The Prepping Thread - A Newer Beginning ;)

Si_Clist

boultdj said:

Then add yeasty water and oil to the flour ... put it in a tub twice as big as the dough and leave in the fridge till needed ... I find the flour keeps the top softer

Now this is all jolly interesting, but being a bloke I have questions and an observation

Q1.  What's the oil for?

Q2.  Why does the tub need to be twice as big as the dough?  Does it keep on rising?

And FWIW I keep my top crusts soft by wrapping the bread in a towel as soon as it comes out the oven and keeping it tucked up until it's just about room temp.  But maybe this only works for wholemeal spelt, which is what I always use ... ?

Caution - bloke writing this bakes bread every two days but doesn't really know what he's doing.  He's just found something that works, but is always keen to improve.

boultdj

Si_Clist said:

boultdj said:

Then add yeasty water and oil to the flour ... put it in a tub twice as big as the dough and leave in the fridge till needed ... I find the flour keeps the top softer

Now this is all jolly interesting, but being a bloke I have questions and an observation

Q1.  What's the oil for?

Q2.  Why does the tub need to be twice as big as the dough?  Does it keep on rising?

And FWIW I keep my top crusts soft by wrapping the bread in a towel as soon as it comes out the oven and keeping it tucked up until it's just about room temp.  But maybe this only works for wholemeal spelt, which is what I always use ... ?

Caution - bloke writing this bakes bread every two days but doesn't really know what he's doing.  He's just found something that works, but is always keen to improve.

Yes the dough will carry on rising, it takes on sour dough notes.
The oil I add seems to help with a softer bread, I started off not adding oil, but I do a half & half loaf and it ended up dry on the second day, since adding the oil it's stayed a soft bread for 3 day's, which is the longest any bread last's in our house.

Basketcase, sorry I don't know, I've never made GF bread.

Also winging it with the baking Si Clist. Also keen to keep learning, the hairy bikers bakecation included a lot of bread and a lot of tips.

Si_Clist

Thanks very much boultdj.  If you're ever in a silly mood, grab a bag of wholemeal spelt flour and see how that suits your method.  It's not cheap, but it'll make you a softer loaf without having to add oil, and you may well find it more digestible than wheat (my Lady Wife does, which was why we moved over to it, before we developed our strong preference for the taste). 

No idea what would happen if you fridge a spelt dough, but you'll find it absorbs water differently when mixing.  FWIW the spelt dough I make is apparently more moist than you'd have a strong white flour dough, and the loaves I do are still OK on the third day if you're hungry rather than particular

Spelt dough also wants to spread itself about the place, so mine's always done in a cast iron casserole thingy lined with parchment (which I re-use three times).  Into the oven at 220°C, turn it down to 200°C for 30 minutes with the top on, then 10 minuites without the top, then out and wrapped up in a towel.  Scrummy!

boultdj

I've used spelt flour, it is yummy.
I feel an experiment coming on.....

r.a.i.n.b.o.w

GaleSF63 said:

However I have noticed that although some tinned meat - chicken and corned beef for example will sometimes have a date like 2025, all my tinned fruit tends to be much shorter dated, probably only a year or less. Is that because there's a worry that the acid may affect the tin, I wonder?

I've only ever had one problem. an apparently undamaged tin of tomato puree which decorated the walls and ceiling of my kitchen.  Even then, if there had been any left to use it would probably tasted fine! Or perhaps not.

I find tinned fruit and tinned tomatoes are prone to fermenting (goes fizzy) and blowing, I have even had tins that look perfectly fine but the minute you do the first pierce with a tin opener the contents spray out (or even burst out) at high velocity! So perhaps that's why

basketcase

@boultdj and @maddiemay

Thanks for the recipe and the GF link respectively.  I think I'll try the recipe for my DS, who can eat real bread and I'll explore the website tomorrow.  I can cope without most things, but I miss bread.  And croissants...

maddiemay

basketcase said:

@boultdj and @maddiemay

Thanks for the recipe and the GF link respectively.  I think I'll try the recipe for my DS, who can eat real bread and I'll explore the website tomorrow.  I can cope without most things, but I miss bread.  And croissants...

Here is the link for all the info about GF flours and what each does      https://www.glutenfreealchemist.com/p-gluten-free-flours-and-flour-blends/
I make up batches of the Rice Free blend B and keep in a large glass jar in my unheated garage/utility.  Like Kate I grind my own oats (I am OK with standard oats, then take the weight needed for any recipe and add the extra ingredients.
Vicki at Gluten Free Fairy (as mentioned by Kate) produces her own flour blend and it is very good, expensive, but I understand why, service is good and normally very quick, lots of tested recipes on website.
I can buy most ingredients here, we have 2 indie Health Food shops, a H&B and a Grapetree, not bad for a town with a population of less than 12,000.     Healthy Supplies are great on line suppliers, I use them a few times a year.   Completely ignore BBF dates and had nothing go off, again stored in unheated utility.     Digital scales are a must, thermometer useful.
HTH
MM
P.S. Kate is shortly to publish her up to date recipe for bread maker loaf.

CCW007

Thinking about prepping for a relatively short power cut - a day or so. 

I have bought a second hand camping stove for cooking basic meals (so need to check that works).  I have an alpine stove and a ghillie kettle for heating water, a log burner for heat, candles and torches for light.  Is there anything obvious I am missing (other than a generator)?  Oh we also have power packs to keep mobiles charged for a while.

I cooked and dehydrated mushroom risotto recently, rehydrated it for lunch and it was pretty good and ready in 5 minutes on the hob.  In a pinch I think I could probably cover it with boiling water and leave it without any further heating.  So will be making more of that, if nothing else it's a really easy quick go to meal and something my OH could have if I was away.

MingVase

Several tin openers, spare gas for the camping stove and plenty of matches 

boultdj

Batteries for radio, solar charger for mobile phone, wind up radio/ torch are other's that can be helpful.