As The Workhouse Approaches....How To Do Everything To Avoid It, the Old Style Way

GreyQueen

mamaninie wrote: »

thanks - I was thinking more of the thin baguette shapes than loaves as such. I will probably just give it a go and see how it turns out.

I think my bread is always so rubbish because of my kneading technique - what is the secret to an airy loaf??

When I make bread it's always hand-kneaded but yo won't get the same airiness as a commercial loaf as they use "flour improvers" to make the loaf take up air and water to give a bigger fluffier loaf without using more flour. Try looking up the Chorleywood Bread Process.

I knead how I was taught and it always rises; use a clean kitchen counter or table, sprinkle with flour and put your shoulders behind it, using the heel of your hands to shove into the lump of dough, three or four shoves (the dough will go into a bull's head shape, same tech as for handkneading clay) then turn it 90 degrees, repeat and repeat. I only bother to knead about 5 mins as I have ME and tire easly but it all comes out OK. Wholemeal flour is a bit awkward to get any air into it at all and I have come across pro craft bakers who "can't do wholemel".

Think of rocking your weight forward from the ground upward and pushing the energy into the loaf. It's a good work out/ way to get some frustrations out of your system.

Hope that was some asssistance.

EDIT: There are rainclouds gathering over Provincial City!!!!!!!

iris

I read this thread most days and enjoy hearing what everyone is up to, but hardly ever post. Hope you don't mind me joining in.

Like the majority on this thread, I bake most of my cakes and usually buy Tesco's value sultanas at 64p for 500g. However, today I was shocked to find that they have gone up to 99p for 500g:eek:

They are still 64p in both Asda and Sainsburys, but is this a sign that they too will soon be putting their prices up also.

I shall be stocking up at Sainsburys in the next few weeks.

PepPop

bargainhunterss wrote: »

there's some really simple ones on the goodfood website (www.bbcgoodfood.com ?) that someone from this thread put me on to, http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/7380/banana-cake. i added about 100g of sultanas and some orange zest which worked quite well.

Mmmm that sounds nice - I put walnuts in mine but to be honest I think I went overboard :rotfl: it was more like banana flavoured walnut cake

benny1981 ooh rum would be nice too. I'm not a big Nigella fan but I think I'll need to have a look for this. I'm thinking bananas, coconut and rum cake.... yummmmmm

mamaninie Thanks for the link :beer:

ammonite

hello! can I sneak in here please?
we are pretty thrifty in the home, but in the next few months, need to tighten our belts a bit. Food and utilities are the obvious ways to cut down on spending, but we still need to eat and use electricity/gas obviously, just want to be a bit more savvy about it!

Hope you dont mind me joining you!

oldtractor

Welcome Ammonite, the more the merrier! I have just been thinking the same thing. We need to cut back even further. I have just posted a new thread about thermal underwear asking for recommendations. I simply must cut back on heating costs .

mrswive

Just had a lovely tea; I was going to do pasta with something, and my genius DH suggested the leftover portion of spicy butternut squash soup for the something (it's fairly thick, substantial soup) and it was bloomin' lovely! I knew it was worth hanging on to him!!!

On the subject of television, we were talking only this morning about getting rid of ours as we only watch a few things each week and have started watching them on i-player most of the time. The only downside I could think of was that sometimes it's nice to uput your feet up and watch a film or something together. DH reckons that if we unplug the TV aerial we can use the TV set as a monitor (it's only a 22" anyway) and won't need a TV license as we won't be receiving a signal. Any opinions welcome.

GQ - have you tried a rain dance??

Aril

Just wanted to say hello really:D Am still catching up on the old threads but am as ever overwhelmed by the support everyone gives and receives.
Aril

oldtractor

Mrswive, a couple of years ago we decided to get rid of our telly a 6 monyh trial originally. We still havent got a telly. we watch things on iplayer. we find it so much better.

oldtractor

iris wrote: »

I read this thread most days and enjoy hearing what everyone is up to, but hardly ever post. Hope you don't mind me joining in.

Like the majority on this thread, I bake most of my cakes and usually buy Tesco's value sultanas at 64p for 500g. However, today I was shocked to find that they have gone up to 99p for 500g:eek:

They are still 64p in both Asda and Sainsburys, but is this a sign that they too will soon be putting their prices up also.

I shall be stocking up at Sainsburys in the next few weeks.

and they say inflation is only 5%. what with heating oil petrol deisel electricity................................................my personal inflation level is wayyyyyy higher than that and DH hasnt had a wage increase in 4 years. we are definately worse off,he doesnt even get inflation increase.

ChocClare

Aril wrote: »

Just wanted to say hello really:D Am still catching up on the old threads but am as ever overwhelmed by the support everyone gives and receives.
Aril

Nice to see you again, Aril: didn't you use to post on these threads? (If I'm hallucinating, just ignore me, wouldn't be the first time - I recognise your name, is what I'm trying to say!) I agree with you, anyway: what makes this thread so lovely to read and to post on is the FANTASTIC level of support - sadly missing on other threads/boards unfortunately.

DH and I have just extracted some 40kg of honey. We are sticky

This description makes it sound like a vaguely sexy thing: believe me, it isn't...

All we need to do now is buy some jars and print some labels. Our friend who is a bee farmer buys jars in bulk and says we can buy some from him, so hopefully they won't be too pricey. In true OS style, the honey is now in old (ie surplus to requirements but nevertheless scrupulously clean!!!) 5kg mayonnaise tubs from the kitchens at my work. Thus far, we have managed NOT to upset the honey extractor and get honey all over the conservatory floor.

The night is young.

DH is also breaking up the frames as they are very past it, so my next FABULOUS job will be rendering down beeswax. I did this a couple of weeks ago and it was extremely rewarding. As there are SACKS of the stuff to be rendered, I have a feeling I may go off this fast this time. Still, I've got my little cire d'abeille moulds, so I can make nice little beeswax ingots, all being well.

Meanwhile, I am going to put a Being Human dvd in the old pooter and lust after Mitchell for a bit. Keep well and see you all later