Bread Making.

[grahamhobbs]

Julie I was not criticising, as you said there are as many ways of making bread as there are people making it, but I thought a few points in your recipe needed clarifying. Your recipe is very good, especially as it encourages people to use a long slow fermentation, the most important thing in producing better bread.

Oh there was the bit about using the best organic wholemeal flour and natural leavens, but that's just my thing.

[indy]

I am going to try with softer flours. I didn't realise it was possible what a numpty Have often wondered if I could make softer bread.

[grahamhobbs]

Indy, softer flours don't automatically make softer bread - if they rise quickly they can turn out like a brick! Also, even with a long fermentation, if baked hard they can turn out like a crispy french baguette.

To make soft bread, follow Julie's recipe, don't put the loaves into a very hot oven (lower temperatures mean a softer crust), and wrap the loaves once they come out of the oven in a tea cloth or paper bag, the residual moisture in the loaves will soften the crust this way.

[JulieSherris]

A tip: If you use a tea towel, make sure you've not used fabric conditioner when you washed it!!

I made THE most perfect bread batch... wrapped the 3 loaves... and they tasted of the purple comforting conditioner (thanks to Leah & her advert gullibility!)

We couldn't eat them - but they smelt nice!

Graham - feel free to criticise anytime, I have a thick skin, 'tis ok!

[JillStephens7]

Woo-hooooooooooo!

Well, ate the second of my half-wholemeal half white baguettes I made yesterday with your recipe Julie, had them with pasta for tea. It was so soft and fluffy still. Couldn't believe it! All my bread in the past has been decidedly stiff by day two.

RESULT!

[JulieSherris]

Told ya......

[Camile]

Hi guys,

Now if you are talking baguettes I might has well come to the rescue.

Here is a piece I wrote up :

Here is the recipe with quantities to make 4 decent baguettes.

500gr Strong White Flour
350gr lukewarm water
12 gr Fresh Baker’s Yeast
12gr Sea Salt

1. Weight the water, followed by the yeast, then simply pour the yeast into the water.

2. Weight your flour and salt, and mix together in a large mixing bowl.

3. Stir in the yeast with a fork, then add to the mixing bowl.

4. Gently mix the ingredients together, until the dough start forming and doesn’t stick to the bowl anymore.

5. Place the dough on a non-floured worktop, and start working the dough using the “fork” technique. until the dough is elastic and doesn’t stick to your hand or the worktop anymore.



6. Sprinkle a bit of plain flour on the worktop, and gently shape your dough into a ball.



7. Leave the dough in the mixing bowl to rest for at least an hour, covered by a linen cloth.

8. Place your dough on the worktop again, and divide it into 2 or 4 pieces.

9. Shape them into a ball and leave them to rest for 5mn.

10. Shape them into baguettes or rolls, then leave them to rise for at least an hour on a cloth covered by another one, making sure to keep the baguettes well spaced.



Meanwhile now is a good time to preheat your oven to 250 degrees C
with a tray of water at the bottom of it.

11. Place your baguettes onto a floured baking tray, making sure to space them well, make your cuts with a razor blades and cook them for about 12mn, or until golden brown..

12. Leave them to cool on a wire rack, then enjoy

Good luck,
Camile

PS: the videos are in french because I had made them to teach a friend in Montreal.

[JulieSherris]

And I can wholeheartedly confirm that Camile's rolls are just the TOPS!!

And I hope he's home one day next week - I have pressies here for little Fin & need to pilfer his bread roll stock!

[kit-e-kate]

Help!
I'm a bit confused! I really want to try Julie's recipe, but i don't understand how much flour to use??? Should i just put flour in my measuring jug up the the 250ml mark to get a "cup" of flour?

[JillStephens7]

That's what I've been doing and it's working sooooper

x

[kit-e-kate]

Yipee! I'm off to make a start then! Thanks! : )

[thesunflowergal]

I used this recipe again today. I made it with half strong white and half wholemeal. My hubby was very impressed, and said that it was as good as his bread. That is saying something as he has been a chef for 20 years, and won awards and rosettes.

Thanks Julie :hugish

[JulieSherris]

I'm only too pleased to help - it took me a long time to pluck up the courage to try & make bread - mainly because I was a young teen during the early '70's when Mum used to make it - and what horrible stuff it was too!

Actually, I should try & make it like Mum's - would save on wood for building the outdoor projects!

[kit-e-kate]

Hurrah! My (kind of weirdly shaped) baguette and (fairly strange looking) loaf are absolutely delish!
They will be making a debut on our Easter picnic tomorrow! Scrummy! : )

Julie, thanks for posting such a well written and lovely recipe! : )

[JillStephens7]

Hope you enjoyed your picnic kit-e-kate

I made some terrible bread this morning, did a really small batch and think my quantities were rather out of whack, plus it was incredibly cold in the kitchen over night and hadn't risen that much by this morning. Did I leave it to rise more? Oh no, just ploughed on regardless. Granary brick for lunch then