Making my first loaf of bread - help needed

lizzyshep

I've decided to try making a loaf of bread (by hand) and I'm not sure if it's working. I'm using a 'barleycorn' flour (mixture of wheat flour, barley flour and malt flour) and have followed the recipe on there, but I've been having problems with the kneading. I kneaded it for a good 10 minutes but it didn't become soft and elastic like it was supposed to, it just kept breaking apart. I thought it might be a bit dry so added some more water and kneaded a bit more, it went a bit more elastic but I had to give up because I was worn out! It's in the airing cupboard now with a damp tea towel over the top, rising (hopefully).

I've looked in the Breadmaking indexed collection but can't find anything specifically on this, so would appreciate advice from any experienced bread makers. Does my dough sound ok? And if not, is there anything I can do to save it?

Thanks!

thriftlady_2

Can you post the recipe Lizzy? Sounds like there isn't enough water to me.

lizzyshep

Yes, it's 500g/1 lb flour, 1/2 tsp salt, tsp quick yeast, tsp salt, 275ml/9 floz warm water and 1 tbsp oil. Mix dry ingredients, add water and mix, add oil and knead.

I followed the instructions carefully but as I'm typing this I've realised I measured the flour in g but the water in floz, and I know you shouldn't mix metric and imperial. Might this be the reason it was dry? I did add some more water towards the end but stopped kneading because I was tired.

Should I get it out of the airing cupboard and knead again, or should I leave it until it's risen, then knead (if so, for how long)? It's been in there for half an hour.

lizzyshep

Yes, it's 500g/1 lb flour, 1/2 tsp salt, tsp quick yeast, tsp salt, 275ml/9 floz warm water and 1 tbsp oil. Mix dry ingredients, add water and mix, add oil and knead.

I followed the instructions carefully but as I'm typing this I've realised I measured the flour in g but the water in floz, and I know you shouldn't mix metric and imperial. Might this be the reason it was dry? I did add some more water towards the end but stopped kneading because I was tired.

Should I get it out of the airing cupboard and knead again, or should I leave it until it's risen, then knead (if so, for how long)? It's been in there for half an hour.

Agapanthus

The amount of water needed may vary according to how dry / absorbent your particular flour is. I once did a bread making day where we were taught how to knead and to judge the amount of water. It's far more than I thought it was - the instructor kept coming round saying "More Water. More water!"

The dough has to be really soft and definitely shouldn't be cracking. It sounds to me as though yours hasn't had enough water. perhaps you could try working little more in when you do the second kneading (knocking back)?

500g is more than 1lb (454g), so that's probably where the problem arose.

The_Mighty_Gusset

It does sound a bit dry - normally dough starts off wet and sticky and dries out as the flour absorbs the liquid.
Ideally, while you want an elastic dough, the wetter it is the better - when you knock it back you'll be doing it on a floured board so it'll take on more flour and dry out a bit more.
10 minutes kneading isn't a lot -
Have a look at it now, see if it's rising, if it is, then leave it be, if not then add a bit more water - but you'll have to work it in very thoroughly.
When it's finally finished 'proving' you'll need to knock it back and knead briefly again, then leave it to prove again before baking.
Baking your own bread is very satisfying, but it does take practice and 'feel' to get it right - once you get the knack though it's actually much easier than using a bread-maker !
Good Luck !

lizzyshep

I've just looked and it's definitely grown! I'll see how it is when I knock it back and knead it again. My problem is I don't know what it's meant to look like, so will only be able to learn by trial and error (hopefully not too many errors!)

The_Mighty_Gusset

If it's doubling in size then you aren't doing much wrong.
When you knock it back then you are looking to knock out any big air bubbles - to give a denser and more consistent loaf - hopefully you'll see some.

lizzyshep

I kneaded it again, there weren't many air bubbles but after I'd added more water and kneaded for about another 10 minutes, it went lovely and soft and stretchy, I think that's how it's meant to look. Now it's rising again and I'll put it in the oven in a bit.

I was surprised how much water I had to add, I definitely didn't put in enough the first time.

Oh, and kneading that dough is one of the most satisfying things I've done in a while, who would have thought making bread was such fun! And it was hard work too, if I keep this up I'll have arms like Madonna!

lizzyshep

It worked! I can't believe how well it came out - nice crispy crust and soft inside. It's not as soft as shop bought bread but I know that's because it doesn't have additives in it. It tastes more like the stuff I used to get from the health food shop, which only had 4 or 5 ingredients.

I don't think I put enough salt in because it hasn't got as much flavour as bread normally has, and I did guess the 1/2 tsp, but that's probably a good thing as it made me realise how much salt shop bought bread must contain. Think I'll add a bit more next time though. The other thing is that it came out a bit flat because I didn't use a loaf tin - I do have a silicone one which measures 26 x 13.5 x 7.5 cm but was worried this might be a bit small (and I have a metal one the same size). Would it be ok to make it in one of these next time?