Bread

[Steve Maskery]

Well I figured that if I do post my soda bread recipe as Bob requested, then there could well be a rush of replies, all noting to do with BBQ sauce, so I thought I'd start a separate thread.

I've been making bread for nearly 40 years. For many years I did it all by hand, but eventually bought a bread-maker. TBH it did a better job, because it kneaded the dough for longer.
Anyway after about 10 years the machine went pop and I bought a direct replacement. It is branded Anthony Worral-Thompson. Whatever happened to him, eh? *****.

Although it's essentially the same machine, made by the same company (Breville) the programmes are not the same, and I've never been able to get the same results, so I use it to make the dough first and then set to bake separately. I usually use:

300g water
170g granary flour
170g strong wholemeal
140g strong white
Good big knob of Stork margarine. I used to use butter, but marg does a better job.
A small palm of salt. No idea how much that is, but it works.
A small palm of sugar. Ditto.Probably a couple of teaspoons, I guess. Next time I bake I'll try to measure it and edit this post.
1 ball of frozen yeast

NB. The specific flour you use will determine the amount of water you need. Ignore the recipe on the machine, you have to get to know your flours. If it it comes out cratered, which is a common problem, use less water, or more flour, or stronger flour, or a bit of all three.

This is the result:

 

[Steve Maskery]

However, Rob was asking about soda bread. Soda bread is traditionally made with buttermilk and it is best if you can get it. But I didn't so I mixed 200mls semi-skimmed milk with 1 tsp lemon juice and left it to stand for 10 minutes. It's a decent substitute, but it's not the same. It needs to be acidic, as it is the acid which combines with the baking soda to create the CO2, this bread does not use yeast at all.

So make you "buttermilk" first, heat your over to 200C fan, put a piece of non-stick baking parchment on to a baking sheet, and then into a bowl put:

125g plain white flour
125g wholemeal flour
1 level tsp salt
1 round tsp baking soda.

NB Baking powder and baking soda are not the same thing.

Add the buttermilk and mix quickly. Do not knead it like normal bread, we want this to be crumbly, not a stretchy dough. As soon as the dough is brought together, form it into a ball and make 4 cuts, almost to the centre. Put it on the baking parchment on a baking sheet and bake for 25-30 mins. Cool on a wire rack.

I really like the flavour of this. This is not the best one I've ever made, TBH, it is a bit firmer and not as crumbly as I would like, I do know why. I didn't have any ordinary wholemeal flour, just strong wholemeal flour, and so the dough is that bit heavier and robust than it should be. The flavour is excellent, though.

Remember that, because this doesn't have any fat in it, it's going to go stale faster than normal bread does, so eat it while it is fresh.

 

[mseries]

I should get Mrs MSeries to cross post with her bread recipes, we've not bought bread for a very long time. We made our own sourdough starter too, no bread making machine here.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

My bread machine exploded recently too. For some reason I thought you'd be doing it the old fashioned way! Hey ho......... bread looks good enough to eat

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

I should get Mrs MSeries to cross post with her bread recipes, we've not bought bread for a very long time. We made our own sourdough starter too, no bread making machine here.

That's what my brother does...the starter...has it sitting around all the time and just adds to it. I confess to not having gone to that much trouble myself, have just relied on the machine which is a huge step up from shop bought as Steve says. I'll pass Steve's recipe on to my brother.

 

[Steve Maskery]

The soda bread was done entirely by hand, not least because kneading it spoils it.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Thanks Steve, I'll pass on to my brother, he's a big fan of soda bread

 

[Phil Pascoe]

A little advice for anyone baking bread - pay your money and buy decent quality flour. it's so much nicer. I buy 16kg stoneground wholemeal from Bacheldre Watermill in Wales on Amazon. Lovely stuff, but it needs cutting with a bit of white or it's too coarse. Their mixed seed is very nice if you like fennel.

 

[Steve Maskery]

I agree, that's very good advice. It is not a case of flour is flour is flour.
I buy mine from Cauldwell's Mill in Rowsley.

 

[whiskywill]

I made a loaf with this yesterday. http://www.fwpmatthews.co.uk/products-p ... unchlight/

Very tasty indeed.

 

[Glynne]

+1 for a good quality flour.
I use Bradshaw's (East Yorkshire Mill) which I get from Hindley's bakery in Lichfield - this is the flour they use for all of their bread. You can get white, wholemeal, malted and spelt (if that's your thing).
You can also get fresh yeast which will last up to a month in the fridge.
For any aspiring bread makers, they also run courses and Gordon Hindley is a real enthusiast and always happy to answer queries and talk bread!

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I must admit one of the reasons I use Bacheldre is because on Amazon I don't get caned for the delivery. Some of the others are a little cheaper, but you get caught for delivery.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

so if I were to replace my broken machine (which was a Panasonic)....any recommendations?

 

[Steve Maskery]

Well Panasonic enjoy a very good reputation, so if you were happy with it, why not buy another? Nothing lasts for ever.

My AWT one is made by Breville. I assumed they have now found another celebrity to endorse their range...

As I say, I've not actually found a way to use the automatic program on it, but I'm happy enough using it semi automatically: make the dough, check on it regularly until it has risen to the point I want, then use the Bake function. It would be nice to set and forget it, but my recipe seems to not want to play ball in that regard. But I think it's a good compromise, because I can alter things according to what flour I have at any one time, without jeopardising the result.

 

[Steve Maskery]

One thing you might want to consider is what shape of loaf you want. Mine produces a traditional rectangular loaf, roughly as high as it is wide, and longer than both. Some machines have a pan which is roughly square and produces a tall loaf with a small footprint. It's a bit strange to look at, but it does mean that you can easily bake a half-sized loaf without it becoming so shallow that it doesn't work.

 

[DrPhill]

Although it's essentially the same machine, made by the same company (Breville) the programmes are not the same, and I've never been able to get the same results, so I use it to make the dough first and then set to bake separately.

I have a breadmaker by 'Andrew James' (whoever he is). Supposed to be good but I have the same problem. The timings are all wrong - and maybe they vary from loaf to loaf. As a dough-kneader it is great though. I make a loaf every week for sarnies. I probably over-knead the bread by running it twice or thrice through the dough-makiing cycle, but I can cut very thin slices for my sarnies which suits me fine. I take the dough out to bake in the oven (I have some excellent polished stainless loaf tins) which has the advantage of no holes in the bottom of the loaf (play havoc with sarnie making).

I used to make dough by hand, but got lazy......

Oddly enough I have had three bread makers, each more expensive than the last. The one I was most satisfied with was the first/cheapest. Shame that I have forgotten what it was.

I use Doves Farm flour, half 'white' half wholemeal. Real butter (soften in microwave), milk not water....

What is going on? I came to this forum for MAN stuff.......

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I used to have a breadmaker, but I found it better to tip the dough out after proving and bake in the oven. When it went wrong, I thought hell to it, just do it by hand with the aid of a small hand mixer with dough hooks. When that went wrong, swmbo bought me a mixer for Xmas. I do a very nice line in saffron cake, as well. I trade with my auntie - she brings me saffron from Spain and I give her saffron cakes.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Although it's essentially the same machine, made by the same company (Breville) the programmes are not the same, and I've never been able to get the same results, so I use it to make the dough first and then set to bake separately.

I have a breadmaker by 'Andrew James' (whoever he is). Supposed to be good but I have the same problem. The timings are all wrong - and maybe they vary from loaf to loaf. As a dough-kneader it is great though. I make a loaf every week for sarnies. I probably over-knead the bread by running it twice or thrice through the dough-makiing cycle, but I can cut very thin slices for my sarnies which suits me fine. I take the dough out to bake in the oven (I have some excellent polished stainless loaf tins) which has the advantage of no holes in the bottom of the loaf (play havoc with sarnie making).

I used to make dough by hand, but got lazy......

Oddly enough I have had three bread makers, each more expensive than the last. The one I was most satisfied with was the first/cheapest. Shame that I have forgotten what it was.

I use Doves Farm flour, half 'white' half wholemeal. Real butter (soften in microwave), milk not water....

What is going on? I came to this forum for MAN stuff.......

Don't be such a big girls blouse...after the "baking" thread we'll be introducing "knitting for alpha's with tennis elbow" followed by a "crochet for power lifting induced hernia sufferers"

 

[Steve Maskery]

Well I've got Tennis Elbox x 2 so count me in.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

yup...I've just the one.....not pleasant.