Bread. Do you make your own (any kind)

Herbie

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Bread is, I think, one of the most convenient, ready made foods. Do you make your own? Never? Occasionally? Only bread you eat?
 
Used to have a bread maker, wife said it was too much fat. So we stopped. I've since tried about 4 times to make by hand , absolute failures, so I've not tried since 6 months ago?
I spotted the yeast in the pantry and gave it a thought.

Russ
 
Quite often I make bread - but these days with just two of us I've started making smaller loaves as otherwise it goes stale and mouldy after a while. In fact, I just made some bread for the Recipe Challenge; Miso bread!

Used to have a bread maker, wife said it was too much fat. So we stopped. I've since tried about 4 times to make by hand , absolute failures, so I've not tried since 6 months ago?

You don't need fat in a bread maker. In fact, you don't need fat in bread at all. You could try using the bread-maker again and leaving out the fat. There's no reason why it wouldn't work.
 
I'm fairly sure I tried once, when I was much younger, though in those days, what emerged, I swear you could tap the centre of the Earth and it would crack down the middle...
 
Bravo for posting this thread @Herbie! I know you have to cook gluten free due to your partner's gluten intolerance and I also know how very difficult it is to make gluten free bread. I've attempted it several times (not because I need to but out of curiosity). I had very bad results!
 
I'm fairly sure I tried once, when I was much younger, though in those days, what emerged, I swear you could tap the centre of the Earth and it would crack down the middle...

It might be worth trying again. Bread is much more forgiving (and I think easier) than cake. You can open the oven door, take it out and check it and then put it back - which you can't do with cake!
 
Bravo for posting this thread @Herbie! I know you have to cook gluten free due to your partner's gluten intolerance and I also know how very difficult it is to make gluten free bread. I've attempted it several times (not because I need to but out of curiosity). I had very bad results!
I used to make bread (before we discovered gluten was a cause of some of his health problems). I hand made but then got a cheap, basic bread maker as I did not have much time during the week.

My gluten free bread making has been patchy - flatbreads are good, for example; but I've failed to make a decent loaf apart from a chickpea flour based loaf *I must type that up.

When husband gets a job I'm going to first buy a new oven (well a full new cooker) then I can experiment with bread making again.
 
Quite often I make bread - but these days with just two of us I've started making smaller loaves as otherwise it goes stale and mouldy after a while. In fact, I just made some bread for the Recipe Challenge; Miso bread!



You don't need fat in a bread maker. In fact, you don't need fat in bread at all. You could try using the bread-maker again and leaving out the fat. There's no reason why it wouldn't work.

It was the butter that bothered her.

Russ
 
I cheat - using a packet mix (Tesco wholemeal), adding almond milk instead of water, a pat of butter, drizzle of olive oil, teaspoon of salt and a good handful of pumpkin seeds. The dough is made in a machine, knocked back and left to rise, oven baked for 30 mins. Makes a good loaf that keeps us in breakfast toast and packed lunches for 3-4 days, probably costs no more than £1.20.
 
I make bread about once a week - usually 50% wholemeal flour and 50% white. I find that using the right flour makes a huge difference to the reliability so I only use Waitrose's very strong Canadian flour.

I use the autolyse method....its very easy and there's minimal work needed: mix the yeast, water and 2/3 of the flour until it is just combined then cover and leave to rest for upto 3 hours. Then add in the rest of the flour, salt, oil (if using) and a pinch of diastatic malt (not essential, but does help with the second rise), then knead. When the dough is ready remove it from the mixer, shape and allow to rise for 30 mins to an hour before baking.
 
diastatic malt (not essential, but does help with the second rise)

I'd not heard about this - do you buy it on-line?

I don't use a mixer (don't have one) but I like doing it by hand. I've been using a wet dough technique which is a bit tricky but I find you only need one rise.
 
I make bread if it's something we can't get in the grocery or if the mood/craving for homemade strikes. I'll be making a copycat recipe of a chain restaurant's bread , The Outback, this week to eat with our salmon I cured. Making bread is certainly not something I do every week though.
 
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