njc110381 Posted November 8, 2010 Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 Me and the other half have just decided to try making our own bread. We only eat a loaf per week and I really like the nice fresh bakery bread rather than the lasts for two weeks plastic stuff! We buy a decent loaf, get it sliced and freeze it. When we defrost it it's still quite nice in comparison. So, why not make our own? I bought a pack mix to get myself started gently. Add 315ml of warm water and mix it said. Stand for a bit and kneed it, stand again. Then wait for it to rise for half an hour? Well, this **** didn't rise! I figured I must have just not noticed it had grown a bit because I'd waited long enough so shoved it in the oven. Result - a flat dough loaf with a great crust but not edible really! Oops! I'm not sure where I went wrong? Too hot water to start maybe? Or not keeping it warm enough for the 30 mins? We don't have an airing cupboard unfortunately so I've just made another batch and put it on the mantle above the fire. It's warm but not hot so should be ok hopefully? I used barely warm water this time as I think I may have killed the yeast last time? Any tips for a numpty cook? When I made bread rolls at school we played cricket with them at break time (no joke!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted November 8, 2010 Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 leave it longer if it hasn't risen, and don't buy pack mixes you only need flour, butter, salt and yeast. What you will find though is you have to freeze it if you only use a loaf a week as it will be fine for a day or two but go mouldy and hard after that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted November 8, 2010 Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 I have only ever used a machine, but it worlks perfectly. We use cold water. I thought if you left it to prove it was for a good few hours no? Try finding River Cottage Bites on YouTube they made bread last week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted November 8, 2010 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 I'll try leaving it for longer. The packet said 30 minutes but I did think that wasn't very long? I know a mix is a bit lazy. I just wanted to give it a go without buying all the stuff. I did go to the shop with the intention of buying flour and yeast but there was so much choice I just grabbed a cheese and tomato mix! I've got River Cottage recording on series link... Time to watch it I think! We already freeze the bakers bread. It must be all the rubbish the shops put in their bread that makes it taste so... rubbish! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksdad Posted November 8, 2010 Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 I use a bread maker, well worth the investment, plus there's loads of used ones on ebay I spend about the same on 'my' bread as a good shop bought one, but mine are much nicer! Don't you have to keep the neat salt off the yeast to stop it killing it? Not 100% but I've heard something on these lines.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenix Posted November 8, 2010 Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 (edited) Yep I make bread as well, picked up a breadmaker from freecycle, but I also do some hand made, dont bother with bread mix its simple to do it yourself. Quick recipe for soda bread, no yeast so mix and chuck in oven 500g of plain flower 2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda 1 teaspoon of salt (fine sea salt is best) 400ml of buttermilk, or use natural live yogurt if you cant get buttermilk splash of normal milk i necessary Preheat oven to 200C Get a big bowl and sift the flower and bicarb in to it stir in salt stir in buttermilk mix with you hands, it should be consistently mixed and slightly sticky kneed for a few minutes form into a ball Dust a baking sheet with flower then chuck bread on to it an bake for 40-45 mins Bread should rise in oven so give it room. Edited November 8, 2010 by fenix Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted November 8, 2010 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 (edited) Keeping the salt off of the yeast would make sense. I guess you'd mix it in the flour before you added the yeast? Todays mix is rising nicely. I've had to put a glove against the side of the tin because I think it was getting a bit hot. EDIT... Thanks fenix - I'll give that a go sometime Edited November 8, 2010 by njc110381 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
humperdingle Posted November 8, 2010 Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 I make bread from scratch every week - Nothing quite like butter melting on a freshly baked loaf So simple to make - I tend to favour a cob style loaf (No tin - Just placed on a tray to cook) as if you use a tin, sometimes the dough expands over the top, giving you odd shaped slices Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted November 8, 2010 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 Well I've chucked mine in the oven now. It expanded most of the way up the tin so at least twice the size it started at. Does it get any bigger in the oven or is that it now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
humperdingle Posted November 8, 2010 Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 Well I've chucked mine in the oven now. It expanded most of the way up the tin so at least twice the size it started at. Does it get any bigger in the oven or is that it now? Yeh it should rise a bit as long as you haven't knocked all the air out of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSPUK Posted November 8, 2010 Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 So you missed Hugh fernly twittington last week - he was making bread and it was so easy the housewives he was showing actully made some. -- must admit though that some of the women kept picking bag of flour up and looked round for the trolley. dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted November 8, 2010 Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 Good luck, its a lot better than breadmaker bread in my experience especially if you proove it twice but a little depends on your oven, I used to use an aga with mine and that made awesome bread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted November 8, 2010 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 I think the oven point could be a good one. It came out ok, but nothing special. I think I had it too hot (fan oven) as the top hardened off nicely but the middle wasn't quite right. I'll back it off twenty degrees next time and see if that helps it cook through better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amateur Posted November 8, 2010 Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 Breadmaker for me - idiot-proof because it requires no more skill than the ability to measure the ingredients accurately, and takes no more than 5 minutes to set up and run Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wyatt Posted November 8, 2010 Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 I've a bread maker and it is easy but just doesn't taste and look as I think it should. Going to have a go making my own when can get all the stuff together (read: get my backside in gear). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted November 8, 2010 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 I want to go the other way. I'm looking for a cast iron pot so I can cook bread in front of the wood burner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
humperdingle Posted November 8, 2010 Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 I think the oven point could be a good one. It came out ok, but nothing special. I think I had it too hot (fan oven) as the top hardened off nicely but the middle wasn't quite right. I'll back it off twenty degrees next time and see if that helps it cook through better. Did you tap the loaf underneath? Should sound hollow. I usually put a loaf in the oven for a set time, switch the oven off and let the loaf stay in there until cooled. Seems to help the texture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ziplex Posted November 8, 2010 Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 I've been quite successful with my bread making, 'bakerboy' helped me out no end...........send him a pm, i'm sure he'd be happy to help out, he's a good egg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bakerboy Posted November 8, 2010 Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 (edited) I use a bread maker, well worth the investment, plus there's loads of used ones on ebay I spend about the same on 'my' bread as a good shop bought one, but mine are much nicer! Don't you have to keep the neat salt off the yeast to stop it killing it? Not 100% but I've heard something on these lines.... Salt will kill the yeast as will too much sugar, which will make it work far too quick and if you use essences as in Hot cross buns keep that away from the yeast as well Hot water will also kill the yeast. bakerboy Edited November 8, 2010 by bakerboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackpowder Posted November 8, 2010 Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 Never tried, "proper bread" but soda bread is very easy , no waiting for it to rise or kneading; and delicious warm from the oven with just about anyting. Blackpowder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bakerboy Posted November 8, 2010 Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 (edited) Me and the other half have just decided to try making our own bread. We only eat a loaf per week and I really like the nice fresh bakery bread rather than the lasts for two weeks plastic stuff! We buy a decent loaf, get it sliced and freeze it. When we defrost it it's still quite nice in comparison. So, why not make our own? I bought a pack mix to get myself started gently. Add 315ml of warm water and mix it said. Stand for a bit and kneed it, stand again. Then wait for it to rise for half an hour? Well, this **** didn't rise! I figured I must have just not noticed it had grown a bit because I'd waited long enough so shoved it in the oven. Result - a flat dough loaf with a great crust but not edible really! Oops! I'm not sure where I went wrong? Too hot water to start maybe? Or not keeping it warm enough for the 30 mins? We don't have an airing cupboard unfortunately so I've just made another batch and put it on the mantle above the fire. It's warm but not hot so should be ok hopefully? I used barely warm water this time as I think I may have killed the yeast last time? Any tips for a numpty cook? When I made bread rolls at school we played cricket with them at break time (no joke!). Drop me a message, tell me what it looked like, I will help you all I can, recipes included, keep away from mixes, make your own and then stamp your identity my making the changes, Onion,Cheese,Nuts,Olives, it is endless what you can do/achieve. bakerboy Terry Edited November 8, 2010 by bakerboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikee Posted November 8, 2010 Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 (edited) After reading this thread earlier my mouth was watering so much that i decided to have a go myself, shot to the coop and bought enough goodies to make at least 6 loafs for less than £3 its damn fine bread mmmmmmmm mikee Edited November 8, 2010 by mikee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bakerboy Posted November 8, 2010 Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 leave it longer if it hasn't risen, and don't buy pack mixes you only need flour, butter, salt and yeast. What you will find though is you have to freeze it if you only use a loaf a week as it will be fine for a day or two but go mouldy and hard after that Dry yes after 3-4 days ( great for toast) mouldy NO Terry bakerboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bakerboy Posted November 8, 2010 Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 Well I've chucked mine in the oven now. It expanded most of the way up the tin so at least twice the size it started at. Does it get any bigger in the oven or is that it now? You will definatley get oven spring,about another 1/3rd and check the size of your tin if it is a 1lb loaf tin only use 1lb of dough otherwise it will start to drop back on itself. bakerboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bakerboy Posted November 8, 2010 Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 Yeh it should rise a bit as long as you haven't knocked all the air out of it. At the "knock back" stage in the fermentation (2/3rds of the bulk fermentation time) you must knock all the gas out of the dough, this will give you a better and stronger oven spring, the reason this is done is to regenerate the yeast activity. bakerboy Terry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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