Bread Recipe?

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel

Hi,


Does anyone have a fool-proof bread recipe?


I bought myself a stand mixer the other day with a hook and have made some loaves but used the wrights baking mix where you just add water but would like to give it a go "properly"


Can anyone suggest a good recipe?


Thank you

Honey_Bear

It depends entirely what kind of bread you like. I'd suggest you google it and make a choice yourself on what sounds tempting.

There is also a lot of advice on here and the internet generally on what makes bread recipes foolproof, but mostly it's about looking after your yeast and using good quality ingredients.

If you put the cheapest flour in you'll get slightly duller bread out at the end, but in my opinion it is still much, much better than anything sold in the supermarkets which all tastes very dull to me. I started off with Lidl's bog standard flour which was fine while I was experimenting. You absolutely must use Strong flour - don't bother with extra strong until you've got the hang of using cheaper ingredients and perfected your skill.

Keep the dough warm if you want a quickish loaf, and remember that the slower it rises the more flavour the bread will develop. (It is possible to let it rise in the fridge overnight and then bake it in the morning.)

halogen

Honey_Bear wrote: »

but in my opinion it is still much, much better than anything sold in the supermarkets which all tastes very dull to me.

Owning my disagree- I must be doing it wrong :-)

Islandmaid

For a good basic white loaf, I use 500g bread flour, 300ml hand warm water, a sachet of yeast, a pinch of salt, make sure it's not near the yeast at first, I also add a small squidge of honey or a teaspoon of sugar.

Mix till it's come together and silky and stretchy - leave to rise for at least an hour, I cover mine with a shower cap

When it's risen, knock it back, knead for a few minutes then shape. I Free form it and leave to rise for another 30 mins- at this point switch on the oven to 200. Pop an oven tray in and an oven proof dish at the bottom of the oven.

When the dough has risen again, I stash the top and take the oven tray out, lay the dough on it carefully - in the dish at the bottom of the oven, add a cup of water, then pop the bread in for 35 - 50 minutes depending on what type of crust you like, I leave it for 50 minutes as our lot like a deep crust. The steam really helps.

Take it out leave to cool just long enough so butter can be piled on top of a fat slice :rotfl:

It works for me and I make bread most days

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel

D'oh (or rather dough?!) it would have helped it I told you which bread huh.....


Well I'm trying to convince the kids to eat wholemeal but I can't seem to get the recipe right (Tried a Delia one the other day, doing a Paul Hollywood one today) but they do like their white bread for packed lunches.


Thanks Islandmaid - I'll try this!

suki1964

I use the same recipe as IslandMaid, its fool proof

I cant make wholemeal for the life of me, think of bricks and you get the idea :rotfl:

Even a wheaten loaf is beyond me which is basically a large scone, which I can make no trouble

Islandmaid

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel wrote: »

D'oh (or rather dough?!) it would have helped it I told you which bread huh.....


Well I'm trying to convince the kids to eat wholemeal but I can't seem to get the recipe right (Tried a Delia one the other day, doing a Paul Hollywood one today) but they do like their white bread for packed lunches.


Thanks Islandmaid - I'll try this!

Let us know how it goes, when you have it 'right' you can add seeds (I use the mixed seeds from Lidl), walnuts, sundried tomatoes, whatever takes your fancy.. I slice and freeze any leftovers for toast bread.

I am the same a Suki - wholemeal is never quite 'right' :cool:

TonyMMM

I make sourdough - one white and one wholemeal each week. Easy (with a bit of planning) and tastes amazing.

Flour, water (and milk in the wholemeal) and a bit of salt - nothing else.

peachyprice

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel wrote: »

D'oh (or rather dough?!) it would have helped it I told you which bread huh.....


Well I'm trying to convince the kids to eat wholemeal but I can't seem to get the recipe right (Tried a Delia one the other day, doing a Paul Hollywood one today) but they do like their white bread for packed lunches.


Thanks Islandmaid - I'll try this!

Wholemeal is tricky, it quite often comes out like a house brick if conditions aren't just so.

I would start out mastering white, then swap some white flour out for wholemeal until you get a ratio that works for you.

JIL

We were out of bread, the bread maker takes so long and I didn't want the bread making to go on for ages, so following island maids recipe I put the ingredients on the pizza setting in the bread maker. 45 mins later I let it rise, knocked it back and shaped some rolls. I made 12. Then let them rise again and baked for 18 mins. I would say it took no longer than 2 1/2 hours in total. The bread was really good. Packed lunches for tomorrow all sorted.

silverwhistle

Honey_Bear wrote: »

Keep the dough warm if you want a quickish loaf, and remember that the slower it rises the more flavour the bread will develop. (It is possible to let it rise in the fridge overnight and then bake it in the morning.)

Good advice. I was in a hurry this morning and made a couple of french sticks, but if I'm making a dough for pizza I always leave it overnight in the fridge. With a wood pellet fired stove at a really hot temperature it makes gorgeous pizzas.


But I'd have to say the human element is so important: my GF is so much better at rolling out the pizzas thinly.



Also I'd say experiment, I've had the odd polite refusal from my mum of bread I've offered her, and in truth, for anything alive like yeast and dough you'll get failures!