Author Topic: The Bread Thread  (Read 107863 times)

Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #50 on: 05 April, 2013, 05:49:58 pm »
I have had a couple of goes at making rye bread and it has not been all that successful.  Which recipe did you use ?

Last weekend I made Dark Ale and Walnut Bread - it was very tasty.

Cudzoziemiec

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Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #51 on: 05 April, 2013, 06:40:16 pm »
I just used the standard recipe for my bread machine, replacing some of the wheat flour with rye. Nothing else. I've since made another which was 4/7 rye (funny proportions cos of the way the recipe is measured, in cups - provided with the machine - I think it must be a Leftpondian manufacture, but it works). The 4/7 actually came out a bit better.
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Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #52 on: 06 April, 2013, 12:12:21 am »
I've also decided to ditch the bread machine as 1) I can pretty much 'do' a machine-sized loaf in one hit 2) the cuboid shape doesn't satisfy my rustic sensibilities, and 3) I don't have enough room to keep that many kitchen gadgets. (My homebrew kit now takes up an entire cupboard...) So today, I made my first 1kg Lepard inspired 50% white/50% wholemeal loaf, with a couple of short kneads and a 2 hour rise. Not having a suitable bread tin, it went in my fake Le Creuset casserole pot. Turned out lovely, all stretchy gluten patterns in the wonderfully wobbly and mis-shapen crust, and just right for having the remains of Monday's roast lamb slammed between some slices with some mayo and tomato.

Wanting to make a rye loaf next, and I've discovered that my local supermarkets no longer stock rye flour (and my local Lidl no longer sells their spectacularly-valued and humungously-sized rye loaves). It's always the way isn't it? As soon as I find something interesting or tasty in a supermarket they stop selling it. I'm sure I can track down some Doves Farm rye flour from somewhere, but sometimes the faff involved outweighs the point of making your own.
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Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #53 on: 06 April, 2013, 08:58:33 am »
I found some interesting flour I wanted to try on the internet but they only sell through Amazon, and I don't really want to buy 4 x 1.5kg bags at a time.
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Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #54 on: 21 April, 2013, 05:45:01 pm »
Oh Happy Day! My local Tesco is now stocking Doves Farm organic rye flour. Must be the Hollywood effect.

I've been reading a bit about sourdough, and have just made my 'levain' (or 'starter'). Seems like it's the bread equivalent of brewing lambic ales, in that both use airborne yeasts. Does the lactobacillus that gives the sour taste do good things for your gut also - like natural yogurt does?
'Something....something.... Something about racing bicycles, but really a profound metaphor about life itself.'  Tim Krabbé. Possibly

sas

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Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #55 on: 21 April, 2013, 07:46:12 pm »
Does the lactobacillus that gives the sour taste do good things for your gut also - like natural yogurt does?
I think it's safe to say they won't be alive after being baked in an oven at 200C.
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Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #56 on: 21 April, 2013, 08:14:48 pm »
Aaah yes...  ;D
'Something....something.... Something about racing bicycles, but really a profound metaphor about life itself.'  Tim Krabbé. Possibly

Cudzoziemiec

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Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #57 on: 24 April, 2013, 01:26:00 am »
After a couple of days of commercial bread and takeaway sandwiches, it's so good to get home and eat my own bread.  :thumbsup: Hmm - not so long ago I'd have been perfectly happy with supermarket bread - I've spoiled myself.  :-\ Still, it is good to eat it. And bake it. Oh dear, that's why I'm still up at this silly hour. Bed now!
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #58 on: 26 April, 2013, 03:23:52 pm »
Forgot to put the machine on last night, enough homemade bread from yesterday for the shallot's sarnies, crap plastic bread from tesco for me  :(
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Tail End Charlie

Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #59 on: 27 April, 2013, 10:23:33 pm »
I made an ale and oat loaf but replaced the pale ale with stout. Overcooked it a little bit and the taste is quite strong (it uses black treacle aswell) but it's delicious. The recipe was from the Paul Hollywood book I've been given. I don't use as much salt as he says though.
Like Goldilocks I don't use a bread machine but prefer the thumping/ workout the kneading gives me.
I'm the only one who eats bread in my house so I get it all to myself  :thumbsup:(although this isn't always a good thing).  :hand:

Anyone else make soda bread? Must be one of the easiest things to make and to be honest I can't tell the difference between using "proper" buttermilk or vinegar and milk substitute. Great if you're in a hurry. 

Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #60 on: 04 May, 2013, 12:35:43 am »
All in it's taken nearly two weeks from start to finish  :o, but I've just had the first slice cut from a great big, domed and crusty slab of airy loveliness, that's my first rye and white sourdough loaf. The starter is quite vinegary which I don't mind, and I probably need to rebalance it somehow to get more of a lactic taste, but I think I'm finally getting the hang of this breadmaking lark.
'Something....something.... Something about racing bicycles, but really a profound metaphor about life itself.'  Tim Krabbé. Possibly

Gattopardo

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Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #61 on: 04 May, 2013, 03:43:21 am »
What method did you use to make the sourdough bread?  Am using a few internet versions and can seem to get the bread to be fluffy and light.  The only thing I can think is that I use flour on my hands and worktop to keep the bread from sticking.  Have tried proving the dough at room temp, the airing cupboard and the fridge.

Any hints?

Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #62 on: 04 May, 2013, 11:48:53 am »
What method did you use to make the sourdough bread?  Am using a few internet versions and can seem to get the bread to be fluffy and light.  The only thing I can think is that I use flour on my hands and worktop to keep the bread from sticking.  Have tried proving the dough at room temp, the airing cupboard and the fridge.

typo for 'can't' ? Maybe it's all relative as a rye loaf is never going to be as light as a white, but it compared to stuff I'd bought.

I reckon it was about 200g of pure rye starter, 300g rye, 300g strong white, 2tsp salt, a bit of sugar and enough water to make a kneading consistency (scales are bust, so I'm estimating!) I omitted Vit C as my thinking was that there are enough acids present in the starter to feed the yeast. kneaded for fiveish minutes using the occasional teaspoon of extra virgin smeared on the worktop to prevent sticking, as my understanding is that having a fat in the mix helps the bread keep for longer, and I like the glossiness it gives the dough. Proofed for a couple of hours, folded and then shaped into a zeppelin, and put onto an oiled baking tray as I don't have a suitably sized receptacle. Not being the firmest of doughs it spread outwards, but still gained height (warmish kitchen for a couple of hours). I bunged it in the oven when I saw big bubbles opening near the surface, and I possibly could have left it even longer but it was nearing bedtime!

So maybe a mish-mash of techniques, but I'm happy to experiment.

'Something....something.... Something about racing bicycles, but really a profound metaphor about life itself.'  Tim Krabbé. Possibly

Gattopardo

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Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #63 on: 04 May, 2013, 02:19:25 pm »
Ah this is not a rye loaf just usually bread flour either white or wholemeal.

What I have found in the worktop that I use in lightly dimpled so seems to attract the dough.  The amount of oil I use seems to be alots as the surface is forever sticky.  Also I suspect that I'm under kneading the dough.  Am kneding by hand and trying to get the window paneing but seem to get the bread tearing when I get a fingerful of dough.

I suspect things might be better with a smooth surface.  I have a brushed stainless steel surround that I should flatten out and see if I can use that.

Gattopardo

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Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #64 on: 04 May, 2013, 08:53:11 pm »
Have found an unused stainless chimney hood.



Quick soak in bleach and tomorrow it will be ready to be used, well after I straightened it.

Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #65 on: 05 May, 2013, 01:49:19 pm »
Just took my kenwood machine back under guarantee, the third one to fail in three years so I said no thank you to a direct replacement. I guess most people only use them once a week, they are just not built for daily use.

I have now just "fired up the panasonic" and await the results.
Quote from: tiermat
that's not science, it's semantics.

Gattopardo

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Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #66 on: 06 May, 2013, 01:07:59 am »
Done a quick wholemeal sourdough mix and have just noticed that I forgot the salt.  Oh well.

Did the kneading, but seem to tear the dough more than the window paining.  Decided to try the knead it a bit, leave it for 5 mins the knead again.  Its now in a cling film covered bowl till either tomorrow morning or if I stay up till the bread has grown to twice its size.

Gattopardo

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Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #67 on: 06 May, 2013, 12:58:52 pm »
The bread rose and was knocked back.  Have separated the dough in to two balls and cut chris cross in the top, and placed them in a pie tin.  The dough is still wet and has spread across the pan.

Will see what happens in several hours.

Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #68 on: 07 May, 2013, 04:58:32 pm »
My experience so far is like yours, in that sourdough comes out wetter hance gives a flatter loaf. I'll try another later this week, and see how dry I can make the dough.

Now I've had a look here (http://sourdough.com/forum/my-dough-too-wet-soft-and-doesnt-rise) I wonder if your starter is overripe. That said, the loaves in the pics look fine to me.
'Something....something.... Something about racing bicycles, but really a profound metaphor about life itself.'  Tim Krabbé. Possibly

Gattopardo

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Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #69 on: 07 May, 2013, 06:13:07 pm »
Dumped the starter today.  maybe I'll make another but not for a while.

Tail End Charlie

Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #70 on: 26 May, 2013, 08:05:32 pm »
I had a go at a sourdough loaf recently. Used rhubarb to start the starter and after three days it smelled foul. Continued with it and made the loaf and let it prove overnight (much longer than the recipe said). It was a wet dough, so I used a tin to bake it in to contain it. The loaf is a bit heavy and tastes cheesy but it's palatable enough. The semolina dusting tastes good.
Think next time I need to be more careful with the starter to make sure there's enough ooomph to make the air holes.

Tail End Charlie

Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #71 on: 04 June, 2013, 06:19:52 pm »
Another go at a sourdough loaf and similar results to the first (ie a bit heavy). Don't really understand as the sourdough cakes I made a while back (using exactly the same method of starting) were fine.  Think I will start from scratch again, but not for a while as soda bread is so much easier.

Cudzoziemiec

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Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #72 on: 17 June, 2013, 11:58:52 pm »
Today's bread rose and rose till it was pushing up the lid of the machine! I don't know why it rose so much, I didn't (consciously) do anything different...
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #73 on: 23 June, 2013, 10:54:15 am »
Continuing to bake loaves a couple of times a week - current favourite is Dan Leppard's walnut loaf, with varying proportions of wholemeal and plain flour. Most excellent, esp the nommy roasted walnuts in the crust. Fancy trying spelt flour next. I also need to get it together to freeze some part-baked dough or even freeze some loaves, whatever is best.

How are you all storing your bread? We currently lack a bread bin but I think I need to get one.

Re: The Bread Thread
« Reply #74 on: 23 June, 2013, 11:05:43 am »
Sliced into the freezer, usable instantly.