Bread

[lottielady]

Try the river cottage bread book it is fantastic, I have used it and made the best bread ever, it says to preheat the oven for about 10 mons at the hottest it will go and heat the trays it goes on and then also add a pan at the bottom and fill it with hot water when you put the bread in (helps set the crust), I only use proving baskets and no tins and that works really well

[Sanjo]

Ever so slightly off topic, but does anyone else (ahem - perhaps the slightly older ones among us) remember Cottage loaves.
Rarely got them as a child as dearer than plain old loaves but was always fascinated by the shape. Never seem to see them now.

[becslb]

Zazen - I think it is the recipe at fault... is it a recipe you have used before? what flour are you using? Can you list the ingredients and amounts?

I find some brands don't give good bread but once I perfected a basic recipe, I have found I can use most bread flours i.e any white bread flour if making white bread then I can usually get a good loaf. I too like Allinsons flours but am using Asda's own white breadflour at the moment with good results. I use my breadmaker to mix if I am busy but I knock back, shape and leave to rise before baking in the oven (no tins used)..

Am glad to see it isn't only me who makes all our bread (and rolls, pizzas, cakes, buns..), on the rare occasions we have shop bought bread.. I hate it as do my 2 ds's but dh still maintains he prefers shopbought sliced bread 'cause it fits in a toaster

Jackspratty - recipe sounds great - will have to try it out!

[ladylottie]

Ever so slightly off topic, but does anyone else (ahem - perhaps the slightly older ones among us) remember Cottage loaves.
Rarely got them as a child as dearer than plain old loaves but was always fascinated by the shape. Never seem to see them now.

Yes, I do remember them,(belly button loaves) we always snapped the top bit off and then I had half of it with some butter. (Can't remember who had the other half!) Then the rest was sliced up as normal. I haven't seen any cottage loaves for years, and had forgotten all about them. Must have a go at making one now!

[Bren In Pots]

What I remember about Cottage loaves was that they looked nice but didn't fit in the toaster.

[Flummery]

What I remember about Cottage loaves was that they looked nice but didn't fit in the toaster.

And a totally rum shape for butties!

[OverWyreGrower]

Since I started making 90% of our own bread products (normal bread, naan, garlic baguettes etc) we toast bread under the grill, rather than the toaster, cos of the size.

I now much prefer it done under the grill!

[Bren In Pots]

I'd use my grill for toast but its electric so it takes ages to heat up, the oven does make nice bread though.

[Hilary B]

I've made the occasional Cottage Loaf (not recently). They always ended up lop-sided....

[Brengirl]

I've made the occasional Cottage Loaf (not recently). They always ended up lop-sided....

Whenever I do a family get together I try to do a cottage loaf with varying success. More often than not the top bit slides off centre and the whole loaf is skewiff. However it always looks homemade and tastes yummy and goes down a treat.

[COMPOST CORNER]

I've been baking bread for YEARS by hand [using the bread machine to mix it]; it's just I wanted to make smaller amounts more frequently and wanted it softer......hence upping the water content.....I'm sure I'll find a suitable mix in time.....I've used Jamie's recipe before so I might have a go at that but freeze portions rather than make up shedloads in one go.

Thanks for all the recipes though! Bread fresh every day [or every other day] is GOOD!!!

At what stage do you freeze the dough? I didn't know you could do that, and do you have to defrost it prior to putting in the oven?

[zazen999]

At what stage do you freeze the dough? I didn't know you could do that, and do you have to defrost it prior to putting in the oven?

Yeah, you can freeze it once it is mixed; and yes, defrost it and continue to prove it, shape it and then let it rise for a final time before popping it into the oven.

Check out 'artisan' bread, which you can make one batch of and keep in the fridge for a week or so, taking out what you want as you want it; the cold stops the fermentation so it lasts longer.

[Brengirl]

and if you make a starter you can freeze some for next time

[Rossa]

I make half the mix as white and half as brown. Use 2lb loaf tin with white dough one end, brown the other so we get a choice. Just pull apart when baked. Same for rolls. Make 5 of each (60g) finger shaped and baked side by side in 2 rows in a roasting tin (approx 10" x 6"). Pull apart when baked and cooled.

If you want a softer white loaf DON'T use bread flour which is made from hard wheat i.e.has higher gluten content. Use ordinary plain flour which is made from soft wheat usually for pastry or cakes. Then you'll get a better result for a soft loaf or roll.

I use 400g flour, level teaspoon salt, level teaspoon sugar, 1 tablespoon oil (either olive, rapeseed or sunflower) which helps it keep longer, half sachet dried yeast (make sure it's for hand making, some are machine only) and 250ml warm water. I heat cold water from the tap in a jug in the microwave for 40-50 secs. Should be hand hot. I also warm the bowl I mix the dough in if it is cold.

If you want another boring bit of info, dough rises best at 27C/80F. (Still remember that from bakery college in the 70s). Any cooler than that just takes longer. Hotter than that will mean the yeast runs out of "steam" before it's ready to bake and could collapse the dough.

Brown dough I make using half plain white flour and half spelt flour. Brown flour takes more water so this can take up to 50ml more water. I always add most but not all of the water, make the dough and add more if it is a bit tight.

Tighter dough will split when baked so you get what is called a "flying top" i.e. stretched on one side with crust at an angle. Also happens if dough not left to rise for long enough so the sudden heat of the oven causes the dough to rise and split.

Dough that is too wet (sticky) will spread or not rise enough as it is too "heavy" for the yeast to make it rise.

So 2 x 400g mix will make the large 2 colour loaf and 10 rolls which we freeze and take out as needed. Bread is wrapped in plastic bag in fridge and lasts easily for a week.

With Spelt you don't need to work the dough for too long, no more than 5 mins to mix and knead. It's very forgiving.

Haven't tried the freezer method myself so one for me to play with.