help - baking bread

[jazzactivist]

Hi everyone. As part of my 'new' life I am determined to learn how to successfully bake a nice loaf of bread on a regular basis - something that I have never been able to achieve, even with a breadmaker! I have bought all the ingredients and a good book of recipes and techniques. However, yesterday's attempt looked good, but tasted so strongly of yeast that it was inedible, and today's dough hasn't risen. Has anyone got any tips to to share please. Thanks very much.

[souter girl]

I swear by my Panasonic breadmaker. I don't buy packet mixes, however as they tend to come out a bit "solid" - good quality organic flour, yeast from a packet,( there's a special type for bread machines) water, a little sugar and a tsp of salt and set the timer (goes up to 13 hr) and wake up to the gorgeous smell of fresh bread. I believe a loaf works out about 30p which can't be bad! I have also experimented with rye, spelt and of course wholemeal with and without seeds - fatal to the waistline!

[franbee]

I used to bake all my own bread in the old days when my children were young and we were broke. I used wholemeal flour, but you could mix it, use quick dried yeast that you mix into the flour. That might be the place to start, see if there's a recipe on the packet. Have everything warmed before you start, you get a better rise, cover the bowl with a plastic bag or lid to keep the warmth in, you can use the same bag a few times. After rising and knocking back, weigh 1 lb of dough and put it in a greased 1 lb tin and press it well down and cover again. Once the dough has risen to the top of the tin, bake. If you have made more than 1 lb of dough, half fill any other deep tins and bake at the same time. The bread should be put in a hot oven to 'kill' the yeast, you can test if it is ready by turning it out of the tin and knocking on the bottom of the loaf, if it sounds hollow, it's done. I used to make 5 lbs at a time using 2 bags of flour, then freeze them.

[jazzactivist]

That all sounds very successful souter girl and franbee. I bought some organic Doves Farm white flour and some rye, and also the yeast granules in a small tub. Warmed the bowls, yeast mixture and everything gently on top of the Aga, but for some bizarre reason mine just doesn't seem to work out right. I have followed the kneading instructions to the letter in the recipe book. However, none of them mention knocking the dough back and kneading it again after the first rise. Do you think this is where I might have gone wrong, or in my kneading technique? I am not exactly sure what it means when in says that the dough is well kneaded when it acquires a silky quality. I'll have another go tomorrow. I am determined to learn how to make at least one type of bread consistently well. We don't eat a lot of bread, so the recipes for small loaves are best for me. I have signed up for a bread making workshop in October with Staff of Life artisan bakery in Kendal so, hopefully, the tutor will be able to spot my mistakes and set me straight.

[franbee]

Right, have you read any instructions on the yeast? There are different types that you use differently.
The method for making bread is:- mix, knead for about 10 mins, quite hard, stretching it out and bashing it down, leave to rise until doubled in size, knead again briefly (knock back), cut, shape, bake.

[franbee]

By the way, another forum I lurk on has people making jam in their breadmakers, apparently it says in the manuals if you can. New one on me!

[jazzactivist]

Thanks franbee, I think that I am not kneading the dough enough. I use the: put the heals of your hands in and push and keep giving it a quarter turn for about 5 mins. I'm having another go today so will knead it a lot more. The info on the yeast tin and in the recipes are a bit different, but I try to go for a happy medium! I hope by the end of the week to have made an edible loaf of bread.

[Sarahc]

I'm saying nothing - i tried making bread the other day and it was quite literally like eating a brick. Mind I did use a readymade bread mix that was a year out of date...

[Crocus]

I've never tried to bake bread!! Not my mum's recipe anyway. I can remember all the kneeding that went on (which my dad did for her), the rising, the knocking it down, the rising again, and all the rest. It was delicious though. I'm always a bit apprehensive when it comes to yeast; I guess I'm scared having to heavy a hand maybe?

[franbee]

It is impossible to have too heavy a hand for bread, crocus, you can bash it about as much as you like. I watched my Mum baking our bread (and cakes and scones and pastry) from being a litle girl, and was given my own small piece of dough to shape and bake. She used fresh yeast which we bought from the market. It had to be started in a jug of warm water with sugar in it, then it would start to bubble and jump about in the jug, producing the gas to make the bread rise. Happy days!

[Crocus]

I found this link on Google if any of you want to have a look:

http://www.ezilon.com/information/article_15229.shtml

[Crocus]

Hi Franbee, yes I remember the yeast in luke warm water with a bit of sugar added. My mum was always worried that the water won't be the right temperature, until she got the hang of it.

[Crocus]

Something else I also want to ask you ladies: Our castor sugar is very fine. At the moment there's a programme on "Rachel's Favourite Foods". She's using castor sugar for a pudding she's making but its not at all fine and a very pale brownish colour. I only know it's castor sugar because she mentioned it.

[franbee]

I suppose there might be a 'golden' caster sugar, or you could whizz some demerara? You generally only need a finer sugar for creaming, as in sponges, otherwise you have more choices in the coarser ones.

[Crocus]

Thanks Franbee. I was just wondering because many times when castor sugar is used on BBC Food Channel, I notice that it's much courser than ours. I've got quite a few English recipes but are a bit doubtful to use it when castor sugar is being used because of this. But as you say, perhaps one can whizz it a bit. Our castor sugar is something between icing sugar and normal white sugar. x

[franbee]

We normally have granulated (white coarse sugar for sweetening, melting etc, can also get a golden version), caster (finer for baking cakes), icing, demerara (golden for coffee and some baking), soft brown (sticky and flavoursome) and molasses (very sticky, brown and burnt taste mmmm)

[Crocus]

Interesting Franbee. We have yellow sugar as well for baking and cooking, also the sticky brown sugar, lovely in coffee, baking and cooking. Demerara sugar we don't have, but I bought some in the UK at one stage and brought it home. Oh and icing sugar of course. Perhaps I'll take a pic of the castor sugar and put in on.

[franbee]

Is that yellow one what we call golden granulated, or is it Demarara by another name?

[Crocus]

No it's yellow granulated. The other bowl contains Castor Sugar, but the light is a bid bad. It's a very fine sugar. Hope you can see it Franbee. x

[franbee]

Yes, that's caster sugar.

[TIGGYWINKLE]

I don't do any yeast cookery any more, but still make lots of breads. Here is my recipe for White Soda bread from the Avoca Café Cookbook, which is quick and easy.

450g/1Lb Plain Flour 1 level teasp Bicbonatr of Soda
1 teasp castor sugar 1/2 teasp salt
about 400ml/14 fl oz Buttermilk, or sour milk.
Makes a 2lb loaf.
Mix all drt ingredients in a large bowl. Gradually mix in the milk to give a moist dough. Place in a greased 2lb loaf tin, and bake in preheated oven 230 C/450 F/mark8 gas for 30 mins until loaf sounds hollow when turned out of the tin and tapped underneath. Place on wire rack to cool. I wrap mine in a tea towel

[TIGGYWINKLE]

Was unable to edit spelling. Above should read bicarbonate of soda. Will post 2 more easy recipes in the next few days.

[Salle de Bain]

Hi Tiggywinkle,

Thanks for the recipe...I'm always looking for different ways to make Irish bread. Did you ever try Ballyfermoyle's recipe? I use it all the time, and the guests seem to like it too. Haven't heard of the Avoca book, so I will now go onto Amazon and have a look for it!!!

SDB

[TIGGYWINKLE]

Thank you Salle. The Avoca book is worth buying.It has all the recipes from the restaurants - Avoca Handweavers. Any Bookshop will have it.


4 Cups of wholemeal Flour 1 Cup wheatgerm
1 cup Oatbran 1 teasp bicarbonate of soda
2 teasp bextarter 3 dessertsp. sugar
1 pt. buttermilk

[TIGGYWINKLE]

Thank you Salle. The Avoca book is worth buying.It has all the recipes from the restaurants - Avoca Handweavers. Any Bookshop will have it. Great salades.

TIGGYWINKLE'S BROWN BREAD.
4 Cups of wholemeal Flour 1 Cup wheatgerm
1 cup Oatbran 1 teasp bicarbonate of soda
2 teasp bextarter 3 dessertsp. sugar
1 pt. buttermilk
Place dry ingredients in large bowl. Add milk to make a loose dough. Put in greased and floured 2LB Loaf Tin. Cook at 200c for 10 mins, and at 175c for 50 mins. Turn out, and test for hollow sound. If necessary place back in oven upside down for 5 mins. Wrap in damp tea towel, and stand up to cool.

Ballyfermoyles sounded really good, but just bash ahead with this one. Will post another Tomatoe bread from Avoca to-morrow.