I got a bread machine a couple of weeks ago. Having mulled it over for some time and dismissed it on grounds of space (small kitchen) and having that rare thing, a nearby bakery that sells decent bread, I found by chance a machine for only £12 in a charity shop. Bargain! And indeed it is. So far I'm making white loaves in the week (cos that what Little Cudzo likes in his sandwiches) and wholemeal at the weekend (cos that what his parents like), nothing more ambitious yet, but I've noticed an oddity: the wholemeal loaves rise at the sides but not in the middle - at first I thought this was due to old yeast, but it's not - and the white ones rise ok, but the mixing hook always gets stuck inside the loaf! I can't work out why this happens with white loaves only, but in any case, both types taste pretty good.
My first attempt at a sourdough loaf is currently rising! Finger crossed...
It gets even better over the first few loaves. And yes, you have to bake mostly daily, unless you want to do the throw away half and replenish thing, which seems a bit wasteful.My first attempt at a sourdough loaf is currently rising! Finger crossed...
The first one ended up slightly under-baked and doughy. But had another go yesterday and 'twas nommy. This may have to become a regular occurrence (especially if I want to keep the bowl of yeast in the airing cupboard under control!)
We've got a Panasonic, and it started doing this intermittently at first, especially on the timer function. A google suggests it's a not an uncommon phenomenon. Panasonic blame the flour. I make a 50/50 mix on the basic program. It's really annoying as it made perfect HUGE loaves for about 2 years, now they are either dense but a nice small shape, or sunk in the middle. The wholemeal program is a disaster!
Thanks - I'll add vit C to my shopping list.
I think I'll try warmer water too. I see that recipe says "warm water", the instructions with my machine say "cool water, 20C" which was puzzling me since 20C doesn't seem like cool water to me (unless I was having a bath in it...).
We've got a Panasonic, and it started doing this intermittently at first, especially on the timer function. A google suggests it's a not an uncommon phenomenon. Panasonic blame the flour. I make a 50/50 mix on the basic program. It's really annoying as it made perfect HUGE loaves for about 2 years, now they are either dense but a nice small shape, or sunk in the middle. The wholemeal program is a disaster!
I don't own a panasonic, but of the machines I've had the wholemeal program has been rubbish, and had better results for wholemeal bread from the standard white setting (+ darker setting). Sinking in the middle can also be from having too much water in the mix.
Holland & Barrett do jars of Vit C without having to ask for it.Thanks - I'll add vit C to my shopping list.
I think I'll try warmer water too. I see that recipe says "warm water", the instructions with my machine say "cool water, 20C" which was puzzling me since 20C doesn't seem like cool water to me (unless I was having a bath in it...).
You can get vitamin C powder - pure ascorbic acid - but it's sold "under the counter" as it were, you have to be looked up and down by the pharmacist because apparently it's used as a cutting agent by drug dealers.
The tablets contain all sorts of other stuff as well as ascorbic acid, but probably not enough to worry about in a whole loaf.
But that's a health food shop, none of those hippies would be doing drugs, surely?Holland & Barrett do jars of Vit C without having to ask for it.Thanks - I'll add vit C to my shopping list.
I think I'll try warmer water too. I see that recipe says "warm water", the instructions with my machine say "cool water, 20C" which was puzzling me since 20C doesn't seem like cool water to me (unless I was having a bath in it...).
You can get vitamin C powder - pure ascorbic acid - but it's sold "under the counter" as it were, you have to be looked up and down by the pharmacist because apparently it's used as a cutting agent by drug dealers.
The tablets contain all sorts of other stuff as well as ascorbic acid, but probably not enough to worry about in a whole loaf.
Proving baskets - discuss....
Proving baskets - discuss....
We do half-and=half loaves mostly: 25 grammes while flour, 250 of wholemeal. Occasionally w do granary.25 grammes while the flour does what? :D
Our paddle (panasonic) gets stuck in the bread every time now, but we must have made more than 1500 loaves now. I don't mind. It usually tears a bit out of the middle o the loaf, but I eat that bit hot.
Re: the proving baskets, I was wondering if it would help with my sourdough which doesn't have any pockets in it. However it's already left to prove in a bowl, but maybe baking it on a sheet instead of in a loaf tin would help generate some air pockets?
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.
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.
Does anyone use a food mixer / dough maker for their bread?
150g of a 50/50 spelt/wheat leaven
soda bread
I know its a sin to mention it here and I'm ready for the hounds.
But, I baked a loaf today with pre mixed flour packs where you just add a bit of water, throw it in the oven and then eat. It is rather nice sure truly home made from scratch can only be better.
OK Sergeant pluck (and anyone else), soda bread recipe I use.
/
I would say it's a piece of cake to make but it's even easier than that!!
5. Put on non stick baking tray and cut a cross into the flattened ball, cutting deep and opening the cross out a bit (this is so the inside bakes properly)
Anyone made hazelnut bread?
I know its a sin to mention it here and I'm ready for the hounds.I've not used one for decades, but we used to bake bread when we were on canal boat holidays using those. When our most experienced bread maker had her turn, she was generally impressed but decided to add some oil to the mix. I seem to remember the results were pretty good all week but the beer before hand might have helped! Our routine was to make the bread after breakfast with the aim of getting it cooked by about twelve, then go to the pub and return for bread and cheese lunch with the fresh loaf.
But, I baked a loaf today with pre mixed flour packs where you just add a bit of water, throw it in the oven and then eat. It is rather nice sure truly home made from scratch can only be better.
Anyone made hazelnut bread?
Mrs P, the thing is with adding nuts to dough is that it can be a little painful when kneading if done by hand so take care when doing so. I finely crush half the amount of nuts I am using (to give the dough the flavour) and keep the other half in big chunks (for the texture). For hazelnuts I'd toast the nuts first, gives a lovely flavour.
An advantage to using the soda bread recipe above is that, as no kneading is required, the problem doesn't exist in that type of loaf. I'd use a bit of honey aswell.
I've made both sorts of loaf and can recommend both.
Most important thing is ....... let us know how you get on :thumbsup:
Looks great. Sun dried tomatoes?Half a tube of puréed toms!
What is chapatti flour? I thought to make chapattis you used wholemeal, or is it some other type of flour used in Asian cooking? I regularly shop in Asian stores and I know they seem to have many different types of flour. I've used gram flour which makes a delicious snack when hot, but the taste isn't half as good when cold.
Did you use yoghurt or fruit in the starter or just flour and water?No, just flour and water. OK time to look up this yoghurt, fruit idea, never heard of that one. What I think happened with my second and third batchs, the stuff fizzed up too early and lost its potency before I got around to making the bread, I need to slow it down somehow (send it up the Tourmalet!).
Make the dough before the starter collapses or put it in the fridge to retard it a bit.Did you use yoghurt or fruit in the starter or just flour and water?No, just flour and water. OK time to look up this yoghurt, fruit idea, never heard of that one. What I think happened with my second and third batchs, the stuff fizzed up too early and lost its potency before I got around to making the bread, I need to slow it down somehow (send it up the Tourmalet!).
Today I made yet another delicious loaf. However, I'm receiving complaints from the household (Mrs P) about the shape. I do try to shape the dough into sort of rugby ball format - but I always end up with, admittedly well risen and tasty, a cowpat shaped object.
So how do I make something that looks not totally unlike a loaf? Preferably without buying special tins.
Not strictly bread, but dough related. Last weekend I used a new (to me) method (2-day) for making pizza bases. The pizzas were then dry fried then grilled. Base was that lovely chewy texture that it should be. Result.
Time for a quiz. Hands up if you can guess who de-tinned the loaves and put them back in the oven for a couple of minutes then went on a conference call for 45 minutes? Without removing said loaves first.
Baked Brick, anyone?
:facepalm:
I SHALL have at least two slices out of this for my lunch. I will report back
Last night I tried a Spelt & Rye loaf made with buttermilk as liquid, turned out v tasty, not sure why it cracked this way, possibly because I should have waited longer before baking.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-xGl5G6_1qno/Vf8ZCXLM5FI/AAAAAAAAy9o/M2e8ZAVkUOw/s640-Ic42/upload_-1.jpg)
So here's the result. It's not much but I'm pretty chuffed!
(https://photos-4.dropbox.com/t/2/AABv8hIjHeolOUKCc7pVX6GS6DmTYwq4SrqJGG_k1fJLog/12/23853117/jpeg/32x32/3/1454169600/0/2/20160130%20Bread.jpeg/EJaM-REYhjAgAigC/bzlV-r3rjTXNIr2uUIcSzjxngPEL9SQf9rFlv4plYLg?size_mode=3&size=1024x768)
Error 410..... you've eaten it ;D
Sugar just speeds up the initial yeast ferment - unless you're trying to activate dried (not instant) yeast it's not needed (and even with dried you can just whisk in some flour).
Sugar just speeds up the initial yeast ferment - unless you're trying to activate dried (not instant) yeast it's not needed (and even with dried you can just whisk in some flour).
....or, not. Just not needed, honest.
Does anyone have a decent recipe for vegan hot cross buns?
http://southendnewsnetwork.com/news/anger-as-southend-bakery-launches-hot-cross-buns-without-offensive-cross/;D Local news at its best.
I use Tesco's Fast Action Dried Yeast (http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=259921596) in our breadmaker and it works a treat.
I would have thought you'd have no problems with dried yeast so long as it was activated before putting in the machine.
This was his basic lean/french bread. Never heard of sprouted flour :)
Rye bread today. 75% rye, 25% plain (soft) flour, with added lard and black treacle.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).
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?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.
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.
The Matthews Organic Wholemeal seemed interesting, 16Kg for £15 seems very good value. Let's see how strong....12% not bad. Where's it from? Have a guess before clicking
MrsC has perfected making sourdough gluten free loaves, with real crust and flavour.
I haven't eaten bread that tasted like this in 24 years. I'm going to get very fat.
I'll have to ask her. It isn't one flour.MrsC has perfected making sourdough gluten free loaves, with real crust and flavour.
I haven't eaten bread that tasted like this in 24 years. I'm going to get very fat.
What flour do you use? I tried making a 100% buckwheat bread but it wasn't exactly a 100% success...
I've done 100% rye successfully but that's low gluten, rather than gluten free.
https://www.freshisreal.com/buckwheat-sourdough-loaf-gluten-free-vegan/#tasty-recipes-4516
(I use linseed instead of psyllium husk, ordinary sugar and added 2 tsp of xantham gum. Oats, linseed and sunflower seeds I whizzed up in the herb chopper to make a coarse flour.
Prompted by the sourdough thread, I was wandering around Bakery Bits, interested in their selection of flour. The Matthews Organic Wholemeal seemed interesting, 16Kg for £15 seems very good value. Let's see how strong....12% not bad. Where's it from? Have a guess before clickingBreadbasket of Europe, traditionally, due to its "black soil". (As Citoyen says, I'm sure you and almost everyone else reading this already knew that, but hey... )(click to show/hide)
First try, none too shabby but still work to doLooking good. You’re going to have to change your name to Jambon.
(https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--OfRzuo-VfA/Xq1dyIVSuRI/AAAAAAADOhk/kUE2qcYkb7QX1MlCDoI0bX_2hhdcAX5swCPcBGAsYHg/s1600/IMG_20200502_110417.jpg)
I made some baguettes and I thought they were an awful lot of effort for little reward.
Cheese and green chilli sourdough.
I tried wetter but it sort of splurged over the baking sheet when I tipped it out. I'll increase it a bit once I've bought more flour.
C'mon then flatus, let's have the chili bread recipe?
Bugger the chilli bread - GPS coordinates for truffles, if you please
Brilliant, thanks. Shaping is what I'm not doing. I shall learn and experiment.I tried wetter but it sort of splurged over the baking sheet when I tipped it out. I'll increase it a bit once I've bought more flour.
Try above recipe. I'll find some youtube vids for shaping
Here you go: https://youtu.be/8uz97MZZmRg
Found about £100 worth. Going to leave the area alone now and have another root around in July.
Bugger the chilli bread - GPS coordinates for truffles, if you please
Had some truffle shavings on linguine for dinner, with pepper, olive oil and a touch of lemon juice. Verr nice.
Found about £100 worth. Going to leave the area alone now and have another root around in July.
Bugger the chilli bread - GPS coordinates for truffles, if you please
Had some truffle shavings on linguine for dinner, with pepper, olive oil and a touch of lemon juice. Verr nice.
Found about £100 worth. Going to leave the area alone now and have another root around in July.
Did you use a pig/dog or know where to look?
Did you use a pig/dog or know where to look?
My wife was snuffling around under a tree in the garden.
Bugger the chilli bread - GPS coordinates for truffles, if you please
Had some truffle shavings on linguine for dinner, with pepper, olive oil and a touch of lemon juice. Verr nice.
Found about £100 worth. Going to leave the area alone now and have another root around in July.
Did you use a pig/dog or know where to look?
My wife was snuffling around under a tree in the garden.
When ICBA (ie, not right now) my "standard" mix is 1.2Kg Wholemeal, 100g Rye, 300g spelt and 100g white making two large loaves. I find it has a good balance of flavour and density.
Flour. I remember that. Does it still exist?
Blimey. I think a 16kg bag would suffice for the rest of my life! I managed to get a 1.5kg bag of plain flour from the Co-op a week or so ago, but that was for a neighbour. She makes me cakes occasionally, so there was some benefit! But that was the one and only occasion in the last 7 weeks I've seen any flour in any shop (and there was only that one bag on the shelf)..
I think this belongs here. (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/ng-interactive/2020/may/09/stephen-collins-on-baking-bread-during-lockdown-cartoon)
Are those with bulk (or other) bags of flour concerned at all about weevils (etc) showing up for a good time? Any issues?
Are those with bulk (or other) bags of flour concerned at all about weevils (etc) showing up for a good time? Any issues?
Are those with bulk (or other) bags of flour concerned at all about weevils (etc) showing up for a good time? Any issues?
That cartoon is good - I'm under no illusions that I'd have the time and energy during the week ordinarily.
That cartoon is good - I'm under no illusions that I'd have the time and energy during the week ordinarily.
I haven’t bought a loaf in a shop since last September. I mostly do my baking at weekends, and keep a supply in the freezer for when the fresh stuff runs out.
This was fine while I was the only one in the house eating bread, but now my son is back home from uni and with us for the next two years at least, so we’re getting through a lot more bread.
Not sure what’s going to happen when I go back to work but I didn’t have problems maintaining my sourdough starter pre-lockdown. It’s neither hard work nor time-consuming
I’m hoping that most people won’t have so much time for baking after it’s all over, then I might be able to get hold of rye flour.
Edit: they have rye flour in stock as I type. £12.49 for 16kg. Bargain!
In a normal year, we have about 20 weekends away from home. We only buy bread when on holiday.
My standard batch is four pounds of flour, by hand, which makes either for 'two pound' loaves (which is a month's worth of breakfasts) or 40 rolls (which is two month's worth of lunches for me, MrsC preferring a jacket potato). They all go into the freezer, having cut the loaves in half. I also make bread for our re-enacting displays. I use a sponge method. All the water, all the yeast, about half the flour for one rise, then add the rest of the flour, knead, then leave for a second rise, and finally shape, third rise, cook.
Usual procedure is get the sponge going while sorting breakfast. Go to parkrun. Once home again do stage two. Then we usually end up going shopping. Third stage around or after lunch. Total time spent is under an hour. Elapsed time obviously much longer.
So it is possible to fit bread making into a busy lifestyle and I wouldn't want to go back to buying.
Edit: they have rye flour in stock as I type. £12.49 for 16kg. Bargain!
It may well have been true at the time of typing but... arses. That really is quick.
I can get hold of white and wholemeal wheat flour easily enough from my wife's friend who is a baker, but they don't do any of the fancy "artisan" stuff like rye or spelt.
Are those with bulk (or other) bags of flour concerned at all about weevils (etc) showing up for a good time? Any issues?
Not really. Extra protein
I got some live yeast from a local baker. Haven't used it for years. I've managed to ascertain the right quantity for use in the breadmaker though and the results are better than I've ever had :thumbsup:.
Reporting backI tried wetter but it sort of splurged over the baking sheet when I tipped it out. I'll increase it a bit once I've bought more flour.
Try above recipe. I'll find some youtube vids for shaping
Here you go: https://youtu.be/8uz97MZZmRg
Great! :thumbsup:When you use the casserole do you preheat it before putting the dough in?
An iron casserole made all the difference to mine. Have a Hunt in tkmaxx at some point as they tend to have that sort of thing quite cheaply.
Next project...just before mixing, lob in 150g of strong grated cheddar and 3 or 4 sliced green chillies (hot indian ones, not tha pointless dutch shit) Then proceed as normal.
Just trust me on this one ;)
When you use the casserole do you preheat it before putting the dough in?
When you use the casserole do you preheat it before putting the dough in?
Yes. Makes putting the loaf into it a bit tricky, which is why a cloche is better. Or if your casserole dish has a flat lid, you can simply invert it.
I quite fancy one of these Fourneau cast iron ovens - not cheap, but cheaper and easier than building a proper bread oven in the garden. They're also launching a 'levee' to make lifting your loaf into a casserole dish easier:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/stranddesign/fourneau-grande-and-levee
OK, for the quantities in Flatus' recipe and my recipe of about 1kg of dough I've been using a 30cm x 16cm oval banneton. I also have a 22cm round banneton.Bakery Bits have a 1kg basket that measures 22.5x8.5cm internal dia x depth if that helps you decide.
Is the 22cm big enough for the Flatus recipe, so I can get a nice boule loaf?
Will a stainless steel mixing bowl inverted over the dough on a baking sheet work as a substitute cloche?
Great! :thumbsup:When you use the casserole do you preheat it before putting the dough in?
An iron casserole made all the difference to mine. Have a Hunt in tkmaxx at some point as they tend to have that sort of thing quite cheaply.
Next project...just before mixing, lob in 150g of strong grated cheddar and 3 or 4 sliced green chillies (hot indian ones, not tha pointless dutch shit) Then proceed as normal.
Just trust me on this one ;)
OK, for the quantities in Flatus' recipe and my recipe of about 1kg of dough I've been using a 30cm x 16cm oval banneton. I also have a 22cm round banneton.
Is the 22cm big enough for the Flatus recipe, so I can get a nice boule loaf?
Will a stainless steel mixing bowl inverted over the dough on a baking sheet work as a substitute cloche?
I have inadvertently ended up with a lot of plain flour. Some will get mixed with strong for pizza bases but considering trying to make bread with some if I run out of strong. Any tips?You probably won't get the rise you would expect from hard wheat, but it will be perfectly edible.
50% rye load 2.0
I mixed the rye and white flour together by hand before dumping it in the breadmaker this time. Much better, no unmixed bits at all and a better load all round.
50% rye load 2.0
I mixed the rye and white flour together by hand before dumping it in the breadmaker this time. Much better, no unmixed bits at all and a better load all round.
Did you use the same recipe as for a standard white loaf? If so, another thing you might try is increasing the water content - dark rye will absorb a lot more water than white flour, or even wholemeal.
No the Panasonic has a dedicated rye bread mode (and dedicated rye paddle) and recipes for rye. It did have more water than the standard white loaf.
Try this:
200g sourdough starter.
250ml of water @ 28°C (ish) (1/3 boiling 2/3 cold).
400g Canadian Very Strong white flour.
Chuck it all in bowl. Mix with a spatula, leave for 25 mins to ‘autolyse’ (soak up the water properly).
Add 10g salt.
Knead on low speed in mixer for about 10mins.
Cling film over mixing bowl and leave to bulk prove at normal room temp for about 3-4hrs or until the dough has about doubled in size. Should look like meringue.
Turn out. Shape. Bench rest 15 min.
Fold and shape.
Place into proving basket. 3-4hrs for final rise.
Pre-set cloche or cast iron casserole in oven
Bake in cloche at 240°C for 42min. (Take lid off at 25-30 min).
Try this:
200g sourdough starter.
250ml of water @ 28°C (ish) (1/3 boiling 2/3 cold).
400g Canadian Very Strong white flour.
Chuck it all in bowl. Mix with a spatula, leave for 25 mins to ‘autolyse’ (soak up the water properly).
Add 10g salt.
Knead on low speed in mixer for about 10mins.
Cling film over mixing bowl and leave to bulk prove at normal room temp for about 3-4hrs or until the dough has about doubled in size. Should look like meringue.
Turn out. Shape. Bench rest 15 min.
Fold and shape.
Place into proving basket. 3-4hrs for final rise.
Pre-set cloche or cast iron casserole in oven
Bake in cloche at 240°C for 42min. (Take lid off at 25-30 min).
So we scaled that down to our banaton/dutch oven and got this:- (https://i.ibb.co/ZYYDcLK/Bread1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/LJJ79k6)
So we scaled that down to our banaton/dutch oven and got this:- (https://i.ibb.co/ZYYDcLK/Bread1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/LJJ79k6)
Bread V2 of the Flatus recipe, very happy with the results!
Pizza steel on order, using it for both bread and pizza (obv) - anyone got a reliable sourdough pizza base recipe.
https://i.ibb.co/VVyVVNM/Bread-2.jpg[/img]](https://i.ibb.co/VVyVVNM/Bread-2.jpg) (http://[img width=479 height=640)
Bread V2 of the Flatus recipe, very happy with the results!
Pizza steel on order, using it for both bread and pizza (obv) - anyone got a reliable sourdough pizza base recipe.
https://i.ibb.co/VVyVVNM/Bread-2.jpg[/img]](https://i.ibb.co/VVyVVNM/Bread-2.jpg) (http://[img width=479 height=640)
That looks like it's going to be delicious. Good spring, nice crust.
Fuck. Listen to me ;D
Today was a bad bread day.
Using Flatus' recipe, I thought things would be OK. The difference between this attempt (which was an abject failure) and the previous (which was a success) was that I used all white flour. The previous attempt had around 70g wholemeal. I suspect this is why the dough was so sticky this time and as my kneading is by hand it I found it too stciky to knead properly. The proving went OK but the shaping was a combination of Loud Bad Swears, some throwing of objects and a sticky mess on my hands. I managed to persuade it into the proving basket but it was fairly structureless.
Things got better when it came to tipping out the proving basket onto the floured pizza stone. Firstly the dough clung to the basket, so what ended up on the stone was a bit torn. I slashed it with a razor blade and picked up the stone. I was a bit hasty and the dough then slid off the floured stone onto the the cooker. Fuck fuck fuck.
I rescued it and stuck it in the oven, covering it with an upturned casserole. Then I didn't hear the timer so it came out burnt.
Tastes nice enough though.
Tasted pretty good. I reckon it'll catch on.
Tasted pretty good. I reckon it'll catch on.
You know what would enhance that, don’t you? A nice bit of pineapple.
Today was a bad bread day.
I found it too sticky to knead properly. The proving went OK but the shaping was a combination of Loud Bad Swears, some throwing of objects and a sticky mess on my hands. I managed to persuade it into the proving basket but it was fairly structureless.
Tastes nice enough though.
Climbing up the learning curve, is protein content directly related to strength of the flour?
The Marriages website (flour.co.uk) has Manitoba Strong White at a massive 14.9%. I've just ordered some...
so how much does the panel reckon I should start tweaking it down by?
50% rye 50% wholemeal and the water replaced with Black Sheep bitter.
This is a brick of a loaf. Very dense but tasty. Only rose about half as much as a 50% rye 50% white flour loaf.
The Sainsbury white bread flour I used is 13.9% protein.
I got two bags of hastily repackaged Tesco bread flour yesterday with a measily 11.3% protein. The Allinson plain white I have is 9.9%, so not that far behind.
A much better bread day.
Likewise, I suspect 'bread flour' is just strong enough to make bread (probably optimised for machines) while also being low enough in protein to result in a nice soft crumb, as opposed to 'strong flour' which has to pass a defined threshold for protein content. Higher protein will also result in chewier bread, which may or may not be a desirable quality.
With the exception that it is NOT optimised for bread machines, which appear to prefer strong flour, likely because they struggle to knead properly.
I wonder if stuff that is packaged as 'bread flour' is a bit like the stuff you used to get called 'whipping cream' - for whipping, you want a high fat content, so double cream (defined as 48% butterfat) is best. You might imagine something called 'whipping cream' would be specially designed for the job and therefore have an even higher fat content, but in fact it was a cheaper alternative to double cream that had just enough fat content to make it whippable - and also be more tolerant to overwhipping without turning to butter. I don't think I've seen 'whipping cream' on sale for some years though.
With the exception that it is NOT optimised for bread machines, which appear to prefer strong flour, likely because they struggle to knead properly.
Ah!
Maybe that's why I was never really happy with the results from our bread machine...
Sainsbury's do seem to be selling whipping cream (green pot ~40% fat, as well as single cream-red pot, 18% fat and double cream blue pot 48% fat).
Sainsbury's do seem to be selling whipping cream (green pot ~40% fat, as well as single cream-red pot, 18% fat and double cream blue pot 48% fat).
Tbh, I don’t buy cream that often so probably just haven’t noticed it on the shelves (among the million other varieties that are available these days).
Apparently the ‘extra thick’ stuff is just double cream that has been rapidly heated and cooled.
"Ma femme fait des bâtards" isn't something I say out loud, though.
Baguettes R us, Pt IV
Par-baked
(https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KhRoiqI28ug/Xty18l-ZzCI/AAAAAAADVUE/k2ZZCnj-UncS_21E9O7p61fHHABOON7rACPcBGAsYHg/s1600/IMG_20200607_094839.jpg)
T55, 70% moisture, three foldy-style gentle knock backs, pukka baguette tin.
Think I may have got it pretty much nailed, User Acceptance Testing coming soon.
"Ma femme fait des bâtards" isn't something I say out loud, though.
I first came across that gag in the Jacques Dutronc song Il est cinq heures, Paris s'éveille - "Les boulangers font des bâtards"
"Ma femme fait des bâtards" isn't something I say out loud, though.
I first came across that gag in the Jacques Dutronc song Il est cinq heures, Paris s'éveille - "Les boulangers font des bâtards"
That's what I was thinking of. Great song.
How did you proof them? I got a couple of bags of T55 with my last Shipton Mill order, so am tempted to give them a go. I don't have a baguette tin, mind, so am pondering if I can do demi-baguettes under a cloche.
so how much does the panel reckon I should start tweaking it down by?
Try 60%. Which may not be as huge a difference in the actual water content as it sounds - maybe a couple of tablespoons worth, depending on the size of your loaf.
I've had decent results at 55% - never as light and airy as the higher hydration levels but much, much easier to handle.
Who wants huge holes in their bread anyway? You need a bit of structure to hold the butter.
The lid thermometer does register about 160 deg F generally, although I can get it hotter by altering the air flow a bit.
The lid thermometer does register about 160 deg F generally, although I can get it hotter by altering the air flow a bit.
Are you sure? That's only about 70 deg C. A Weber Kettle BBQ should be able to get up to over 550 deg F (nearly 300 deg C) if you let it rip. Mine will bury the needle against the stop at the hot end with decent charcoal and all the vents open fully.
Never tried making any kind of bread on it though so cant help there I'm afraid.
Agreed. Brioches are totally crap for burgers. I completely fail to understand why they've caught on. I can only guess that they're cheaper.
Agreed. Brioches are totally crap for burgers. I completely fail to understand why they've caught on. I can only guess that they're cheaper.
No way were those hipster sour dough, careful you are on a slippery slope (but you probably don't need two hands to drink water)Well spotted. I did contemplate the sourdough option but it was a last minute decision to make them and I just wanted them done quick. Might try a sourdough version some other time.
Really, not even served on a slate with a small metal plant pot for the chips.
Some US places take the brioche concept further, you can burgers in croissants and, for bonus points, inserted into sliced donuts. It's a deviant practice. If they swore and fornicated more, it truly wouldn't be necessary.
Reading thru the linked article it says “no Frenchman would use brioche for a sandwich”, but most pre packaged filled baguettes in France are made using baguette viennoise as normal French bread goes stale too quickly.Agreed. Brioches are totally crap for burgers. I completely fail to understand why they've caught on. I can only guess that they're cheaper.
I suspect it's just because they're a bit fancy, and people like bling. Can't imagine they're cheaper with all the butter and eggs.
A quick bit of googling turned up this, which I think is on the money:
https://www.thedailymeal.com/eat/putting-your-burger-brioche-bun-terrible-idea
Reading thru the linked article it says “no Frenchman would use brioche for a sandwich”, but most pre packaged filled baguettes in France are made using baguette viennoise as normal French bread goes stale too quickly.
f
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Or, Foxtrot Lima Oscar Uniform Romeo
Does that go some way to helping?
f
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Or, Foxtrot Lima Oscar Uniform Romeo
Does that go some way to helping?
Not in the slightest. Did you think it would?
Spelt is not the same as bread flour
It would have been of inestimable assistance had you been wondering how flour was spelt.
I happen to have some buttermilk
Edited to add - ended up like this and tastes pretty good I must say.
I've just seen that Waitrose is stocking Marriage's flour in 16kg bags, cheaper than Marriages are selling it themselves. Only 3 types, plain, SR and "Premier white bread flour" (I can't see that one on the Marriage's website) at £10, £10 and £12.
I don't need any yet but...
I dropped in to a friend's garden at the weekend. We chatted, as you do, about sourdough. The last bit of Flatus' remark may have been uttered...
That looks like it's going to be delicious. Good spring, nice crust.
Fuck. Listen to me ;D
<sob!>
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50037271073_cf53b3e6d7.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2jeC6qe)2020-06-23_06-36-23 (https://flic.kr/p/2jeC6qe) by The Pingus (https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_pingus/), on Flickr
Less of a sourdough loaf. More of a flying saucer, FFS. :facepalm:
No idea why. It was a new brand of flour but surely wholemeal stoneground is wholemeal stoneground (old was Sainsbo's and somewhat old, new is Gilchesters). Other possible option is that in between folds I left it on the worktop rather than in the bowl (with the bowl placed on top) and when I came back it had flowed all over the top, maybe it overstretched the gluten. Although when I gave it the final prove it sprung back alright when prodded.
:-\
So my attention on now turns to the strong white. According to the label it's 12.7% which isn't super strong but should be good enough, no?
Sliced in the freezer
Stomach.Is the right answer.
Apparently there isn't a flour shortage what there is a flour packaging bottleneck somewhere.
So if you have a scoop shop nearby than they have no problem buying sacks of flour and tend to be fully stocked, its just the normal size bags of flour that keep running out.
Why the process of successive dilution of an active culture into fresh flour and re-fermentation? seems a bit of a waste. Or is this some sort of Homeopathy?
I believe it is to do with the yeast/bacteria ratio. You are diluting the slower growing bacteria whilst breeding fast growing yeast.
packed together so tightly in the tin that they haven't got room to spread out and unravel as they rise, but they must rise vertically
Back on sourdough. I slash away with a razor blade but don’t get the eruption and crispy bit that tragic hipsters crave. Leastways not at the slashing site- my last two loaves have erupted elsewhere on the crust, making odd shaped loaves.
Back on sourdough. I slash away with a razor blade but don’t get the eruption and crispy bit that tragic hipsters crave. Leastways not at the slashing site- my last two loaves have erupted elsewhere on the crust, making odd shaped loaves. I use The Flatus Recipe, 220c fan oven, dish of water for humidity. Good amount of oven spring, batard shape loaf. Should I be slashing deeper?That was Thatcher's tactic, wasn't it ?
That was Thatcher's tactic, wasn't it ?
:-) Many many years ago I was mistaken for him (though how on earth is completely beyond me.)That was Thatcher's tactic, wasn't it ?
You are Ben Elton AICMFP
Is it like grinding your own coffee beans?
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?
I just ordered a 16kg sack of Shipton Mill No.4 (https://www.shipton-mill.com/bulk-shop/untreated-organic-white-flour-no-4.htm)...
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.
:thumbsup:
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)
New toy:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50324431362_3998dd5b56.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2jEZSaG)2020-09-09_07-40-21 (https://flic.kr/p/2jEZSaG) by The Pingus (https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_pingus/), on Flickr
Need to work on my icing technique though.Agreed. You need to keep practising, and send any flawed product here.
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...
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...
Next task is to see if I can find a generic upper wire rack for it that's cheaper than the OEM B&T one. And bake some bread (prolly this weekend).
Lakeland? I know they do the stack of three ones, but I'm sure they do others.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...
Next task is to see if I can find a generic upper wire rack for it that's cheaper than the OEM B&T one. And bake some bread (prolly this weekend).
I'm failing at the wire rack thing. Well not exactly, but all the folding cake cooling rack that look like they would do the job are about £12 for a set of three. I don't need 3, I only want 1. I really object to paying B&T £30 plus £6 delivery just for their one so that I don't have 2 racks sitting about unused.
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...
Next task is to see if I can find a generic upper wire rack for it that's cheaper than the OEM B&T one. And bake some bread (prolly this weekend).
I'm failing at the wire rack thing. Well not exactly, but all the folding cake cooling rack that look like they would do the job are about £12 for a set of three. I don't need 3, I only want 1. I really object to paying B&T £30 plus £6 delivery just for their one so that I don't have 2 racks sitting about unused.
Out of idle curiosity (as my oven has a proving setting) how does the B&T maintain humidity? In the case of my oven, I slosh about 100ml of water in the bottom, and wipe it out to bake (to avoid calcification).
In Mr Tesco's House of Toothy Comestibles this evening, I spied, in the freezer section, frozen (duh) sourdough.
This is Wrong. Very Wrong.
ETA. Not frozen sourdough bread, frozen sour dough, so you can make sourdough bread at home without all that tedious kneading nonsense. It was next to the clip on hipster beards.
Calling it sourdough is a bit of a stretch.
In Mr Tesco's House of Toothy Comestibles this evening, I spied, in the freezer section, frozen (duh) sourdough.Do you have to defrost the beards before wearing?
This is Wrong. Very Wrong.
ETA. Not frozen sourdough bread, frozen sour dough, so you can make sourdough bread at home without all that tedious kneading nonsense. It was next to the clip on hipster beards.
Handily the beards are on one of those display stands at the end of the aisle. Pretend sourdough one side, a selection of sewing aids the otherIn Mr Tesco's House of Toothy Comestibles this evening, I spied, in the freezer section, frozen (duh) sourdough.Do you have to defrost the beards before wearing?
This is Wrong. Very Wrong.
ETA. Not frozen sourdough bread, frozen sour dough, so you can make sourdough bread at home without all that tedious kneading nonsense. It was next to the clip on hipster beards.
I made a loaf this evening.
With dried yeast. Prove for 30 minutes, knock back, shape and prove again for an hour. Bake for 40 minutes at 220C.
So quick! I'll see what it tastes like later.
I used Cotswold Crunch "a speciality blend of strong white flour, malted wheat flakes and malt flour for bread and rolls. " which I'd bought in Lockdown 1.0 before I'd scored my 16kg bag of Canadian super duper flour and proved it in an oval banneton.
Your proving times are ridiculously quick though - I can’t match that, even with the oven’s 40° proving setting. Are you using industrial quantities of yeast or something?
I made a loaf this evening.
With dried yeast. Prove for 30 minutes, knock back, shape and prove again for an hour. Bake for 40 minutes at 220C.
So quick! I'll see what it tastes like later.
I used Cotswold Crunch "a speciality blend of strong white flour, malted wheat flakes and malt flour for bread and rolls. " which I'd bought in Lockdown 1.0 before I'd scored my 16kg bag of Canadian super duper flour and proved it in an oval banneton.
I’ve done a few non-sourdough loaves lately. Suspect I will need to hand in my hipster card if they find out.
Mainly out of necessity, since I realised I’d run out of bread and needed something for breakfast. My standard recipe is 20% wholemeal with a good glug of olive oil - makes a nice soft sandwich loaf.
Your proving times are ridiculously quick though - I can’t match that, even with the oven’s 40° proving setting. Are you using industrial quantities of yeast or something?
Three teaspoons of dried yeast. Taste was a bit meh compared to my sour dough though.
a large tin (https://www.nisbets.co.uk/matfer-bourgeat-exoglass-bread-mould-305mm/fa973)
Hmmm. Could be that my yeast is duff, or maybe just a bit old and tired. It’s definitely not as fast acting though.
However sometimes when I'm in a rush or don't want to get whinged at for getting flour everywhere I use the kenwood with bread hook and it just seems to go on the hook and get whacked around.
Oh and don't like tins and find they stick. I may just have crap tins
Saw a Japanese TV programme about Panasonic's development of their bread maker.
They found that stretching the dough during kneading was the key to a good loaf. That's why their breadmakers have two vertical ridges on the sides.
And, in other news, we've just dispensed the last of the 16Kg bag of bread flour we bought in June (?)
Any recommendations for our next sack ? Last sack was Heygates.
Any recommendations for our next sack ? Last sack was Heygates.I’m also on a sack of Shipton Mill no 4, plus a box of assorted Ciabatta, malt house, rye and wholemeal flours to add variety and get to free delivery.
My starter is light rye. I bake every 2 days (give or take) so don’t fridge my starter.
...
I’d love to be baking every day but just don’t get through enough bread. I suppose I could scale down and make smaller loaves more often.
Anyway, I think it might actually be ok after all. I’ve kept it warm since giving it another feed this morning and it seems to have risen slightly. Panic over!
In the meantime, I made a quick loaf with dried yeast which is fine to keep me going. Just don’t dob me in to hipster club, please.
Or is there perhaps a way of sharpening the serrated edge that I'm not aware of? TIA.I use a traditional rod-shaped sharpening steel on my bread knife. It may not get back to original condition, but is certainly good enough as far as I am concerned.
My starter is light rye. I bake every 2 days (give or take) so don’t fridge my starter.
Mine is light rye too. It’s normally very active, and doesn’t usually take very long to get going after coming out of the fridge. I’ve previously left it two weeks without problem.
I’d love to be baking every day but just don’t get through enough bread. I suppose I could scale down and make smaller loaves more often.
Anyway, I think it might actually be ok after all. I’ve kept it warm since giving it another feed this morning and it seems to have risen slightly. Panic over!
In the meantime, I made a quick loaf with dried yeast which is fine to keep me going. Just don’t dob me in to hipster club, please.
Do you have a spare room? :P
Do you have a spare room? :P
You'd be welcome any time - as long as you show me how you get your cinnamon buns looking so tidy!
My starter passed away in november. (neglect)
Toscabullar ('Tosca buns' - filled with almond sugar paste and topped with toffee and almonds)
I've been baking my own bread, only buying the occasional baguette, for more years than I care to think about. Right now, I have zero time, so I bought bread. From Waitrose, "bakers" loaves, so I thought would be ok. Jeez, is THAT what people think bread is supposed to be? The white was reasonable, but the wholemeal was puffy shite.
Bought bread isn't nice enough to tempt me.
Anyone got a recipe for a nice bread involving caraway seeds?I'd just throw a bunch of caraway seeds in a standard wholemeal or rye mix.
A few years ago a Hungarian bloke who worked with us for a while made a caraway bready thing. It was really nice so I thought I should make some. Still not got around to it...
I used to have a really good recipe for an Eastern European (possibly Russian) dark rye bread made with plenty of caraway seeds, and orange juice. I think it also contained treacle and lots of butter. It was truly delicious.Rye bread with caraway seeds and treacle sounds familiar to me. This certainly isn't the recipe you lost but with a bit of luck it might be similar:
Lost in the mists of time though. I think I got it from BBC Good Food magazine.
Chleb żytnio-gryczany, z melasą i kminkiem2 tablespoons rye starter
Zaczyn:
2 łyżki zakwasu żytniego
160 g wody
100g mąki żytniej razowej
50 g mąki gryczanej
Wszystkie składniki wymieszać, miskę szczelnie przykryć folią i zostawić w temp. pokojowej na 10-12 godz.
Ciasto właściwe:
cały zaczyn
1/3 łyżeczka drożdży instant
2 łyżeczki soli
400 g wody
400 g mąki żytniej razowej
100 g mąki gryczanej
1 łyżeczka nasion kminku (całych, nie mielonych)
1 szczypta mielonej kolendry
1 łyżka dowolnej melasy, słodu, syropu lub ciemnego miodu
I have a 2lb loaf tin. How much flour should I use to make a loaf to go in a 2lb loaf tin. 900g seems... excessive.
J
I have a 2lb loaf tin. How much flour should I use to make a loaf to go in a 2lb loaf tin. 900g seems... excessive.
J
I have a 2lb loaf tin. How much flour should I use to make a loaf to go in a 2lb loaf tin. 900g seems... excessive.
J
My 2lb ancient 'Prestige' loaf tins - measure externally: 9¼" x 5¼" x 2¾"
I use 650g total mix of flours + 200g mixed sunflower and pumpkin seeds - and around 400ml water
And that's just lovely :)
My current recipe has uncovered dough, so not much help.
What do you all cover your dough with while it proves? Last time so used a ramp tea towel, like I always have done, and when the dough rose enough to touch it, removing the tea towel meant all the gas for let out the dough and I got dwarven battle bread. The dough is in a 900g loaf tin..
My current recipe has uncovered dough, so not much help.
What do you all cover your dough with while it proves? Last time so used a ramp tea towel, like I always have done, and when the dough rose enough to touch it, removing the tea towel meant all the gas for let out the dough and I got dwarven battle bread. The dough is in a 900g loaf tin..
Have you dried dusting the top of the dough with flour?
Hmm. I'd go for a light dusting and a dry tea towel rather than damp.My current recipe has uncovered dough, so not much help.
What do you all cover your dough with while it proves? Last time so used a ramp tea towel, like I always have done, and when the dough rose enough to touch it, removing the tea towel meant all the gas for let out the dough and I got dwarven battle bread. The dough is in a 900g loaf tin..
Have you dried dusting the top of the dough with flour?
No I haven't. Would that cause issues with the dry flour and damp tea towel?
J
Hmm. I'd go for a light dusting and a dry tea towel rather than damp.
I was about to ask "Wtf is that in real units" then realised I did ask about a 2lb loaf tin, so it's kinda my own fault.
Hmm. I'd go for a light dusting and a dry tea towel rather than damp.
I was about to ask "Wtf is that in real units" then realised I did ask about a 2lb loaf tin, so it's kinda my own fault.
It’s a nominal measurement anyway and there will be much variation in capacity between 2lb loaf tins from different manufacturers.
If translating it into metric, you’d call it a 1kg tin rather than 900g.
Hmm. I'd go for a light dusting and a dry tea towel rather than damp.
+1
Dust with rye flour (low gluten so less sticky) and cover with a dry muslin cloth.
When I'm doing bog standard yeasty bread I put it in a giant plastic bag.
What do you all cover your dough with while it proves? Last time so used a ramp tea towel, like I always have done, and when the dough rose enough to touch it, removing the tea towel meant all the gas for let out the dough and I got dwarven battle bread. The dough is in a 900g loaf tin..
Hmm. I'd go for a light dusting and a dry tea towel rather than damp.My current recipe has uncovered dough, so not much help.
What do you all cover your dough with while it proves? Last time so used a ramp tea towel, like I always have done, and when the dough rose enough to touch it, removing the tea towel meant all the gas for let out the dough and I got dwarven battle bread. The dough is in a 900g loaf tin..
Have you dried dusting the top of the dough with flour?
No I haven't. Would that cause issues with the dry flour and damp tea towel?
J
I’m wondering what I’m missing now. I don’t think I’ve seen a recipe that talks about plastic bags. The first rise, for me, happens in the mixing bowl I used for mixing.
I love the message on your lame.It is one of my Best Things.
The sachets last a lot longer than the tins of loose yeast - I find the tins don't last very long at all once opened, as little as a week or two.
The sachets last a lot longer than the tins of loose yeast - I find the tins don't last very long at all once opened, as little as a week or two.
Do you keep the tins in the fridge after opening? I didn't for ages, until I read the small print on the side - my instant yeast seems to stay viable for a couple of months that way.
Do you keep the tins in the fridge after opening? I didn't for ages, until I read the small print on the side - my instant yeast seems to stay viable for a couple of months that way.
Tragic hipster bread made using the stretchy-fold method and baked on my of-so-heavy lump of mild steel. Very very pleased with this one.
I'm getting much better results* doing stretchy fold than I was doing kneading. There's strange time dilation thing that seems to happen during kneading, when 10 minutes last for hours. Currently I'm using the ever so cheerful Bake With Jack's recipe and method. However as this has several changes compared to my previous recipe, I'm not sure whether it's the change to stretchy/fold or some other change (overmight fridge rest for example), or a combination of these that is responsible.Tragic hipster bread made using the stretchy-fold method and baked on my of-so-heavy lump of mild steel. Very very pleased with this one.
What's the consensus on the benefits of the Frenchy stretchy-fold method of kneading versus the more conventional heal of hand/knuckle roll fold and turn approach?
So does the tinned yeast live in the fridge even when upopened?
I've switched this week to using my sourdough pizza recipe for bread as well as it's coming out better than the bread recipe I was using.
Have attempted butteries.
Can certainly see layers, has a raodkill croissent look.
Just need to de grease base of oven :-\
They do taste good
It's looks to me like the dough lacks "structure". Can over proving cause this?
Do you make toast from fresh bread? I always think that is sacrilege, and that a loaf has to be at least a day old before I will consider toasting it.
I’m not precious about what I use to make toast. If it’s toast I want, it’s toast I shall have, whether the bread is fresh or a few days old.
.
The Forkish baking method has you pre-heat the Dutch Oven to 245C for 45 mins.
Then put the loaf in, and bake lid-on for 30 mins.
Then lid-off for around 20 mins.
My loaf also lacks the fancy lines because I don’t have any baskets to do the second proving. I may look at investing in some today.
My loaf also lacks the fancy lines because I don’t have any baskets to do the second proving. I may look at investing in some today.
when you say 65% hydration, do you mean 35% dry and 65% wet ingredients? is that by weight or volume?
It gets confusing with sourdough because the starter contains water - some people include that in the calculation, some don't (I do).
I’m wondering if bannetons are what I need or whether I can get by with parchment lined pudding basins.
Hmm. I've not been scoring my dough, wonder if that would help.
Doubt it will make much difference to the overall nature of the bread.
Lack of adequate surface tension is, I suspect, why my loaves are not hitting the heights, literally.
Scooping from the back of the dough ball, leading with the little fingers at the base of the ball, drag the ball towards you on a lightly floured surface.
You don't want it to slide, you want it to drag.
Your little fingers are pulling the top skin of the dough towards the rear, and at the same time, the friction of the surface during the drag is pulling the top skin towards the front.
At the same time, you use the other fingers to stretch the skin to the left and right.
I had a bash at sharpening ours for shits & giggles but haven't had occasion to try it out yet.
I find that our bread knife has a layer of bread stick to the surface of the blade. I suspect it might be because I use olive oil in the recipe, rather than the recommended butter.
I've pulled the pin on the white-handled version of that.
I'll report back when it arrives...
I've pulled the pin on the white-handled version of that.
I'll report back when it arrives...
You got your knife yet?
I can't remember which way round it is (less vs more water)
Nice to see you supporting 6 Degrees North as well!
Managed to find my baking accoutrements from various boxes so tomorrow morning will be the first bread in the shiny! new! improved! oven, hopefully.
In other bread news I am finally down to my last bag of Sainsbos multiseeded soggy bottom flour so I should be back on the proper stoneground wholemeal in a month or so...
Yes, time is an ingredient. It is a main factor in developing flavour, and that's why yeast-based doughs are done in the fridge: you don't want it to be ready to bake in 2 hours.
Bagels. O M G.
Math is definitely not my best subject. I have come to learn that it's always easier to do the math than just eyeball it. I typically use grams per cubic inch.http://www.wholegrain100.com/shaping--scoring-techniques-blog/calculate-bread-dough-to-fit-your-pan
Back on it. 30% dark rye. Looks like a nice spring.
(https://i.ibb.co/kDDc1NL/20220926-175216.jpg) (https://ibb.co/6ttsBjK)
Bastard.
My wife wants to try one of our kids in a gluten free diet, she's bought gluten free flour and I'm going to try making bread. Any tips when I make normal bread I only use flour yeast water and salt
Could be sourdough or could be a regular yeasted dough but slow-fermented, using less yeast and cooler fermentation temperature, which allows the flavour to develop. Larger bubbles suggests higher hydration - 70% and upwards. That would also explain the chewier texture.
Almost. Part bake is the answer, I get great results with my baguette bake that way. You're looking to take them out the oven when the bread is set but not yet brown. Defrost before finishing.
I've got a loaf on the go at the moment which has been proving since Friday and isn't yet ready to bake. Patience is a virtue on these occasions.
To be fair, I too have trouble rising when it's cold.
Is a Christmas bagel experiment strictly kosher?
(http://legslarry.org.uk/BikeStull/coat_48.png)
Is a Christmas bagel experiment strictly kosher?
(http://legslarry.org.uk/BikeStull/coat_48.png)
My Christmas baking will be panettone...
My Christmas baking will be panettone...It probably amounts to sacrilege on this thread, but I tried a panettone recipe in my ancient breadmaker yesterday, and, although it came out as definitely not-panettone, it was very delicious. Staled incredibly quickly, but easily revived by a quick razz in the microwave!
My Christmas baking will be panettone...It probably amounts to sacrilege on this thread, but I tried a panettone recipe in my ancient breadmaker yesterday, and, although it came out as definitely not-panettone, it was very delicious. Staled incredibly quickly, but easily revived by a quick razz in the microwave!
I have decided that home made bread makes shit toast.
For the record, I don't like toast the way most other people seem to like it. I don't want it to be as dry as Ulrikakaka's crispbread and to shatter into a million tiny crumbs when you bite into it. I like my toast to be like warm golden bread. Which is not what happens when I toast my bread.
I often use it for breakfast things like kejriwal…
As mentioned in the Gregg's Hot Cross Buns thread I thought I'd have a go at sourdough hot cross buns.
…
I really need to get a new sourdough starter going. The last one was kicked off with an apple freshly picked from my garden, but I’ll have to wait a good few months if I want to do that again.
I have decided that home made bread makes shit toast.
needs a bit of forward planning
It does seem to stand being hibernated very well.
*WARNING* that last link is a bakerybits one, the author cannot be held responsible for excessive clickage, your home is at risk if you do not keep up payments on a mortgage, serving suggestion only.
I par bake and freeze.
Photos of end product if and only if success has been achieved!
Actually, the "you must put sugar into bread" is another of those things some people do for no good reason. Today I thought, "what if I used molasses in wholemeal?" I have to tell you the result is excellent, slightly darker but improved flavour and consistency, I recommend it to the house. It helps if you have molasses hanging around, molasses sugar might work, too. I used about 40g in an 800g flour loaf (at 65% hydration)
That ^^ looks like a win to me. I'm convinced there's shedloads of stuff we do because we do it that way, for no good reason: "Don't eat before going swimming" I seem to remember was drummed into me as a child, same sort of thing.
More recently I've been using whatever catches my eye at Mr Tesco's Emporium of Toothy Comestibles, such as Matthews Cotswold Strong White, which was quite good and Allinson Strong White, which doesn't seem to work quite as well.
*I'm still disappointed that they dropped the St Michael label.Typical UK retail problems. They squeezed St Michael till it just wasn't worth his while supplying them, and Gabriel was too busy blowing his own trumpet, so they had to make their own.
As mentioned in t'other thread...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53391764111_ed088ec247_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2pm3Kk6)
St Lucy’s Day saffron buns (https://flic.kr/p/2pm3Kk6) by citoyen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/103760266@N08/), on Flickr
Just looked her up on Wiki. Apparently she was blinded before being executed and was frequently represented in paintings with her eyes on a plate. I reckon that's why your receipt calls for raisins in the swirls.
Something is going wrong with my bread (the same bread I've been making for months) at the moment. It's not got the same oven spring and the inside is all kinda doughy and tacky. I don't understand why. :'(
Something is going wrong with my bread (the same bread I've been making for months) at the moment. It's not got the same oven spring and the inside is all kinda doughy and tacky. I don't understand why. :'(
Tosca bunsThey do look good.
QuoteTosca bunsThey do look good.
Just once I was at a local cafe/tearoom run by a charity when they had toscatorte and it was so delicious.
Hope they make it again sometime.
What I baked in December
Has anyone tried substituting ordinary sea salt for a low sodium version in their day-to-day bread?
Something is going wrong with my bread (the same bread I've been making for months) at the moment. It's not got the same oven spring and the inside is all kinda doughy and tacky. I don't understand why. :'(
Now to google toscabullar
salt does nothing for the bread beyond flavourI always thought salt was needed to "set" the gluten so the dough didn't collapse when baked.
Has anyone tried substituting ordinary sea salt for a low sodium version in their day-to-day bread?
Quotesalt does nothing for the bread beyond flavourI always thought salt was needed to "set" the gluten so the dough didn't collapse when baked.
Quotesalt does nothing for the bread beyond flavourI always thought salt was needed to "set" the gluten so the dough didn't collapse when baked.
*BTDTGTTS
@Ham it's the 'same' flour. Although given it's merely Sainsbo's own strong white and stoneground wholemeal, it could well be different flour in the same packet.
Bloody annoying whatever it is.
@Ham, you keep dried yeast in the fridge?
Can't buy fresh yeast anywhere near here.
Supermarkets with in-store bakeries will often sell you fresh yeastI had forgotten that.
Right technically pizza but its a kinda bread
I was lucky enough to get a pizza stone for Christmas and the very strict instructions say preheat stone and then put the pizza on. Oh great and wise assembled how's the best way to get fairly sticky pizza dough from the large chopping board I make them on to the stone?
I use the Doves Farm dried yeast which appears to be vacuum packed, so just in the store cupboard until opened.
Then into an airtight pot and onto a shelf in the fridge. I make bread 2-3 times a week but it still takes quite a few weeks to use the pot up. Never had a problem with the yeast.
Can't buy fresh yeast anywhere near here.
Hand stretch the dough over a floured surface.
Once it's about the right size, hand transfer it to a paddle that has a generous coating of polenta or semolina as a lubricant.
Add the toppings at this point.
Shoogle the topped pizza onto the hot stone and cook.
Even the most wet sticky doughs will slide off a paddle with a good covering of polenta.
I'm using a poolish based dough at 75% hydration, which is very soft and stretches very readily, but is a bit delicate and takes careful handling.
Never attempt to transfer a topped pizza other than by sliding it off a polenta'd paddle.
My white bread is wonderful, my wholemeal varies and the worst ones could be used to build houses. Does yeast vary in effectiveness by type of flour?
My white bread is wonderful, my wholemeal varies and the worst ones could be used to build houses. Does yeast vary in effectiveness by type of flour?
My white bread is wonderful, my wholemeal varies and the worst ones could be used to build houses. Does yeast vary in effectiveness by type of flour?
Well, yes, but not so much to cause a radical difference, radical difference is down to the flour itself. One way to make wholemeal lighter is to use 10-15% white. I'd also look at kneading technique, but that may be a long shot
I do the white flour thing, as that has been recommended by several people.
The wholemeal bread all quite edible, just needs a bit more application to find the slices on the plate. ;D
I do the white flour thing, as that has been recommended by several people.
The wholemeal bread all quite edible, just needs a bit more application to find the slices on the plate. ;D
If you fancy a drive over to Shipton Mill let me know. A sack of Canadian Strong is £10 if you buy it from the mill. They've also got some really nice malted brown flour, seed mixes etc, and fresh yeast
Does yeast vary in effectiveness by type of flour?
Does yeast vary in effectiveness by type of flour?
Perhaps more by type of dough - pro bakers use different yeasts for sweet and savoury dough.
My white bread is wonderful, my wholemeal varies and the worst ones could be used to build houses. Does yeast vary in effectiveness by type of flour?
Well, yes, but not so much to cause a radical difference, radical difference is down to the flour itself. One way to make wholemeal lighter is to use 10-15% white. I'd also look at kneading technique, but that may be a long shot
He uses a bread machine (supplied by me). I'll have a word with the machine about its kneading technique ;D
I've not used my bread machine for a while because I got a sourdough culture on the go to do some baking over the holidays. I've just remembered that there is a sourdough setting in my machine so I'll give it a go and see what happens.
@orienteer, I did think that when I started the dough it looked a bit wetter than I'm used to, but not crazily wet.
@Ham it's the 'same' flour. Although given it's merely Sainsbo's own strong white and stoneground wholemeal, it could well be different flour in the same packet.
Bloody annoying whatever it is.
@Ham, you keep dried yeast in the fridge?
visible increase in the wetness of the dough made with the older packet compared with the new
... were still a little on the short side....
I’ve been to Shipton Mill (again…) and have some more floury goodness. Flatus came too, which may surprise.
In the last couple of days i have made a glorious white and a stunning wholemeal.
I think I know why I laid bricks before, and look forward to altering ingredients and timing for the better.
I’ve been to Shipton Mill (again…) and have some more floury goodness. Flatus came too, which may surprise.
In the last couple of days i have made a glorious white and a stunning wholemeal.
I think I know why I laid bricks before, and look forward to altering ingredients and timing for the better.
Anyone used DME (spray dried malt) or malt extract in bread and want to share?
What I'm going for is trying to make nicer bread for making toast (I like my toast golden and slightly soft, not shattering), I'm not really aiming to change the flavour much, though I appreciate that may be unavoidable...
Quick Q from an easy does it, Panasonic breadmaker user: not been able for a while to buy wholemeal bread flour in local 'Every Little Helps' supermarkets / Coop store, own brand or the more expensive stuff. Is there some shortage thing going on?
I’ve been to Shipton Mill (again…) and have some more floury goodness. Flatus came too, which may surprise.
In the last couple of days i have made a glorious white and a stunning wholemeal.
I think I know why I laid bricks before, and look forward to altering ingredients and timing for the better.
What's your theory?
Right technically pizza but its a kinda bread
I was lucky enough to get a pizza stone for Christmas and the very strict instructions say preheat stone and then put the pizza on. Oh great and wise assembled how's the best way to get fairly sticky pizza dough from the large chopping board I make them on to the stone?
I make mine on a silicone sheet and then put that on the stone (or steel in my case). ICBA with having polenta all over the kitchen floor. (I used a baking sheet as the peel and put the silicone sheet and pizza on using that).
Right technically pizza but its a kinda bread
I was lucky enough to get a pizza stone for Christmas and the very strict instructions say preheat stone and then put the pizza on. Oh great and wise assembled how's the best way to get fairly sticky pizza dough from the large chopping board I make them on to the stone?
I make mine on a silicone sheet and then put that on the stone (or steel in my case). ICBA with having polenta all over the kitchen floor. (I used a baking sheet as the peel and put the silicone sheet and pizza on using that).
Long-time listener to this thread, first time caller...
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get a 3 year old involved in making pizzas, without it becoming a bit of a guddle?! What I mean is, are there any techniques, flours, etc that will be robust enough to cope well with an enthusiastic toddler/child getting stuck in, won't require too much work, and can still give reasonable results?