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Farm Kitchen:  can we talk about bread baking?  |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 31 2005 : 09:02:59 AM
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Always remember while you are learning that the worst homemade bread is still better than the best storebought bread!!
Jenny in Utah
The best things in life arn't things |
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greyghost
True Blue Farmgirl
650 Posts
Lynn
Summerville
Georgia
USA
650 Posts |
Posted - Aug 31 2005 : 10:29:28 AM
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Aunt Jenny - that isn't always true.
My mother tells me when she was learning to make bread not long after she and my dad got married the bread came out so hard my dad and his friend used it as a football in the backyard.
She was not happy. |
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Eileen
True Blue Farmgirl
1199 Posts
Eileen
USA
1199 Posts |
Posted - Aug 31 2005 : 10:55:22 AM
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Lynn I had to laugh! I have had bread turn out that way one time too. Took the dog a long time to eat it up. Tough dry , hard and did not rise. Would have thought I had forgotten the yeast but it rose the first rising and the second rising too but fell in the oven. It was my first attempt at making bread with freshly milled hand ground whole spelt flour. I have since learned a lot of tricks like the ones Aunt Jenny shared. With Spelt it needs less liquid in the mix and also a couple of tablespoons of tapioca flour works wonders.
Aunt Jenny, I still use a hand mill for my grain and it is a slow process. My daughter got a better mill and hers grinds twice as fast as mine. I am envious. Still do not want to go the way of the electric mill but have often thought that there must be a way to hook it up to my stationary bike and gear it up. Get my knees exercised while grinding my wheat.
Eileen
songbird; singing joy to the earth |
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greyghost
True Blue Farmgirl
650 Posts
Lynn
Summerville
Georgia
USA
650 Posts |
Posted - Oct 12 2005 : 10:07:42 AM
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Hey Girls!
I'm copying down your bread recipes today to try out. I made my basic white bread last night, accidentally had the water too hot so I killed half the yeast (oops) but it still rose and turned out all right, just not as fluffy as I normally have it!
Here's my recipe for basic white bread:
6-7 cups white, unbleached flour
3tbsp sugar
1tbsp salt
4 1/2 tsp yeast
2 tbsp butter (optional, but I like it)
2 1/4 cups very warm water
Mix 3c flour, sugar, salt, butter and yeast in large bowl. Add 2 1/4 cups very warm water, blend together (I do not use a mixer, I just use a fork). add flour by the cup until dough is enough to handle. Place dough on lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes (adding flour) until it is smooth and slightly springy. Place in a large greased bowl (I use either olive oil or even butter) and let rise, covered, one hour. Cut dough in half, work each half on floured surface until shaped wide as your bread pans are long (or a little longer) roll dough, tuck ends under, and place in greased breadpans (2), cover and let rise for 30-40 minutes. Bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes. Upon removal, brush loaves lightly with butter or olive oil. |
Edited by - greyghost on Oct 12 2005 10:08:46 AM |
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sqrl
True Blue Farmgirl
605 Posts
Melissa
Northern California
USA
605 Posts |
Posted - Oct 12 2005 : 12:59:15 PM
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I'm still having some troubles with my bread. I feel like I have a good understanding of yeast and how to take care of it. I takw pretty good care of the dough, letting it raise and kneeding if enough like somewhere around 10 minutes before letting it raise. And it doubles in volume, it does get a good raise before putting it in the oven. But I still get a dense bread. Now I'm working in almost all whole wheat flour, so I thought may be that was the problem so I cut it in half and it was definitley lighter but still pretty dense. I went from a recipe that did turn out pretty good but it had oil and eggs in it. The eggs are no big problem but for me, I try not heat oil ( it's not very good from ya, it oxidizes quickly after heating it) Anyway my point is that I have had some pretty good bread thats just flour, yeast, water and may be some honey. I was thinking may be I could try making bread with just white flour and going from there, may be it's all the wheat flour making it dense. I bread I make is OK but not what I want. I keep trying every weekend eventually I'll get to the bread I want.
Blessed Be
www.sqrlbee.com www.sisterhood.sqrlbee.com
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junebug
True Blue Farmgirl
2421 Posts
Sue
West Plains,
Mo.
USA
2421 Posts |
Posted - Oct 12 2005 : 4:13:23 PM
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Melissa, what's your alitude there in Arcata? Sometimes it does make a differnce in rising and baking in general?
I'm not 40 something, I'm 39.95 plus shipping and handling! |
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KJD
True Blue Farmgirl
402 Posts
402 Posts |
Posted - Oct 12 2005 : 5:12:07 PM
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| I made Brioche yesterday from a La Madeleine Christmas book. So delicious, for breakfast with butter and tonight with roast chicken and vegetables. I love freshly baked bread! |
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mountainmama
Farmgirl in Training
15 Posts
Lissa
Georgia
USA
15 Posts |
Posted - Oct 12 2005 : 8:15:27 PM
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| OK, girlie! I want that recipe! I forgot to tell you today that I'm cooking breakfast for the Yanceys, who are coming in on the early train from Nevada. I'm making breakfast burritos because it's fast and easy, but how yummy a breakfast bread would be! I should be in bed asleep now....instead of in bed surfing and chatting!~ |
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sqrl
True Blue Farmgirl
605 Posts
Melissa
Northern California
USA
605 Posts |
Posted - Oct 13 2005 : 08:32:57 AM
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Sue I'm at sea level, I'm only about 1 1/2 miles from the beach. I feel like I should take some kind bread workshop or something. Hang out with some people who know how to bake the bread that I'm striving for, watch what their doing.
Blessed Be
www.sqrlbee.com www.sisterhood.sqrlbee.com
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junebug
True Blue Farmgirl
2421 Posts
Sue
West Plains,
Mo.
USA
2421 Posts |
Posted - Oct 13 2005 : 1:16:57 PM
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Melissa, I'm sure it's something simple, maybe being at sea level has something to do with it? The sea air?? LOL Keep trying and maybe someone here has a idea? And hey, as long as the bread your making is edible it's not a total loss?? LOL Cheers!
I'm not 40 something, I'm 39.95 plus shipping and handling! |
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Tatiana
True Blue Farmgirl
98 Posts
Tania
Boise
ID
USA
98 Posts |
Posted - Oct 13 2005 : 4:42:41 PM
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Hi farmgirls:
I went to a master bread baking class a few years ago. Here are a few tricks. First of all make sure you watch that last cup of flour especially with whole wheat bread. If you add to much you will have your own shot put. Whole wheat bread should be slightly sticky so don't be tempted to add to much. Also make sure you rise it long enough.
If you through a few ice cubes in the oven when you go to bake the bread and will help to keep it moist so that it can still expand in the first few minutes of baking.
Salt retards yeast growth as well as acid (greek olives) so add it last so the yeast gets going. Add the salt with the dry ingredients.
While you are raising bread you can occaisionally mist it with water to keep them moist. I found if I want bread in a hurry, I can leave it in the car sitting in the sunshine. Just make sure to watch it carefully or you will have a Lucy situation!
I found a new type of wheat that you might want to look for at health food store or where ever you buy your wheat it is called Hard Montana White Wheat. The white wheat had a much more mild flavor than the usual hard wheat. It makes really yummy bread that the kids can hardly tell is whole wheat. It smells awesome while you are grinding it too. Unfortunately it is more expensive but well worth it!!
Tania in Boise
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junebug
True Blue Farmgirl
2421 Posts
Sue
West Plains,
Mo.
USA
2421 Posts |
Posted - Oct 14 2005 : 1:41:27 PM
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Thanks Tania, maybe this will help Melissa out some? Hey Sqrl, let us know if the tips above make a difference, good luck!
I'm not 40 something, I'm 39.95 plus shipping and handling! |
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Farm Kitchen: can we talk about bread baking? |
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can we talk about bread baking?
