Author Topic: The Bread Thread (Read 108996 times)

SteveC · « **Reply #500 on:** 27 July, 2020, 12:52:08 pm »

To be honest, it's a toy. A friend recommended it and MrsC suggested we might get one. This was just as lockdown was starting, I'd had a bonus from work and it seemed like a good idea. It will be most useful for some of the recipes we make for re-enacting demonstrations. It can be easier to get whole barley than barley flour at times, for instance.
But mostly it's a toy.

I will keep the panel informed it we do find any real advantages.

Gattopardo · « **Reply #501 on:** 29 July, 2020, 01:58:05 pm »

Quote from: citoyen on 27 July, 2020, 10:57:46 am

Is it like grinding your own coffee beans?

Isn't that more to do with getting the right grind for your coffee maker for the best extraction?

citoyen · « **Reply #502 on:** 29 July, 2020, 03:23:49 pm »

Quote from: Gattopardo on 29 July, 2020, 01:58:05 pm

Quote from: citoyen on 27 July, 2020, 10:57:46 am
Is it like grinding your own coffee beans?

Isn't that more to do with getting the right grind for your coffee maker for the best extraction?

Exactly. I'm assuming the grain grinder is adjustable for required level of coarseness - from semolina to tipo 00.

Grinding your own coffee beans is also to do with freshness, but I imagine that's less of a concern with grains for breadmaking.

SteveC · « **Reply #503 on:** 29 July, 2020, 03:41:38 pm »

It is adjustable. Not sure it will go quite as fine as 00 but it’s pretty good.
More experimentation is needed.

citoyen · « **Reply #504 on:** 05 August, 2020, 06:57:10 pm »

Online baking suppliers seem to be more or less back to normal stock levels.

I just ordered a 16kg sack of Shipton Mill No.4, which I've seen recommended elsewhere. I didn't go for the Canadian because I've read that while it has higher protein content, so gives a more impressive rise, it's not as good as the No.4 for flavour. I might try the Canadian another time though.

citoyen · « **Reply #505 on:** 07 August, 2020, 10:16:36 am »

Quote from: citoyen on 05 August, 2020, 06:57:10 pm

I just ordered a 16kg sack of Shipton Mill No.4...

And the delivery arrived this morning, which is surprisingly quick - especially given that the courier was Parcelfarce.

perpetual dan · « **Reply #506 on:** 08 August, 2020, 08:52:53 am »

I’m loving the shipton mill light malt house at the moment, with rye in my starter.

perpetual dan · « **Reply #507 on:** 15 August, 2020, 01:14:37 pm »

I had a first go at Ciabatta today. It's tasty, but the recipe had me baking on paper which has stuck to about half the underside. I guess more flour or a dryer outside are the answer.

Mrs Pingu · « **Reply #508 on:** 29 August, 2020, 06:17:13 pm »

Today I upped my cinnamon bun game by using a piece of thread to cut the 'sausage' into bun slices.
Much neater and made my inner control freak happy.

2020-08-29_01-12-51 by The Pingus, on Flickr

Wowbagger · « **Reply #509 on:** 30 August, 2020, 10:57:14 am »

I took delivery of another 16kg of malted brown flour from Marriages earlier this week. Best before date 21st April 2021. I'll be surprised if it survives into the new year.

SteveC · « **Reply #510 on:** 30 August, 2020, 12:08:51 pm »

Ground a couple of pounds of rye meal just now, which is currently making a sponge/poolish for some ~50:50 rye-wholewheat bread.

citoyen · « **Reply #511 on:** 30 August, 2020, 08:27:10 pm »

Foolishly scaled up my standard bread recipe to make enough dough for three large loaves this afternoon. Thought it would be more efficient than making one loaf at a time, but I underestimated how much hard work it is to knead that much dough by hand.

Also, I really need to invest in decent baker's scales and a very large mixing/proving bowl if I want to do that again.

Jakob W · « **Reply #512 on:** 30 August, 2020, 10:06:47 pm »

Quote from: citoyen on 30 August, 2020, 08:27:10 pm

Also, I really need to invest in decent baker's scales and a very large mixing/proving bowl if I want to do that again.

https://www.bakerybits.co.uk/kd8000-bakery-scales.html

I can recommend these - not cheap for what they are, but have thus far stood up to abuse pretty well, and the ability to use a wall wart is nice. Haven't used the baker's percentage function except to play with, but if you were doing lots of scaling up/down or using inconsistent amounts of flour I can see that being helpful.

citoyen · « **Reply #513 on:** 30 August, 2020, 10:12:44 pm »

Those are the exact ones I already had my eye on. Good to know they're recommended, thanks!

(Also looked at some Salter scales with a 15kg capacity on Nisbets, but they're four times the price. Nisbets do have some seriously big mixing bowls as well though.)

Jakob W · « **Reply #514 on:** 30 August, 2020, 10:27:45 pm »

That's a bowl and a half! I suppose the scales felt a bit expensive compared to the cheapo Lidl ones I'd previously been using, but compared to professional kit they're pretty reasonable. I'd recommend getting a pair of drug dealer's scales to go alongside them (bakery bits do a decent set for a tenner or so), for things that you may want to measure to sub-gram accuracy - I use mine mostly for yeast for cold-proof doughs (where amounts are of the order of 1.5g), and for coffee beans.

citoyen · « **Reply #515 on:** 06 September, 2020, 09:47:10 am »

Do iced fruit buns count as bread?

Perfect with a cup of tea. Need to work on my icing technique though.

Gattopardo · « **Reply #516 on:** 07 September, 2020, 09:55:06 pm »

One for Ham

Ham · « **Reply #517 on:** 07 September, 2020, 10:04:01 pm »

I wonder if Mrs Ham would notice if I installed one of those into a quiet corner of the kitchen

(and checkout the gallic mask wearing)

Gattopardo · « **Reply #518 on:** 08 September, 2020, 04:57:48 pm »

Quote from: Ham on 07 September, 2020, 10:04:01 pm

I wonder if Mrs Ham would notice if I installed one of those into a quiet corner of the kitchen

(and checkout the gallic mask wearing)

Supose you get a smaller one.

Mrs Pingu · « **Reply #519 on:** 09 September, 2020, 08:32:32 pm »

New toy:

2020-09-09_07-40-21 by The Pingus, on Flickr

Kim · « **Reply #520 on:** 09 September, 2020, 08:46:38 pm »

Quote from: Mrs Pingu on 09 September, 2020, 08:32:32 pm

New toy:

2020-09-09_07-40-21 by The Pingus, on Flickr

Can you do PCR on it?

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #521 on:** 09 September, 2020, 10:14:15 pm »

Oooh, a baby autoclave!

Mrs Pingu · « **Reply #522 on:** 09 September, 2020, 10:30:58 pm »

My brother asked if I was going to be making dinosaurs....

Jakob W · « **Reply #523 on:** 09 September, 2020, 10:58:47 pm »

Ooh, do report back - I've had my eye on one of those for ages, and given how cold my kitchen gets in winter I may yet crack...

L CC · « **Reply #524 on:** 10 September, 2020, 12:26:32 pm »

Quote from: citoyen on 06 September, 2020, 09:47:10 am

Need to work on my icing technique though.

Agreed. You need to keep practising, and send any flawed product here.