:( Help me make perfect bread

bigpaws23

Ok, I'm :mad:

I'm a great cake, biscuit, nothing-in-the-cupboards-but-can-create-a-feast cook and I can even do pastry but I CANNOT MAKE BREAD!

I have tried by hand, with my breadmaker, following recipe after recipe and everytime I get a hard, uneven brick that I fear will sink the ducks if they eat too much.

Can anyone give me the make of the ingredients they are using, the measurements, EXACTLY what the method is etc etc and help me make good bread?

I cannot be defeated by this, but so far I've had to resort to breadmixes (which turn out perfectly, hence, I don't think there is aproblem with the breadmaker). I'd really like to make it from scratch.

Anyone willing to take me under their wing on this one?

Bigpaws x

lynzpower

which breadmaker have you got?

angchris

when im making a basic white loaf in my breadmaker i now always put it on to the wholemeal setting as it makes a much nicer loaf, it gives the bread more time to rise etc. i found this out by accident one day and have done it ever since and now get perfect bread every time instead of the yeasty brick i used to get before :j

viv0147

While making the bread in the bread machine I add 1+1/2 measures of olive oil into the water and the bread turns out well.

kethry

i don;t use a breadmaker, i handmake mine, but i've written a long page (including photos) of how to make bread, using my grandfather's recipe, which is a mix of white and wholemeal flour, and seeds, extra bran, and it gives a lovely loaf. haven't had it fail on me yet (and i make bread twice a week or more).

have a read, if you have any questions, feel free to yell - or pm me.

keth
xx

bigpaws23

Wow! you're all amazing - such quick responses - thank you.
lynzpower, it was given to me by a friend and says 'Prima' on it

Keth, your page is amazing; I'm definately going to follow it step by step and see how I do. I see you make reference to Allinsons; all I seem to be able to get around here is Hovis, so I'll try that anyway. Do you have an opinion on Hovis?

Thanks the the olive oil tip and the wholemeal settings tips too folks.

Off to the kitchen...........
Bigpaws x

scaredy_cat_2

kethry wrote: »

i don;t use a breadmaker, i handmake mine, but i've written a long page (including photos) of how to make bread, using my grandfather's recipe, which is a mix of white and wholemeal flour, and seeds, extra bran, and it gives a lovely loaf. haven't had it fail on me yet (and i make bread twice a week or more).

have a read, if you have any questions, feel free to yell - or pm me.

keth
xx

thanks a lot i have been trying to find recipes etc as i don't have abreadmaker - i made rolls the other day but i now want to find a recipe for a loaf

lynzpower

http://www.prima-international.com/ib.html

just did a quick google, there should be a model no on the back of the machine on a sticky label somewhere

bigpaws23

thanks Lynzpower; I'll have a look later.
I'm just about to do the knocking back, a la Keth's recipe and I have one in the breadmaker as I type.

Wish me luck that at least one loaf comes out ok by the end of the evening

I've just realised that my loaf tin has soil and seeds in it from an Imbolc celebration LOL! maybe it's time to put them on a Beltane fire

back to the kitchen I go..............

bigpaws x

kethry

oooh good luck, bigpaws!!!

with regard to the Hovis: I presume you're talking about yeast? i've used hovis, allinsons, and stores own (asda and tescos).. never had any problems. I've always stuck to dried though, and made sure i used it within the use-by on the packet - although, honestly, i make bread so frequently, its not really a problem. I've never used any other kind of yeast, including fresh, so can't really comment on those.

scaredy cat: good luck with the loaf! with me, it was the other way round - i've always made loaves, until just last weekend, when i came to make some for mom and dad, and they prefer to freeze my bread, as they don't get it very often, so i thought that rolls might suit them better. So i made rolls instead, for the first time in a couple of years - they worked quite well. I should amend that page to give temps and times for rolls, i suppose.

let me know how you get on, both of you!

keth
xx

kittycat07

I tend to use Hovis flour and do exactly as it says on the label if doing it by hand. Or I do in food processor according to the recepie book ingredients. If it's hard and solid you may not be allowing it to rest for long enough - it really should just about double. Have you tried letting it rest in a warmer place? Also do you cover with a damp cloth when letting it rise? It might be easier if you let us know what you DO do so we can say what we do differently LOL!!! Good luck - it's well worth it if you can get it to work