Why am I nervous about making.......
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- A selfsufficientish Regular
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Why am I nervous about making.......
Bread!lol I have some time to spare this week and thought its about time I learnt how to make some bread.I have a good bread book and will make my bread by hand,but.....I still feel nervous! I think I'm better learning some skills when someone actually shows me in person!!!Not possible so I have to go it alone!I'm hoping some of you kind people might be able to offer me some tips/idea's/encouragement.I'm sure once I've mastered it,I'll never look back and its something I've wanted to do for a long time.So.......how did your first loaf go?Yummy or did it resemble a house brick? Thankyou xx
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Re: Why am I nervous about making.......
You could try soda bread first that is quite easy very tasty and may act as a confidence booster
Irish Soda Bread–White Version
Combine:
4 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1-3/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups water
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
Stir; it very quickly becomes dough. Form a round loaf. Place on greased baking sheet. Cut slits in top. Bake 40 minutes at 400° F.
Irish Soda Bread–White Version
Combine:
4 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1-3/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups water
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
Stir; it very quickly becomes dough. Form a round loaf. Place on greased baking sheet. Cut slits in top. Bake 40 minutes at 400° F.
"no-one can make you feel inferior without your permission"
- Milims
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Re: Why am I nervous about making.......
It might be the recipe you are reading. I always felt the same way about making mayonnaise until I found a recipe that I liked and made sense to me. Have you seen this book: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dough-Simple-Co ... 436&sr=8-3. Beautiful book, clear, easy instructions and I defy you to watch the DVD without wishing you were that piece of dough!
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And let us be kind
Let us be silly and free
It won't make us famous
It won't make us rich
But damn it how happy we'll be!
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Re: Why am I nervous about making.......
Thankyou Becks 77,will try out that recipe,looks simple enough and sounds delish!Milims thankyou for the book recommendation,looks fab!I think the dvd would be a good idea too!Price is also good so might look into buying it.
- Thomzo
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Re: Why am I nervous about making.......
For what it's worth, my first few attempts in the breadmaker came out like housebricks. But they still made lovely bread and butter pudding. So give it a go, even if it's flat as a pancake, you can still use it for something.
Zoe
Zoe
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Re: Why am I nervous about making.......
I'm agreeing with Zoe, I'm not a wonderful breadmaker (but luckily my breadmaker is ;-) ), the worst that can happen unless you're using yeast from 1983 or something is that your loaf turns out a bit solid, and if it does, who cares? It'll still be delicious.
(Also, in my experience you have to knead it a lot - more than you would think).
Good luck with it! You might be an absolute natural, at the worst you'll have edible bread and possibly an amusing anecdote ;-).
(Also, in my experience you have to knead it a lot - more than you would think).
Good luck with it! You might be an absolute natural, at the worst you'll have edible bread and possibly an amusing anecdote ;-).
Re: Why am I nervous about making.......
Happy Hippy,
Put 500g of strong white bread flour from the likes of Allinsons premium or doves organic in a bowl. Add to this 1and a half teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of sugar.
Add to this 1 x 7gramme sachet of fast active dried yeast and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Finally add about 270 mls of warm water which is 50 deg c. mix it all together in the bowl with your fingers for 2 minutes and then tip it out onto the work bench.
Imagine your worst enemy or even the chancellor of the exchexors face is on the bread dough and punch the daylights out of it for 10 minutes. Put it back in the bowl and cover with clingfilm and leave in a warm area for 45 minutes.
After this time tip it out of the bowl and beat the daylights out again for 5 minutes and then form into a round ball shape. Flaten it down a bit and put a slash in the top of the bread. Put a bit of flour on top of the loaf and place on an oiled tray.Leave for 20 minutes and whilst doing so warm your oven to 220 deg c
cook for 10 minutes at this tempriture then reduce the temperiture to 180 deg c and cook on for a further 30 minutes.
Take out and leave to cool a bit or you will get indegestion.
Cut and enjoy with lashings of home made butter....
Put 500g of strong white bread flour from the likes of Allinsons premium or doves organic in a bowl. Add to this 1and a half teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of sugar.
Add to this 1 x 7gramme sachet of fast active dried yeast and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Finally add about 270 mls of warm water which is 50 deg c. mix it all together in the bowl with your fingers for 2 minutes and then tip it out onto the work bench.
Imagine your worst enemy or even the chancellor of the exchexors face is on the bread dough and punch the daylights out of it for 10 minutes. Put it back in the bowl and cover with clingfilm and leave in a warm area for 45 minutes.
After this time tip it out of the bowl and beat the daylights out again for 5 minutes and then form into a round ball shape. Flaten it down a bit and put a slash in the top of the bread. Put a bit of flour on top of the loaf and place on an oiled tray.Leave for 20 minutes and whilst doing so warm your oven to 220 deg c
cook for 10 minutes at this tempriture then reduce the temperiture to 180 deg c and cook on for a further 30 minutes.
Take out and leave to cool a bit or you will get indegestion.
Cut and enjoy with lashings of home made butter....
Member of the Ishloss weight group 2013. starting weight 296.00 pounds on 01.01.2013. Now minus 0.20 pounds total THIS WEEK - 0.20 pounds Now over 320 pounds and couldn't give a fig...
Secret Asparagus binger
Secret Asparagus binger
Re: Why am I nervous about making.......
Ooooo I might have to try that. But I have some questions....becks77 wrote:You could try soda bread first that is quite easy very tasty and may act as a confidence booster
Irish Soda Bread–White Version
Combine:
4 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1-3/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups water
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
Stir; it very quickly becomes dough. Form a round loaf. Place on greased baking sheet. Cut slits in top. Bake 40 minutes at 400° F.
Is that plain flour? Can you use wholemeal/brown?
And
Baking soda? I have baking powder or Bicarbonate of soda, which one does the recipe want?
And
Can I bung any vinegar in? I've got a little cyder vinegar left but it's in the bathroom cus I use it as a hair rinse!
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- snapdragon
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Re: Why am I nervous about making.......
I'm currently using yeast that says best before somewhen in 1999, it's fine :)
push out; fold back, push out; fold back, is a good kneading system I find. Are you near any breadmaking Isher who could give a quick demo?
push out; fold back, push out; fold back, is a good kneading system I find. Are you near any breadmaking Isher who could give a quick demo?
Say what you mean and be who you are, Those who mind don't matter, and those that matter don't mind
Re: Why am I nervous about making.......
snapdragon wrote:I'm currently using yeast that says best before somewhen in 1999, it's fine :)
push out; fold back, push out; fold back, is a good kneading system I find. Are you near any breadmaking Isher who could give a quick demo?
I'll vo;unteer if anyone is near Hartlepool and would like a baking afternoon......
Member of the Ishloss weight group 2013. starting weight 296.00 pounds on 01.01.2013. Now minus 0.20 pounds total THIS WEEK - 0.20 pounds Now over 320 pounds and couldn't give a fig...
Secret Asparagus binger
Secret Asparagus binger
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Re: Why am I nervous about making.......
Ooooo I might have to try that. But I have some questions....
Is that plain flour? Can you use wholemeal/brown?
And
Baking soda? I have baking powder or Bicarbonate of soda, which one does the recipe want?
And
Can I bung any vinegar in? I've got a little cyder vinegar left but it's in the bathroom cus I use it as a hair rinse! [/quote]
So plain flour, bicarb reacts with vinegar making it rise so any vinegar BUT probably not malt brown
There are loads of recipes on the net but almost all others use buttermilk or soured milk (to react with the bicarb and make it rise) some wholemeal flour recipes but tend to need sifting
B
Is that plain flour? Can you use wholemeal/brown?
And
Baking soda? I have baking powder or Bicarbonate of soda, which one does the recipe want?
And
Can I bung any vinegar in? I've got a little cyder vinegar left but it's in the bathroom cus I use it as a hair rinse! [/quote]
So plain flour, bicarb reacts with vinegar making it rise so any vinegar BUT probably not malt brown
There are loads of recipes on the net but almost all others use buttermilk or soured milk (to react with the bicarb and make it rise) some wholemeal flour recipes but tend to need sifting
B
"no-one can make you feel inferior without your permission"
Re: Why am I nervous about making.......
Thanks! I shall give it a go :)
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- Zech
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Re: Why am I nervous about making.......
My experiments with bread led me to the conclusion that which flour I use doesn't matter very much, but good, fresh yeast (vs. old, dried yeast) does make a big difference:
I wanted to post a picture here to show you, but the forum software won't let me because it's too big, so I'll just have to plug my blog - http://growingthingsandmakingthings.blo ... bread.html - instead
I wanted to post a picture here to show you, but the forum software won't let me because it's too big, so I'll just have to plug my blog - http://growingthingsandmakingthings.blo ... bread.html - instead
---
Rachel
Take nobody's word for it, especially not mine! If I offer you an ID of something based on a photo, please treat it as a guess, and a starting point for further investigations.
My blog: http://growingthingsandmakingthings.blogspot.com/
Rachel
Take nobody's word for it, especially not mine! If I offer you an ID of something based on a photo, please treat it as a guess, and a starting point for further investigations.
My blog: http://growingthingsandmakingthings.blogspot.com/
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Re: Why am I nervous about making.......
What some fabulous idea's from some great people! lol.I havent got round to making it as yet,but I think tomorrow is "B"day!lol Yes I did watch one episode of RC,where the young woman was learning to bake,and ended up with a baking circle which i thought was really good!!!Thankyou everyone,much appreciated!
- Carltonian Man
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Re: Why am I nervous about making.......
Have a go HH.
I had a bad time with bread making at first and our fan oven seemed it would only cook it to a brick. The good folk of this forum offered encouragement so I persevered. Now I use the River Cottage recipe (from the prog you watched) and bake for 40 mins at 160 degrees. Using Lidl bread flour and Doves Farm fast action yeast every loaf turns out blummin lovely. Not bought shop bread for ages now and would never want to go back.
I had a bad time with bread making at first and our fan oven seemed it would only cook it to a brick. The good folk of this forum offered encouragement so I persevered. Now I use the River Cottage recipe (from the prog you watched) and bake for 40 mins at 160 degrees. Using Lidl bread flour and Doves Farm fast action yeast every loaf turns out blummin lovely. Not bought shop bread for ages now and would never want to go back.