Does anyone here have a totally non processed food lifestyle?

tessie_bear

ceridwen wrote: »

Correct me if I'm wrong - but I think the salt is necessary to help the yeast do its work of making the bread rise??

Its my understanding that sugar (or in my case honey or molasses) isn't strictly necessary - ie that one can make bread just from the "holy trinity" of flour, yeast and salt.

thank u i put salt and sugar in mine but im going to try reducing the amounts

geordie_joe

ceridwen wrote: »

Correct me if I'm wrong - but I think the salt is necessary to help the yeast do its work of making the bread rise??

I was told that you use salt to slow the yeast down, without salt the yeast works to fast and forms larger air pockets in the bread.

I don't know if this is true, so I'm not trying to correct you for being wrong, just repeating what I was told.

champys

geordie_joe wrote: »

I was told that you use salt to slow the yeast down, without salt the yeast works to fast and forms larger air pockets in the bread.

I don't know if this is true, so I'm not trying to correct you for being wrong, just repeating what I was told.

Yes, I think you are right, I seem to remember that too - but isn't it also the case that you use sugar to 'kick-start' or 'feed' the yeast if you are using dried yeast? Believe both have an effect on what the yeast does. All organic chemistry, but I was never very good at the subject......

lindadykes

I don't use sugar, but I do use salt. I have accidently forgotten the salt once or twice and while the bread rose ok and looked ok it had a very bland taste. HM bread has very little salt as opposed to shop bought, for example I use 1 tsp salt in each loaf I make, but on a programme I saw wiith Jamie Oliver he said that there was up to a teaspoon in each slice of bought bread!!

I have a similar recipe to ceridwen, a no knead bread that takes up only a minimal amount of time. This is my "daily" bread these days and is based on the Doris Grant loaf. This has got to be the easiest way to make bread and has just 3 ingredients other than water - wholemeal flour, yeast and salt. The loaf does tend to look a bit "cake like" when it comes out of the oven, but cut it open and it is the lightest recipe I've found for a 100% wholemeal loaf. You do need to use a loaf tin for this one though, but one can be bought cheaply in ASDA.

1lb Wholemeal Flour
1 tsp Instant dried yeast - I use the Dove's in the orange packet.
1 tsp salt
16 fl oz of handhot water - I use half boiling water and half cold and this seems to work ok.

Put flour, yeast and salt in a mixing bowl, stir to combine.

Add the water all at once and mix with a wooden spoon - don't overmix just mix till everything is combined.

The mixture at this point is much wetter than conventional bread dough which is why you need to use a loaf tin.

Tip the mixture into the greased loaf tin and roughly level the top.

Leave to stand in a warmish place till the dough rises to the top of the tin.

Pop into a preheated oven (200 C) for about 20 mins or so till nicely browned.

That's it! the easiest least labour intensive loaf I've ever made.

ceridwen

Yep - thats a very similar recipe to my 5 Minute Bread. I saw that Grant recipe you mentioned the other day and thought "Very similar to mine - only she is using fresh yeast".

JUst one thing - I cover the dough whilst its rising (in my case with a damp teatowel). Some people use clingfilm instead - but a damp teatowel serves just as well and is free and non-polluting.

I have read of people putting their tin of dough inside a plastic bag to rise instead of using the teatowel or clingfilm.

I read that the rationale for covering the rising dough is to do with it not forming some sort of skin or something on it - or was it to help keep it moist?

Do you rise yours without covering it then? Have you noticed it making any difference to the finished product due to that?

lindadykes

I just rise my no knead loaf without covering. Before I discovered the no knead bread I used to use a more conventional recipe and I would put the bowl inside a plastic bin bag for the initial rising before knocking back - don't know the science behind it but I assumed it helped to retain a warm moist atmoshpere around the dough.

I did however only use white flour or a mix of half white/half wholemeal as I found all wholemeal always ended up too heavy. That's really why I like the no knead recipe I use now, not only is it simpler, less time consuming, but it makes lovely textured 100% wholemeal bread every time.

natlie

Hi
I went on the raw food diet for a long tim and it was horrile - there really is only so much salad you can eat - but its not only that - I missed the comfort of hot food, I missed eggs and cheese and I hate veggie juices. I didn't have a dehydrator - which they reccommend for this diet.

We do not eat packet meals, but I do drink diet coke the children and partner eat more processed food than I do - pringles yuk - the ultimate processed food in my opinion I wouldn't eat anything with that many ingredients

Nat

thriftlady_2

Re salt and sugar in bread.

Salt is necessary for the reasons Geordie Joe cites. But sugar/honey/molasses isn't strictly necessary because there is enough sugar in the flour to feed the yeast.

I got into an argument about this a while back on the handbaking bread thread. Someone simply refused to believe that I made acceptable bread without sugar. But honestly and truly I do- 8 loaves a week, my kids are scoffing it now with relish:)

Zazen999

thriftlady wrote: »

Re salt and sugar in bread.

Salt is necessary for the reasons Geordie Joe cites. But sugar/honey/molasses isn't strictly necessary because there is enough sugar in the flour to feed the yeast.

I got into an argument about this a while back on the handbaking bread thread. Someone simply refused to believe that I made acceptable bread without sugar. But honestly and truly I do- 8 loaves a week, my kids are scoffing it now with relish:)

Interesting! I also make bread with no sugar....just flour, water, yeast and if I remember, some salt. The things people get hung up on...:D

rachbc

thriftlady wrote: »

Re salt and sugar in bread.

Salt is necessary for the reasons Geordie Joe cites. But sugar/honey/molasses isn't strictly necessary because there is enough sugar in the flour to feed the yeast.

I got into an argument about this a while back on the handbaking bread thread. Someone simply refused to believe that I made acceptable bread without sugar. But honestly and truly I do- 8 loaves a week, my kids are scoffing it now with relish:)

I'm trying it for the first time today!! I'm not bothered about the amount of sugar in bread on health grounds - but its one less thing to get out and put back in the cupboard and anything which makes it a bit easier is fine by me!