Selfsufficientish.com

I've just started making my own bread (loaf two was on Sunday!) and need some advice.

My bread didn't rise as much as I wanted it to, and I wondered if it was because I didn't use enough flour for the tin (2lb tin), or water, or both.

I used:
500g of wholemeal flour
1tsp Quick Yeast
1tsp salt
1tbsp olive oil
325ml hand hot water

I mixed the flour, salt and quick yeast together, then mixed in the water, followed by the oil. After I kneaded it, I left it in the mixing bowl in a warm place for an hour and it doubled in size, but when I took it out to knead it again, it shrank and never recovered! It rose a little bit more when I left it for another half hour, but never managed to rise above the edge of the loaf tin.

Help! Are my measurements at fault, or is it my technique?!

NB: the bread tasted fine though, apart from not rising!

Did you cover it with a clean tea towel or plastic bag both times?

Andy Hamilton wrote:Did you cover it with a clean tea towel or plastic bag both times?

I covered it the first time, but not the second (not sure why, probably forgot!)

next time I'll leave the second rise a bit longer.

Might also increase the quantities of flour and water a little too...

I have to say, it's mightily satisfying making your own bread, and the taste is just so much nicer than shop bought.

Thanks for the input.....

sunpuppy wrote:
I have to say, it's mightily satisfying making your own bread, and the taste is just so much nicer than shop bought.

much cheaper too I highly reccomend trying elsinore bread http://www.selfsufficientish.com/elsinorebread.htm - certainly one of my favorites. I have seen similar bread for sale in deli's for £2 a loaf I work this out to be about 45p a loaf!

Andy Hamilton wrote:I highly reccomend trying elsinore bread http://www.selfsufficientish.com/elsinorebread.htm - certainly one of my favorites. I have seen similar bread for sale in deli's for £2 a loaf I work this out to be about 45p a loaf!

Sounds interesting - the only thing is, I can't stand cottage cheese. Does the bread taste cottage-cheese-like when it's done?

It does not taste of cottage cheese what so ever. My girlfriend hates cottage cheese too and she really likes this bread.

It does strongly taste of dill seed which I think is quite a warm flavour. Took me a while to hunt down some dill seed I found some in a health food shop in the end. I nearly ended up buying some from a garden centre!

Andy Hamilton wrote:It does not taste of cottage cheese what so ever. My girlfriend hates cottage cheese too and she really likes this bread.

Fab - I'll give it a go this weekend....

I used to make my own bread years ago, using a recipe that was given to me by a naturopath friend, but it was quite complicated . I have been reading about wood fired ovens (goin' ta build me a cob oven! ) and most of the writers favour the longer rising sour dough type. Has anyone any expereince with making sourdough type bread?

Nev