The Bread Thread

[Gattopardo]

This is my ceramic loaf tray http://www.lakeland.co.uk/16075/Ceramic-2lb-Loaf-Pan

Suspect that I made the mistake of letting the bread spread in a larger pan instead of asmaller pan that rises upwards.

[sojournermike]

Excellent, a bread thread.

I've just received the second of two flour parcels and am now happy to have a cupboard full of c40kg of various flours from Shipton and Stoates mills and another 15kg sack of white on the floor nearby:) The new sourdough starter should be in early working order by Saturday and a weekend of happy smells is beckoning.

Last weekend included bakes of white, extra course wholemeal and my every day mixed grain whitish bread. The downside is I seem to bake more than we eat, and then I finish it up...

[Pancho]

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.

[sojournermike]

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.

You need tins for tin loaves and, ideally a banneton, for slack dough shaped loves.

You might try baking in a plant pot or letting the loaves prove - well floured with rye -  in a suitable dish.

New sourdough starter first bake is just out of the oven.

Mike

[Gattopardo]

Have attacked the bread that I had left in the fridge for over a week!  The bread had a bit of a hard skin.  But I mixed up once again, I left the resulting mix above the fridge to warm and grow for a few hours.  Then I will knock back and bake it in the evening.

[rafletcher]

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.

[Pancho]

Tonight I shall try plaits.

[Pancho]

Worked well. Just made normal bread dough but plaited it before the second prove. Didn't bother with egg glazing or scattering poppy seeds. Much closer to a loaf shape than a cow pat shape.

Just need to get better at doing the plaits in bread. It's a bit agricultural - or should that be artisnal. I've only done horses before.

[Mrs Pingu]

Bread horses?

[Cudzoziemiec]

I made brioche last night. Had to tweak the recipe a bit and it didn't rise much but apart from that it tastes quite genuine (ie boring).

[Tail End Charlie]

Ahh brioche. 5 eggs and 250g of butter in each loaf!! I remember making it for the first time, I was sure I had misread the recipe and then I was convinced the recipe was wrong, I couldn't believe there would be so much fat (not to mention the sugar) in it.
Not sure why yours didn't rise much, mine always does a lot. Do you chill overnight before forming into balls or a plait and then leave for a second rise? I find brioche dough is very good for making interesting shaped loaves using this method, I presume the butter responds well to the bit of chilling.

[Cudzoziemiec]

No, I should have left it to rise more.

[citoyen]

In Lisbon last week I discovered the joy that is Pao de Deus, a Portuguese speciality bread. Funny, cos I'm not normally a huge fan of coconut, but I think I like them because they're not too sweet.

I've found a recipe online and I think I'm going to have a go at making it myself...
http://portuguesebreads.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/pao-de-deus_1.html

[Tail End Charlie]

Hmm, not much baking going on, or is it peeps are too busy kneading to post?

I've been using cornmeal (polenta to some) mixed with flour for my loaves. It makes for a tasty loaf and you can alter texture by using coarse or fine cornmeal. I prefer coarse  , my wife prefers fine. It's dead cheap as well. Needs a long prove which suits me as I tend to leave overnight anyway.

Made some Chelsea buns recently which were ok, but the dough was a bit heavy. I like baking where you roll up the dough with a filling in the middle and then cut or plait or whatever and then bake. 

[Gattopardo]

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.

How did I miss this, which of the methods did you use?

[Ham]

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?

 

I SHALL have at least two slices out of this for my lunch. I will report back

[Ham]

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?

 

I SHALL have at least two slices out of this for my lunch. I will report back

Crusty. Very crusty.

[sojournermike]

back on the sourdough trail at the moment. The starter is good and have made some brad that I've been enjoying. Two stage process, using a wet leavan followed by the main dough at about 75% hydration. Basic bread is 80% white and 20% wholemeal. Variation include white with a bit of yeast as well as natural leavan for kids and spelt based nearly whole meal sourdough.

doesn't fit with low carb lifestyle though.

[sojournermike]

Earlier



Later

[Ham]

Later still

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

I've just started buying the occasional loaf from The Wee Boulangerie in Edinburgh. My favourite so far is the 8 grain rye sourdough, but they do a great fougasse too.

[Jakob W]

Bread's the one thing (even above CAIK) that's stopping me from going low-carb; I tend to do a low-knead sourdough loosely based on Dan Lepard's approach (wet dough, long rise with minimal handling). Having finally torn down the mouldering shed in the back garden, I am giving SERIOUS THORT to asking the landlord whether I can build a bread oven in the back garden this summer; if I get the OK I'll have to start scrounging freecycle for bricks and start looking for local clay pits...

[pcolbeck]

A friend of mine has really got into the bread thing over the last couple of years. She has got to the stage of buying a small industrial mixer and bread oven. It's not a business but more like a hobby that she offsets the costs of by selling a small amount of bread. She runs a bread club and every Friday she delivers a random loaf to the members in and around our village. Its lovely and our Friday treat, the sourdough in particular is brilliant.
She made it onto The One Show a few months ago when Jay Raynor ran a little competition about bread making.

[sojournermike]

I bake at least once each week - for me also the main low carb obstacle! Current production is a whitish (c.25% wholemeal or spelt) mixed leaven bread and a full sourdough 50/50 white/wholemeal spelt. BOth are fairly high hydration doughs, with only a limited amount of handling

Mike

[Jakob W]

Have just started this year's batch of hot cross buns - following this recipe, which is now my standard one: http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/mar/13/spiced-stout-buns-dan-lepard