handmade bread

Tepeca

http:// photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs225.snc1/7235_158012477379_615317379_2615798_7805203_n.jpg (delete the space between // and photos to see - can't post link.

My second loaf - my first was made yesterday and was the same but white - not brown (well, it's brown flour...)

The T is for my mum (this is her account :rotfl: )

I've really gotten into baking of late The only thing that hasn't worked out is my cherry bakewells but that's because I need a deeper bun(/muffin like) tray)

My recipie is:

* 425g bread flour - white or brown
* 3tbsp of olive oil
* 1 1/2 tsp of caster sugar
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 7g dried yeast
* 260ml warm water

Put the flour into a large bowl, put in 2tbsp of olive oil and realise that it's not quite enough - and stick in a further tbsp. Mix it in and then stir in the sugar, salt and yeast.

Make a well in the middle and pour in half the water, mixing it up well into a dough. Gently pour in the rest of the water - bit by bit if it makes it easier. If the dough is too sticky put a little more flour in - or if it's too dry, put a little more water in.

Knead it and have some fun slamming it onto the counter for a bit and leave it whilst washing up the bowl you mixed it in. Cover it with said bowl when it's dry. (I put a *tiny* amount of olive oil on the counter so it doesn't stick when rising) Leave it for half an hour and grease a bread tin with butter.

Knead it and chuck it about a bit again after, slamming it on the side again for another few minutes and then put it into the tin, shaping it to fit. Cover the top in a bit of foil and leave again for another half an hour and then put it into the oven and bake at 200 degrees or Gas6 for half an hour before turning it out onto to the rack to cool.

thriftlady_2

andygb wrote: »

I think that this French bread law must only apply to the "Pain le tradition", the staple French bread/baguette which we are used to seeing. If you go to France and visit an "Artisan Boulanger", then you will be confronted with many different kinds of bread - some containing cereals, nuts, olives, herbs, butter, then you have regional bread such as "Fougasse" a Provencal delicacy, which is made with Olive oil and various fillings such as Anchovies or bacon lardons.

Yes, indeed, there are many kinds of bread made in France. My point though was that sugar is not essential when making bread.

competitionscafe

Tepeca wrote: »

http:// photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs225.snc1/7235_158012477379_615317379_2615798_7805203_n.jpg (delete the space between // and photos to see - can't post link.

My second loaf - my first was made yesterday and was the same but white - not brown (well, it's brown flour...)

The T is for my mum (this is her account :rotfl: )

http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs225.snc1/7235_158012477379_615317379_2615798_7805203_n.jpg

zippychick

Bread with the T on it - bless! How sweet! x Make me one, and post it. Im Laura! (kidding ... or am i?)

Tepeca

Thanks ladies

I had a little left over as it was already threatning to overflow - so why not ^_^ After the hassle she'd had with TSB of late - she needed cheering up

andygb

thriftlady wrote: »

Yes, indeed, there are many kinds of bread made in France. My point though was that sugar is not essential when making bread.

Do you still manage to get a nice dark crust without using sugar (This is why I have always used it, never tried baking bread without sugar). Do you also find that using a small amount of olive oil/butter affects the texture quite a lot?
Andy

thriftlady_2

andygb wrote: »

Do you still manage to get a nice dark crust without using sugar (This is why I have always used it, never tried baking bread without sugar). Do you also find that using a small amount of olive oil/butter affects the texture quite a lot?
Andy

It depends which bread I'm making Andy. My standard wholemeal or white loaf (Delia Smith recipe) made with easy blend yeast seems unaffected by leaving out the sugar. I never put fat in this loaf either so can't tell you if it makes a great deal of difference.

My sour dough recipe from River Cottage Everyday has no sugar either and has a nice brown chewy-crunchy crust. I put a tbsp of oil in that but when I forgot once it didn't seem any different.

To be honest I'm not particularly bothered how dark the crust is.

andygb

thriftlady wrote: »

It depends which bread I'm making Andy. My standard wholemeal or white loaf (Delia Smith recipe) made with easy blend yeast seems unaffected by leaving out the sugar. I never put fat in this loaf either so can't tell you if it makes a great deal of difference.

My sour dough recipe from River Cottage Everyday has no sugar either and has a nice brown chewy-crunchy crust. I put a tbsp of oil in that but when I forgot once it didn't seem any different.

To be honest I'm not particularly bothered how dark the crust is.

Hi thriftlady,
thanks for that information, I have put a couple of loaves in the oven, and they should be ready in around half an hours time. I left out the olive oil/butter this time, and reduced the salt content. I also reduced the sugar, but put it into the warm water to dissolve before adding the yeast (instant packet).
Evene though I measure out the flour and water, I still tend to get inconsistency in the mixture - sometimes too wet, sometimes too dry. I prefer it when it is slightly sticky, because it seems to make a much lighter loaf, but it becomes harder to judge the optimum moment to put it in the oven, to avoid it collapsing totally.

Andy

northwest1965

I want to make some bread but have just realised that my fresh yeast is in the freezer. Do I have to let it fully defrost or can i just mix it with the warm water anyway?

While its proving I normally use some oiled cling film to cover, could I just use a damp teatowel?

Joe_L

I notice that many here seem to measure their ingredients. I've decided, in the spirit of the OP, to just roughly measure. Well, actually, the only things I measure is the tablespoon of yeast. The rest is done by hunch. I put just enough liquid into the mix to make it sloppy, but just stiff enough. So far they've all turned out different and all with their merits. What I've found out is that it does need salt for taste--I forgot to add salt in the last loaf.