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panbiker
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 Posted -
20/01/2008
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12:37
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It just struck me that we don't have a thread for the most basic of foodstuffs, so here it is. I know that there are a number of members who bake their own bread be it by hand or machine. I love breadmaking and am just setting about a hanbaking batch for tea tonight. Nothing like the smell of homebaked bread. Post your triumphs and disasters here.
Ian
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gus
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Posted - 20/01/2008 : 12:42
Ian the last time i tried home baked bread was a complete disaster, more suitable for a door stop when baked. My excuse for this is that i was baking with gluten free flour, so if anyone has any tips about baking with type of flour i would be grateful................
Gus
http://www.flickr.com/photos/angusbrennan/
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panbiker
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Posted - 20/01/2008 : 12:44
OK, my offering to start the thread is a standard small crusty cob and a seeded plait. I have a breadmaking machine but I'm not using it today. Weather is lousy outside so lots of time to set to with a handbaking session. All the dry ingredients are warming in the bowl while I have a brew. Next step, add liquid and get down to the mixing and kneading, more to follow.......
Edited by - panbiker on 20/01/2008 12:45:03
Ian |
panbiker
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Posted - 20/01/2008 : 12:48
Never tried the gluten free flour Gus, I have a few books on the subject and I got a new one for Christmas with lots of bread variants, I'll have a look to see if there's any info.
Ian |
Ringo
Site Administrator
3793 Posts
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Posted - 20/01/2008 : 13:09
We just throw everything in the breadmaker and wait 3 hours
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pluggy
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Posted - 20/01/2008 : 13:34
I used to make all our bread in a breadmaker, but I wore out the bearing in the pan. It was as cheap to get a new machine as get a new pan and I put off doing somethingabout it. We had noticed we were putting on weight because the bread was so nice, so we went back to buying it again. Nothing like supermarket pre-sliced as an appetite suppressant.... 
Need computer work ?
"http://www.stsr.co.uk" 
Pluggy's Household Monitor |
panbiker
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Posted - 20/01/2008 : 14:25
Nothing against bread makers but they don't allow a lot of creativity. The other downer is that the machines don't bake the bread, they steam the dough, not a lot of control over the crust or the shape of what you are making. They are great at mixing and mine produces fantastic Pisa dough. Ok you don't have to stand over it and they are very convenient for timing production but you cant beat bread produced by hand, I find it very relaxing and you get a good feeling when it turns out well. I have to say that any failure in bread making have all been in the machine, never with the creations by hand and oven.
So, here we go. Dry ingredients have been warmed in the mixing bowl, water added and mixed, contents now turned out for hand kneading.
750g Strong White Flour
25g Butter
1 tsp Salt
1 tbsp Demarara Sugar
1 sachet Dry Easy Yeast
350ml Warm Water (2 part cold 1 part boiling)
10 minutes of kneading and stretching, you can see the strands in the dough produced by the gluten as the kneading develops.
I have used a single rise easy yeast, so the dough can be formed into the final shapes you want without rising and knocking back. I took a third of the dough for the small cob and then added a mixed seed mix to the remainder, If you do it by the book, the seeds should have been added to the dry mix but as I am producing a plain cob and a variant it was easier to add the seeds later, no particular weight of seeds, just chucked them in till it looked right. The dough for the cob is just folded and placed in the tin. The seeded dough has been split into three, rolled into sausages and formed into the plait.
I have used a mix of Sunflower, Pumpkin and Pine Nuts added to the dough. The trays are sitting in the back room under a clean teatowel until the dough rises (about an hour), just had a look and they are coming on nicely. Oven is on to come up to temperature, time for another brew.
Edited by - panbiker on 20/01/2008 14:28:39
Edited by - panbiker on 20/01/2008 14:31:08
Ian |
panbiker
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Posted - 20/01/2008 : 15:29
Gus, I have had a search through my breadmaking books. I have one specifically for breadmakers which cites gluten free flours as a no no, end of. My other two books do give recipes for low or no gluten breads using flour made from Barley, Cornmeal or Oatmeal. I am sure you are aware that the gluten content of the flour is one of the key components to success. No gluten content in the flour will always produce a very dense bread, a lot of margin for error leading to the "doorstop" variant you produced. Have another go and pay particular attention to the measures of ingredients. Breadmaking is part chemical process, you have to get the measures right.
Ian |
frankwilk
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Posted - 20/01/2008 : 15:59
Ian
We will take two loves thanks, do you do home delivery ?? or should we collect.
Looks Good
Frank Wilkinson Once Navy Always Navy |
gus
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Posted - 20/01/2008 : 16:27
Thanks for info. Ian yes, i am aware that the removal of the gluten from flower takes away essentially what makes the bread light, and airy. P.S. please post photo`s of you finished result. ( before eating)
Gus
http://www.flickr.com/photos/angusbrennan/
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panbiker
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Posted - 20/01/2008 : 16:40
Sorry Frank you are a bit distant for home delivery and this batch will be polished off long before you could collect. Thank you for your faith in my efforts though.
Here is the dough about an hour after the last picture, the magic has happened and it has virtually doubled in size. I have added a simple milk glaze to the bread before it goes into the oven. Oven is at Mk7 425F 220C (Moderately Hot). The bread will be baked in the centre of the oven for about 35mins.
I took the plait off the tray and turned the cob out of its tin for the final 5 minutes of the baking. This will make the crust a bit more crunchy. The end results are now shown cooling on a wire tray, the smell is fantastic, got to resist the urge to "test" a slice. It will be right in about an hour.
The bread will go nicely with Pea and Ham soup for tea. The peas are steeping and will be added to the stock produced by the ham joint we had for tea yesterday along with the remains of the meat joint. Now, where's the butter!
Ian |
frankwilk
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Posted - 20/01/2008 : 16:51
Ian.
It smells and looks wonderful take a bow Sir
Frank Wilkinson Once Navy Always Navy |
Rossie
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Posted - 20/01/2008 : 17:05
Ooooh Ian - pea & ham soup with that lovely bread - I can smell it and taste it and I wish I lived next door.
Gill
Kalh mera oi filoi mou
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frankwilk
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Posted - 20/01/2008 : 18:38
And me to Rossie, Wonder what's on the table for tomorrow ???
over to you Ian
Frank Wilkinson Once Navy Always Navy |
Doreen
hippies understudy
429 Posts
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Posted - 20/01/2008 : 19:55
What a good idea this topic , and how good the fotos are,
you are making my mouth water with all this lovely bread.
Dordygail 
always the one to make the best of things. |
panbiker
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Posted - 20/01/2008 : 20:14
We had the seeded plait with our tea, everyone enjoyed. The small cob will last till tomorrow for tea. I only really get the chance to hand bake my bread at weekends and its always best fresh although any left makes very good toast for breakfast. I might do a cheese and onion or garlic variant next time. I generally make these by dividing the dough into 16 small rolls and arranging these in a flan tin. When the bread is done the resultant loaf is put on the breadboard in the middle of the table. You can then just break the individual sections off as you require. The garlic one goes especially well with a chillie, cheese and onion one with a tomatoe salad. Yum, Yum.
Edited by - panbiker on 20/01/2008 20:16:12
Ian |
Give us this day our daily bread
