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All this talk of butter has me craving freshly baked bread.
Does anyone here make their own bread?
I remember my Mum used to but she gave up because it got eaten too fast (as in the second it came out of the oven lol) so she started buying it instead. Then she got a breadmaker which made nice bread but not as yummy as the hand kneaded stuff.
We do, although we do use the bread maker. I do agree it taste better when pounded with love, but i love the convenience of the bread maker.
We used to do it because it tasted great, was cheaper and preservative free. Now we do it because the little-un can't have soy and it is really hard to find a bread without soy in it.
I make my own when I can, no breadmaker here (other than my hands). I love the smell of bread in the oven, I actually start to drool. My xh would stop working on the car to come inside when he smelt the bread come out of the oven.
Does anyone have a recipe?
I've got into the habit of making bread on a Sunday, slicing it ,freezing it and then eating it for breakfast during the week. Here's a recipe I use (from Alison Holst Bread Book). I adjusted the recipe so it makes 2 loaves (normal sized loaf pans).
I use a mix of wholemeal and white flour for a slightly "lighter" bread, but you can use all wholemeal or all white if you prefer! I end up adding quite a bit of extra flour when kneading the dough, so make sure you have plenty available.
Wholemeal Bread
2 1/4 cups warm water (body temperature)
3 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 Tbsp oil
4 1/2 tsp Surebake yeast (I'm sure plain yeast works too)
2 1/4 cups wholemeal flour
2 1/4 cups white flour
Extra flour for kneading
Measure the first four ingredients into a large bowl and stir to disolve. Sprinkle the yeast on top and leave it for a couple of minutes.
Add the wholemeal flour and mix thoroughly.
Cover and leave in a warm place for 15 minutes.
Stir in white flour, adding extra wholemeal, or white flour to make the dough firm enough to knead.
Knead for 10 minutes on a lightly floured board, adding flour as needed, until the dough springs back when pressed gently.
Turn the dough in 2tsp of oil in the cleaned, dry bowl, cover and leave in a wam place for 30-40 minutes.
Knead the dough lightly in the bowl, then divide in half and press into 2 greased loaf tins. Leave to rise for about an hour, or double in size.
Bake at 200 C for 30 minutes.
I have an awesome bread book by Sara Lewis called "Bread" all the recipes can be done in a bread maker or by hand.
Any specific recipes and I'll find em' for you :) I LOVE it, everything I've ever made is awesome...
Especially warm brioche, toasted with pate or even just good butter... YUM!
I use this recipe from the Taste website. It's sooooo easy.
I mix the ingredients and do the initial knead with my kenwood, and finish it off by hand. Love it!
Preparation Time
20 minutes
Cooking Time
30 minutes
Makes
12 thick slices
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Ingredients
* Melted butter, for greasing and brushing
* 500g (3 1/3 cups) plain flour
* 2 tsp (7g/1 sachet) dried yeast
* 1 tsp salt
* 375mls (1 1/2 cups) lukewarm water
* Extra water, for brushing
* 1 tsp poppy seeds, for sprinkling
Method
1. Brush a 10 x 20cm (base measurement) loaf pan with the melted butter to lightly grease. Measure all your ingredients. Yeast plays an important role in bread-making. It ferments and grows when combined with "food" such as flour and/or sugar, and warmed. Carbon dioxide is produced and trapped in the dough as tiny air bubbles which make the bread rise during cooking and give it its characteristic texture. These days, dried yeast is available in sealed sachets as instant granules that can be added to the dry ingredients without first combining it with a little of the water (and sometimes flour) to activate it. The sachets are best kept in a cool, dry place.
2. Salt is added to bread dough simply to add flavour.
3. Place the plain flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl and mix well to combine. Make a well in the centre and add the water to the dry ingredients. The water needs to be lukewarm to activate the yeast and encourage it to grow. If the water is too hot, it can kill the yeast. To test whether it is at the right temperature, sprinkle a little on the inside of your wrist - it shouldn't be too cold or too hot.
4. Use a wooden spoon to stir until combined and then use your hands to bring the dough together in the bowl.
5. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Kneading distributes the yeast evenly through the dough and develops and strengthens the gluten in the flour which will form the framework of the bread. The best way to knead is to use the heel of your hand to push the dough away from you and then lift it with your fingertips and fold it over itself towards you. Turn the dough a quarter turn and repeat. You can tell when the dough has been kneaded enough by pressing your finger into the surface of the dough - if it springs back, it has been kneaded sufficiently. If the dough hasn't been kneaded enough, the resulting bread will have a holey, crumbly texture and poor structure.
6. Shape the dough into a ball. Brush a large bowl with the melted butter to grease. Place the dough into the bowl and turn it over to lightly coat the dough surface with the butter. This will stop the surface of the dough drying out as it stands, which can affect the rising process. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and then place it in a warm, draught-free place to allow the dough to rise. A good place to stand it is on a wooden board on the door of the oven with the pilot light on, or in a sheltered, sunny spot. If the temperature is too high, it may kill the yeast, making the dough useless. The ideal temperature for rising bread dough is around 30?C.
7. Leave the dough in this spot until it is double its size. This process is known as "proving" and the time it takes will depend on where you stand the bowl and on the warmth of you kitchen. The slower the rising, the more even and close the bread texture will be. However, if the dough rises too slowly, or too rapidly, the final bread will have a less even texture and an unpleasant yeasty flavour. This quantity of bread dough should take between 45-75 minutes t double in size. When the dough is ready, it will retaining a finger imprint when lightly pressed. If left to rise for too long, the bread texture will be uneven and have large holes. If not left for long enough, it will have a heavy, dense texture.
8. Once the dough has doubled in size. Punch it down in the centre with your fist. This step, known as "punching" or "knocking" down the dough, release excess carbon dioxide produced by the yeast during rising so the final bread won't have a "yeasty" flavour.
9. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead again for 2-3 minutes or until smooth and elastic and returned to its original size.
10. Preheat oven to 200?C.
11. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions and shape each into a smooth round. If the dough is unevenly divided and/or shaped unevenly, the final bread will be irregular in appearance. Place the portions of dough side by side in the greased loaf pan. Brush lightly with the melted butter. Stand the pan in a warm, draught-free place, as before, for about 30 minutes or until the dough has risen about 1cm about the top of the pan.
12. Gently brush the loaf with a little water and then sprinkle with the poppy seeds. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until golden and cooked through. The best way to tell when the loaf of bread is cooked is to tap it on the base with your knuckle - if it sounds hollow, it is cooked.
13. Turn the loaf immediately onto a wire rack and allow to cool. If left in the pan, the loaf will sweat and the crust will become soft.
14. Once cool, store the loaf in a well-ventilated place at room temperature. This bread is best eaten on the day it is made. However, it makes great toast 1-2 days later. Make any stale leftovers into breadcrumbs and freeze in a sealed freezer bag to have on hand for later use.
Notes & tips
* Variations:
* Herb bread: add 3/4 cup mixed chopped fresh herbs (like parsley, chives and basil) to the dry ingredients before adding the water. Sprinkle with a little flour instead of the poppy seeds. Continue as for the basic recipe. Great served spread with cream cheese.
* Wholemeal bread: replace 300g (2 cups) plain flour with 320g (2 cups wholemeal plain flour and add 1 tbs brown sugar to the dry ingredients before adding the water. Sprinkle with a little flour instead of the poppy seeds. Continue as for the basic recipe.
* Whole meal raising & walnut bread: replace 300g (2 cups) plain flour with 320g (2 cups) wholemeal plain flour. Add 2 tbs brown sugar, 2 tbs ground cinnamon and 1 tsp mixed spice to the dry ingredients before adding the water. Knead 200g raising and 150g walnut halves into the dough after kneading if for the first time and just before proving. Leave out the poppy seeds. Continue as for the basic recipe. Great for toasting.