Making Bread

[Ellyn]

I'd like to start making bread again, but for two things:

- No more thermometer, and I plan to make the sort of bread that uses yeast and hot water to activate the yeast
- No proper oven, but I've used an Imarflex toaster oven before with the heat that goes up to 350 degrees (Celsius, I'm pretty sure...even though Fahrenheit is usually used for baking) and the bread I baked in it turned out okay. I really want to try making lye water bagels, though, and those are boiled instead of baked.

What sort of thermometer should I get? Would a candy thermometer be okay to use for yeast-activating bread water?

 

[Mr_Bun]

You shouldn't need a thermometer to make bread. I use dried baking yeast (from any supermarket), 1 sachet per kg (or part Kg) of flour. Mix the yeast in with the dry flour and salt, then pour on tepid water (I find that mixing 1 part boiling to 1 part cold gets the right temperature) plus oil if used. Knead well, leave to rise, form loaves, leave to prove (the usual routine), bake at 200C/390F for half an hour.

Your microwave, if it has a thermal-only mode, should be perfectly OK for this. You need to be certain whether it's C or F. 350C seems pretty hot for an oven - you could bake pizzas in that - but 350F is not hot enough (you need 390F).

Hope this helps.

 

[Sweetkymom]

Awesome recipe Mr. Bun. I may have to take you up on your recipe and make it myself. I'm very interested in making my own bread for the first time.

 

[Mr_Bun]

Awesome recipe Mr. Bun. I may have to take you up on your recipe and make it myself. I'm very interested in making my own bread for the first time.

You're welcome. As it happens Mrs B does most of the yeast baking - I'm more into soda bread. But here are the quantities for our standard wholemeal.
Makes 4 loaves.

• 2Kg wholemeal flour (we find Waitrose 'very strong' is good).
• 2 pints (1.14 L) warm water.
• 6 tbsp cooking oil.
• 2 sachets dried yeast
• 2 - 4 tsp salt (to taste).

We prefer to make cob loaves, baked on flat sheets. Four fit neatly into a conventional oven. Scale down for the microwave of course! Loaves you don't want to use straight away will keep well in the freezer.

Over the years, we've learnt that there's no mystique, no 'game of chance' about breadmaking. If you follow the recipes, it always comes out OK. And you have the satisfaction of knowing exactly what went into it!

 

[Verity Darkwaters]

I have never used a thermometer when I make bread. My recipe doesn't call for it and it uses the hot water and yeast. It actually is an easy recipe and makes 2 decent sized loaves. Here I'll share my recipe with you.

2 cups warm water
3 tablespoons molassess
1 envelope active dry yeast
3 cups all-purpose flour divided
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flower
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 tablespoons all purpose flour
vegetable cooking spray

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a 2-cup measuring glass, let yeast stand 5 minutes.
2 Combine 2 cups all purpose flour, wheat flour, salt in a bowl.
3. Beat yeast mixture, 1 cup all purpose flour, honey, and olive oil until well blended. Gradually add the whole flour mixture in until a soft dough forms.
4. Turn out dough onto well floured surface and knead for 9 minutes adding flour when it gets sticky. Place dough in large bowl sprayed with cooking spray turning to grease top dough.
5. Cover bowl of dough with plastic wrap (I use a towel) and let rice in warm place (I preheat the oven and leave it near there) and free from drafts for 1 hour until doubled in size.
6. Punch down dough, and divide in half. Roll each portion into 13x8 inch rectangle on lightly floured surface and roll up the dough into a jelly roll fashion (Before you roll if you had cinnamon, sugar, raisins , you have raisin bread!) and pinch the ends to seal. Put the loaves , seam side down into your bread pans that are sprayed with the cooking spray.
7. Cover with plastic wrap...or towel and leave in a warm place for 45 minutes until it is doubled. Removed towel or wrap.
8. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until the loaves sound hollow when tapped and golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes before you remove.

I know it is a lot to do, but it is amazing. Plus, I end up making about 14-16 loaves of bread before I'm out of ingredients.