Bread

[the.fee.fairy]

Right, i'm in the mood for some bread. I have got a breadmaker, but i hate it. It always makes the bread too sweet.

I'm really in the mood to be punching some dough, so does anyone have some good recipes for tasty bread?

Ooh, also, does anyone have any unleavened bread/chapati/flatbread recipes please?

Ta

[shiney]

The recipes that come with the breadmaker have far too much sugar and salt in them. I use one small measure of salt and 1 large measure of sugar. No milk powder either. The bread is always fine and tasty, but you can add a handful of mixed seeds (sunflower, pumpkin and sesame) which makes the bread delcious.

[Stonehead]

Get a copy of The Handmade Loaf, Dan Lepard, published by Mitchell Beazley, 2004.

The recipes range from good to outstanding, all of the ones I've tried so far (about two-thirds) have worked first go, and much of the philosophy of the book is firmly in keeping with that of most Ishers.

The only downside is that the "basic" loaves (white leaven, mill loaf) are a bit labour intensive for daily use - 9.5 hours from start to going in the oven for the white leaven. If you have a day where you can come and go at hourly intervals, then they are well worth trying but otherwise you'll want something faster.

Those aside, the rest of the recipes are a lot faster in the main and are well worth trying.

[chadspad]

I make a cheese and chive plait which is a particualr favs with all my friends and insisted upon for my entrance to barbies! Can dig out recipe if interested?

[the.fee.fairy]

I'm interested in pretty much any recipe anyone cares to share!

I've got a couple of bread-making books, but none of them seem to have anythign that interests me in them

[Stonehead]

Now, my wholemeal loaf (not from The Handmade Loaf)...

2lb wholemeal bread flour
3/4lb strong white flour
1/4lb rye flour
1oz salt
1oz sugar
1 sachet fast acting bread yeast (15g)
1 1/2pts warm water (about 20C)

Combine the flours in a large bowl, mix well, then remove half the flour to a second bowl.
Add all the water to the flour in the second flour and mix to a batter.
Whisk the yeast together with two tablespoons of warm water, then mix well into the batter. Cover the bowl and leave to stand for 15-20 minutes.
Add the rest of the flour, the salt and the sugar to the batter, and mix into a dough.
When thoroughy mixed, knead well for 10 minutes.
Run hot water into four 1lb loaf tins to warm them up, dry them and grease with butter.
Divide the dough into four balls, and push into the tins, then flatten them. Ensure there are no folds, holes, cracks etc in the dough.
Leave in a warm place for at least an hour or until doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 230C. Just before placing the loaves in the oven, put a small, oven-proof and open container of water in the bottom of the oven (this helps crisp up the crust).
Bake the four loaves for 45 minutes. After 25 minutes, rotate the loaves - so that those on the top shelf are now on the bottom and vice versa, while the front of the loaves now become the backs.
Empty the loaves onto wire racks and allow to cool.

For a shiny brown crust, brush the loaves with single cream or full-cream milk before placing them in the oven. Glaze with whisked egg to get a dark brown crust or with melted butter to get a really crunchy crust.

Key things to watch out for - don't leave the loaves to rise where the temperature is above 20C (the loaves are coarse and crumbly), make sure the yeast is thoroughly worked through the dough (otherwise the loaves will be uneven) and let the dough rise properly (if it's not proven, you'll get a soggy loaf).

If you're not intending to keep the bread for more than 48 hours, you can cut the salt back.


NOTE: I don't actually use the fast acting yeast myself. I have a jar of home-made leaven that's about 10 years old and fed regularly!

I use about 40g (large tablespoon) of this in my loaves (including those in the breadmaker) but fast acting yeast gives a similar amount of proving in a quicker time frame (as per the recipe). However, the flavour of bread made with the home-made leaven is much, much better.

If you're using leaven, then you need to let the bread to prove for an hour after the first 10-minute kneading. Then, before making the dough into balls, knock the dough back, knead again for five minutes, then make into balls and continue as per the recipe. (So, twice-risen bread.)


And the boys are now asleep, so I can sneak out of their room and get some work done.

[chadspad]

Cheese & Chive Plait

450g (1lb) strong plain white flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp caster sugar
1 1/2 tsps easy blend dried yeast
25g (1oz) butter
115g (4oz) coarsely grated cheddar cheese
3 tbsp chopped fresh chives
4 spring onions chopped
150ml (5 fl oz) tepid milk
175ml (6 fl oz) tepid water
beaten egg, to glaze.

Sift flour into a bowl. Stir in salt, sugar & yeast. Rub in butter.

Stir in cheese, chives & spring onions and make well in teh centre. Mix milk with the tepid water and pour into the well. Mix until a soft dough is formed. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for about 10 mintues until smooth and elastic. Place in an oiled bowl, cover and leave in a warm place for about 1 hour, until doubled in size.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 3 mintues.

Divide dough into 3 pieces. Roll each one out to a rope shape and plait together, pinching ends to seal. Place on a baking sheet, cover with oiled plastic wrap (I just use a teatowel) and leave in warm place for about 45 minutes until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 220°C (425F/Gas 7). Brush with beaten egg and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Reduce temperature to 180°C (350F/Gas 4) and bake for further 15 minutes until golden brown and the base sounds hollow when taped. Serve hot or cold.

This is really delicious and very easy to make.

[chadspad]

Leek & bacon knots - these are lovely too!

1 leek, finely chopped
55g (2oz) butter
175g (6oz) streaky bacon, chopped
225g (8oz) strong plain white flour
225g (8oz) plain wholemeal flour (I have used just white flour before and just as good)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp caster sugar
2 tsp easy blend dried yeast
150ml (5 fl oz) tepid milk
175ml (6 fl oz) tepid water

beaten egg and sesame seeds to finish.

Put leek and half the butter in frying pan. Cook until leek is soft. Remove from pan.

Gently cook bacon in frying pan until fat begins to run. Continue cooking until just beginning to turn crisp. Leave to cool. Sift white flour into a bowl. Stir in wholemeal flour, salt, sugar and yeast. Rub in remaning butter. Stir in leek and bacon and make a well in centre. Pour in tepid milk and tepid water. Stir until a soft dough is formed. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes until smooth. Put in an oiled bowl, cover and leave in a warm place until doubled in size.

Grease 2 baking sheets. Turn dough onto a floured surface, knead for 3-4 minutes until smooth. Divide into 12 pieces and roll each into a sausage about 30cm (12 in) long. Tie each one in a knot and place on baking sheets. Cover with plastic wrap (or teatowel) and leave in a warm place until doubled in size. Preheat over to 22°C (425F/Gas 7). Brush rolls with egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes until golden.

[shiney]

All the above recipes look really good. It's wet and miserable outside, I may just go and get breadmaking!

[Muddypause]

I have got a breadmaker, but i hate it. It always makes the bread too sweet.

That may be down to the type of dried yeast you use. Some of them do not need sugar to be added to the mix, and any sugar that you add is still there when the yeast has finished. IIRC 'Fast Action' dried yeast does not need extra sugar, but 'Active' dried yeast does.

[Stonehead]

I have got a breadmaker, but i hate it. It always makes the bread too sweet.

That may be down to the type of dried yeast you use. Some of them do not need sugar to be added to the mix, and any sugar that you add is still there when the yeast has finished. IIRC 'Fast Action' dried yeast does not need extra sugar, but 'Active' dried yeast does.

Are you sure about that?

I think you still need sugar to be added to the dough mix for both. The fast action/easy blend yeasts can simply be added straight to the flour; the active dried yeasts need to be reconstituted with warm water and a little sugar first.

The end result should be the same as the fast action/easy blend yeasts get their initial sugar from their own stores of carbohydrates (although I believe this is not yet fully understood).

In my bread recipe, I add a little water to the fast action yeast (no sugar) and whisk it first as I've found this helps disperse the yeast through the dough more efficiently. Simply sprinkling it over the batter (before you add the second half of the flours) was not quite as effective.

If I was using active dried yeast, then I'd reconstitute it first by whisking it into sugary water and leaving it somewhere warm for 15 minutes or so.

[Shirley]

NOTE: I don't actually use the fast acting yeast myself. I have a jar of home-made leaven that's about 10 years old and fed regularly!

That sounds interesting... how does one 'start' a jar of home-made leaven?

[Muddypause]

I have got a breadmaker, but i hate it. It always makes the bread too sweet.

That may be down to the type of dried yeast you use. Some of them do not need sugar to be added to the mix, and any sugar that you add is still there when the yeast has finished. IIRC 'Fast Action' dried yeast does not need extra sugar, but 'Active' dried yeast does.

Are you sure about that?

Read about my in-depth research here

[Stonehead]

That sounds interesting... how does one 'start' a jar of home-made leaven?

There are lots of leaven recipes on the web (I just googled and found scores), but the closest to the one I know is on the Woman's Hour archive.

In The Handmade Loaf, Dan Lepard refers to leavens that are at least 100 years old! Mine's only a youngester.

The way leavens work is that the bacteriain yoghurt and rye flourstart breaking down the flour and lower the pH to a level where the yeast in the raisins can kick in. After that, it's just maintenance - as you take leaven out, add flour and water.

(I keep mine at room temperature BTW.)

[Stonehead]

That may be down to the type of dried yeast you use. Some of them do not need sugar to be added to the mix, and any sugar that you add is still there when the yeast has finished. IIRC 'Fast Action' dried yeast does not need extra sugar, but 'Active' dried yeast does.

Are you sure about that?

Read about my in-depth research here

Is the effect exactly the same? In other words, does the crumb look and feel identical? Does the loaf rise to the same extent and does it hold up when baked?

For optimum gas production in a yeasty dough, the dough normally needs to be made up of around 5% sugar and 2% yeast. Any more than 5% sugar and osmotic pressure actually decreases gas production.

(Salt has an even more drastic effect on gas production BTW).

At the same time, gas production is only have the equation. The other half is gas retention and higher levels of fibre in the dough interfere with the gluten, allowing gas to escape the dough.

That's why doughs made with highly refined flours and the right sugar content rise the most and stay risen.

Doughs without milk and salt rise well at lower temperatures (around 23C) than doughs containing those ingredients, which rise well at higher temperatures (25-26C). The first also rise faster, while the second rise slower.

Oh, and hard kneading is not always a good idea. Some flours respond better to a folding and turning technique as this helps the dough retain gas more effectively.

I did read somewhere that there is quite a big difference between yeasts developed for the US market (producing a sweeter dough) and the European market (producing a leaner, more dry dough). However, I can't find the reference.

The main reason fast action yeast was developed, BTW, was to eliminate the need for a second kneading and rising, which is why my home-made leaven needs to be worked twice.