Bread

[Marian]

Latest post of the previous page:

Eggs? In bread. Phshaw! It's bread we're talking about here, not cake! It's yeast that makes bread (and pizza) rise. Yeast, madam, yeast!
Emma
(bread purist)

Ok,ok, don't shoot the messenger Cooked bread once in my whole life...

[seyorni]

Some tips, as a fellow bread machinist:
There's yeast and there's 'rapid rise' yeast. The rapid rise can be simply dumped into your flour mix but you'll get more bang from the regular yeast if you add the sweetener and yeast to the (warmed) water and give it a while to wake up and get fizzing (foaming) before mixing it in.
Heavy, low rise loaves are typical of bread machines, especially with whole-grain breads. One really simple trick is to add a teaspoon or two -- or three -- of wheat gluten to the mix.

[jaywhat]

Got a new bread machine (with a paddle that drops after the stirring - but that is neither here nor there) - anyway, have just made a CAKE. It has taken me over 72 years to attempt to bake a cake, but having a new machine, I read the booklet and thought 'that Madeira cake sounds nice'. In an hour or so, I shall know.
But it took work and stress to get all the ingedients and put them together and then get them safely into the machine and then wondering 'what is the point of using a bread machine'. I mixed the ingredients (sort of) - why not just stick it all in the oven? Answers on a postcard.

[Val]

no longer having enough strength in my wrists to mix a cake is the reason I use a mixer or bread maker

[jaywhat]

Yes Val, I got arm ache just pre-mixing the stuff. Anyway I ended up with a lovely (if solid) Madeira cake, which we are scoffing.

[CurtisB]

Didn't have time to read all replies in detail... I was skimming...

I haven't used a bread machine, but I've had batches of bread that flopped and other batches that were perfect. So, here are some general pointers:

1) 'proof' your yeast. this allows it to begin growing... if the yeast you add is given a chance to double a few times before it goes into the oven you get (in my opinion) a better tasting bread, and a better rise (softer, lighter bread). To proof it, add it to warm water with some sugar and a bit of salt too (preferably in the ration of about 0.9g/100mL salt to water) and even add in some flour to make a slurry. The yeast feeds on the sugar, but also on the flour.

2) kneed the heck out of it - since you are using a machine I guess this is done for you

3) allow it to rise, then re-kneed it, then plop it into your pan (if that's how you do your bread) or onto some cooking parchment and allow it to rise again (don't let it dry though... cover with damp cloth or somesuch. It will rise best where it's warm, i.e. above your fridge. Don't rush this - if it doesn't rise enough before baking it can never get too light and soft.

4) good luck - bread can be picky

[Marian]

I can attest to the results of CurtisB's bread making ability and my favourite test is the one involving home-made pizza

[getreal]

anyone got a good, foolproof recipie for soda bread? No matter what recipie I follow it always turns out heavy and tasteless.
When I was a teenager, we used to spend Saturday night (well into the wee hours of Sunday, too) at a friend who's mum was Irish. After listening to hours of Pink Floyd, John Cooper-Clark (is he still about?) and Stanley Clark in his cramped, smoke filled bedroom, our friend would disappear down to the kitchen and come back with a tray laden with tea, freshly made soda bread, home made jam and butter. Yum! I'm salivating at the thought of it. We'd open the windows (the fug of exotic smoke mixed with joss sticks was a bit sickly) and tuck into the feast.

We'd then settle down to listen to a Monty Python LP. Again!


Ah! Them was the days!!

[Alan C.]

getreal
anyone got a good, foolproof recipie for soda bread?

From my bread "bible" Try this,

8 oz plain flour
8 oz wholemeal flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 oz unsalted butter
1/2 pint of buttermilk

Sift the flours, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.
rub in the butter till evenly dispersed.

Make a well in the center and pour in the buttemilk, stir with a wooden spoon to make a soft crumbly dough.

Turn out and knead very lightly (3 mins)

Shape into a flattened round, about 6'' across and 2'' thick, slash an X shape in the the top and bake at gas mak 6 for around 35 minutes.
Put on a wire rack and cover with a T-towel (so it cools slowly and doesn't go hard)

Enjoy,

[seyorni]

If I'm using anything but 100% white flour I usually add a teaspoon or two of gluten to the mix, as an insurance policy.

[getreal]

Thanks. I shall try that this evening and report back!

[getreal]

Clearly, I suck at bread making. Followed the recipie faithfully (well, sot of. I used all white flour, but surely that can't be the reason) but ended up with a tough crust, heavy textured, sour tasting doughy "bread".

WTF am I doing wrong?

[CurtisB]

Isn't the bread supposed to be allowed to rise after kneeding?

[getreal]

not soda bread. It's not yeast based. And not really bread at all! More a kind of giant scone!!

[CurtisB]

not soda bread.

doh...

I failed my functional literacy course, obviously... But I do know my biology and chemistry: yeast needs time to proof and rise, soda and salt simply needs heat. Got it!