdough starter's well over a decade old, etc. etc.
†But then I also use my bread maker lots, and even make quiche...