Author Topic: Making bread  (Read 20424 times)

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Making bread
« Reply #25 on: 04 November, 2008, 12:12:53 am »
I've been inspired to get the bread maker out of a cupboard, where it has been gathering dust since we had the new kitchen fitted. I've just put the ingredients in and set the timer, so when I wake up about six hours from now, I will be able to warm my hands on a fresh granary wholemeal loaf.

The yeast is the same tin that I was using last time the machine was in action, so I may be eating toasted brick for breakfast... but hey, at least it will be home-made toasted brick!

d.
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andygates

  • Peroxide Viking
Re: Making bread
« Reply #26 on: 04 November, 2008, 08:31:28 pm »
I too have a Panasonic breadmaker.  I call mine Breadulon and he is our yeasty overlord.  He just made a lovely quick white/rye loaf 'pon which I am feasting as I type. :thumbsup:
It takes blood and guts to be this cool but I'm still just a cliché.
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rr

Re: Making bread
« Reply #27 on: 05 November, 2008, 10:43:57 am »
Another happy panasonic user:

My recipe:
Yeast 1 tsp
Flour
Malthouse 100
Wholemeal 250
Scottish porrage oats 30
Rye flour 30
White flour 15
Total: 425
Sugar 1½ tbsp
Milk powder 1½ tbsp
Salt ¾ tsp
Vitamin C ½ tsp
Seeds
Linseed ½ tbsp
Sesame ½ tbsp
Poppy 1 tbsp
Hemp ½ tbsp
Pumpkin 1 tbsp
Sunflower 1½ tbsp
Water 310ml
Olive oil 15ml

Made on the medium wholemeal program, works best with a delayed start and chilled (or iced) water.

Makes a filling and low GI loaf

Blah

  • Not sure where I'm going
Re: Making bread
« Reply #28 on: 05 November, 2008, 11:04:35 am »
Another happy Panasonic user. Got it last Christmas, haven't bought a bread since. We get through a loaf a day.

I'm surprised to hear people think salt helps rising. My understanding is that it stops yeast working as well. In other words, if you want more salt, you need to use more yeast.

My experience is that if you want fluffier bread, use more strong white in the mix.

rr

Re: Making bread
« Reply #29 on: 05 November, 2008, 12:19:10 pm »
Salt makes the gluten more elastic, I forgot the salt last week and the loaf was much lower

Re: Making bread
« Reply #30 on: 06 November, 2008, 04:49:02 pm »
I reckon letting it rise by the radiator is too warm. Bread that rises in a cool place (I find) has a much better texture. You can even leave it to rise in the fridge overnight - just leave it until it's doubled in size, knock it back, shape it (or put it in the tin) and leave it to double in size again.
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Basil

  • Um....err......oh bugger!
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Re: Making bread
« Reply #31 on: 06 November, 2008, 04:53:23 pm »
I reckon letting it rise by the radiator is too warm. Bread that rises in a cool place (I find) has a much better texture. You can even leave it to rise in the fridge overnight - just leave it until it's doubled in size, knock it back, shape it (or put it in the tin) and leave it to double in size again.


Agree with that.
I used to make it in the morning, leave it in the fridge while I went to work (or just out in the cool kitchen in the winter) and then bake it when I got home.

Mmmm.  Leek and potato soup and very fresh bread.  :P :thumbsup:
Admission.  I'm actually not that fussed about cake.

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: Making bread
« Reply #32 on: 12 November, 2008, 08:29:41 pm »
Lots of bread making here..

The Bread Book is very good.

I use a mix of strong white and granary - between 2:1 and 3:1. A random pich of salt (I'll use a wee bit more now) and olvie oil.
Lots of yeast. Lots of rising. We do about 1500g of flour at a go which makes four decent loaves.

I have been known to make the dough the night before, shape and place in the fridge. In the morning put it in the oven and turn on to 220C. 45 mins later (cup of tea and a snuggle) there is hot new bread..

Bread maker? Second rate IMHO.

By hand and all morning to do it. 15 mins to make the dough. then a few 5 min sessions to knock back (once) and place in the tins. Then put in the oven when it is almost big enough to be a loaf on it's own.

..d
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

RJ

  • Droll rat
Re: Making bread
« Reply #33 on: 12 November, 2008, 08:38:01 pm »

Bread maker? Second rate IMHO.


... but convenient if you go through a loaf a day and have no freezer. 

I tend to do a 20-30% rye loaf, with 20-30% wholemeal and the rest (>50%) white.  The machine won't cope with heavier mixes.  Firstborn prefers mine to Falko's.

Which is nice, if not terribly discriminating.

Woofage

  • Tofu-eating Wokerati
  • Ain't no hooves on my bike.
Re: Making bread
« Reply #34 on: 12 November, 2008, 08:52:37 pm »

Bread maker? Second rate IMHO.


... but convenient if you go through a loaf a day and have no freezer. 


Indeed. I wouldn't freeze home-made bread anyway. No point when you can have fresh. I admit that machine-made bread is slightly inferior to "proper" home-made bread but the former is still preferable to any shop-bought rubbish.
Pen Pusher

Blah

  • Not sure where I'm going
Re: Making bread
« Reply #35 on: 13 November, 2008, 12:49:46 pm »
Bread maker? Second rate IMHO.

Nice if you have the time. IMO a bread maker bread is good enough to spend my time on other things I prefer doing.

Horses for courses.

Re: Making bread
« Reply #36 on: 13 November, 2008, 06:21:11 pm »
...but the former is still preferable to any shop-bought rubbish.

Not if you go to a proper baker. There are still several around. Parkers in West Ealing, for instance, has early morning queues across the pavement. Their bread is particularly good.

goatpebble

Re: Making bread
« Reply #37 on: 13 November, 2008, 10:50:08 pm »
I reckon letting it rise by the radiator is too warm. Bread that rises in a cool place (I find) has a much better texture. You can even leave it to rise in the fridge overnight - just leave it until it's doubled in size, knock it back, shape it (or put it in the tin) and leave it to double in size again.


I strongly agree. Most of my extended family are Canadian. My mother emigrated after the war, and so did my father. I have a huge network of cousins, all farmers, and so there is quite a clutch of sourdough recipes in my mum's kitchen!

Long cool risings, the smallest amount of yeast, and a routine. It is the routine that makes bread easy. It's one of those things that becomes a chore if you forget this, and suddenly something quite natural no longer fits around everything else in your life.

I used to make the bread for my family every morning. A few minutes preparation before I went to bed, a cold first rising overnight, a quick knock back and final proving in the morning, and everything out of the oven before I went to work. Twenty minutes of real time, and maybe ten minutes washing up.

Do be careful not to use too much yeast. You might get an impressive rise, but the texture will be crap, and the bread will stale quickly.

Woofage

  • Tofu-eating Wokerati
  • Ain't no hooves on my bike.
Re: Making bread
« Reply #38 on: 13 November, 2008, 11:00:40 pm »
...but the former is still preferable to any shop-bought rubbish.

Not if you go to a proper baker.

I wasn't referring to "proper" bakeries. I used to live 3 doors away from a small family-owned bakery and their bread was heavenly!
Pen Pusher

Re: Making bread
« Reply #39 on: 15 November, 2008, 12:57:44 pm »
I never eat bread from supermarkets because I simply don't like it. I do like the baguettes when I go to France though, so do know how good bread can be. So I have thought about baking my own, but still haven't got around to trying it.
How long does the yeast keep? I bought some about 4 years ago in a moment of inspiration and it's well past it's date.
I'm interested that some of you say that you get better results from letting the yeast rise the bread in cool conditions. My science teacher at school taught me that yeast works best at around 37 celcius. Is yeast functioning at full speed too much for the structure of the bread?
Do you get better results from a slower and lower temperature bake? Or is it just a longer wait for the same result you'd get from the "proper" cooking time and temperature.
I only have a convection oven. I'd expect that a gas oven will give better results (crunchier skin) But I'm not buying a new oven and certainly not paying out thousands to have gas installed into my flat, assuming I'd get permission.

I may try this bread making malarky if I find the time and have it in mind. Having the two factors coming together is the trick.
But one day...

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Making bread
« Reply #40 on: 15 November, 2008, 01:43:49 pm »
You can find out if your old yeast is OK by adding a small amount to some tepid water with a little sugar and watching for bubbles after about half an hour. No bubble would mean the yeast is dead, but I think this is unlikely.

You are correct about leaving dough to rise in too warm a location; the gas bubbles which form just get too big.

sas

  • Penguin power
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Re: Making bread
« Reply #41 on: 15 November, 2008, 02:56:24 pm »
Lower temp and longer baking time gives a thicker crust, so does making a wetter dough or adding a tray of water in the bottom of the oven to create some steam. Why the type of oven would make a difference?

You can gets loads of advice on how to make bread with the best taste, texture, etc, but I'd ignore all that if you're just starting out. Just following the basic recipe that comes on the back of the yeast/flour packet will give you something better than anything you can buy from the supermarket, and of course you'll have the self-satisfaction of creating it yourself which always improves the taste :)
I am nothing and should be everything

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: Making bread
« Reply #42 on: 17 November, 2008, 08:25:37 pm »
And when you have made your own bread there is nothing like putting your own jam on it.. The current stocks of home grown and jammed stuff are running low.

"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

RJ

  • Droll rat
Re: Making bread
« Reply #43 on: 17 November, 2008, 09:23:33 pm »
And when you have made your own bread there is nothing like putting your own jam on it..

I'll drink to that!

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: Making bread
« Reply #44 on: 17 November, 2008, 09:38:12 pm »
That is lemon marmalade (kit stuff) augmented with quince from the garden. Orange Rhubarb and ginger jam. Grape (yes, scottish grapes) and blackberry jelly. And ginger root in fructose syrup (cos half the family respond badly to sucrose.)

All good stuff

..d
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

Re: Making bread
« Reply #45 on: 17 November, 2008, 09:47:28 pm »
You can find out if your old yeast is OK by adding a small amount to some tepid water with a little sugar and watching for bubbles after about half an hour. No bubble would mean the yeast is dead, but I think this is unlikely.

You are correct about leaving dough to rise in too warm a location; the gas bubbles which form just get too big.

I frequently add yeast to a sugar solution with a pinch or two or bicarb, to bubble CO2 into the fish tank as an additional carbon source for plants. :)

BTW, how many in your household can actually cut homemade bread properly?  I think it may just be me here...  :-\ ;)
Cycle and recycle.   SS Wilson

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: Making bread
« Reply #46 on: 18 November, 2008, 09:04:08 am »
BTW, how many in your household can actually cut homemade bread properly?  I think it may just be me here...  :-\ ;)

Forget the homemade.. I seem to be the only one who can cut bread. And we have a decent bread knife so no excuses there.

..d
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

sas

  • Penguin power
    • My Flickr Photos
Re: Making bread
« Reply #47 on: 18 November, 2008, 10:10:48 am »
BTW, how many in your household can actually cut homemade bread properly?  I think it may just be me here...  :-\ ;)

How do you cut bread properly? I normally make rolls, or just rip chunks of bread off.
I am nothing and should be everything

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: Making bread
« Reply #48 on: 18 November, 2008, 10:33:08 am »
BTW, how many in your household can actually cut homemade bread properly?  I think it may just be me here...  :-\ ;)

How do you cut bread properly? I normally make rolls, or just rip chunks of bread off.

When it is still warm ;)

Seriously, cutting it along a plane perpendicular to the major axis of the loaf. Without crushing or otherwise mangling it.

..d
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

LEE

Re: Making bread
« Reply #49 on: 22 June, 2010, 09:04:53 pm »
Resurrecting this thread as I have started making my own bread.  Just 2 small loaves on Saturday morning to last the weekend.

Actually it's difficult to make warm, fresh bread last an hour but I'm loving the whole process.

At my request I received "Dough" for my birthday (a fabulous book and DVD package).  I've stuck to this basic loaf for a few weeks just to get it "off pat".  Next I'll be trying something more Olivey