The Bread Thread

[cloughie]

See p22 of this user manual - https://www.lakeland.co.uk/content/d...ions_15352.pdf

I use strong bread flour - and make the smallest of the loaves for recipes 1 or 2. I might try brown flour tonight, but apart from the flour the recipe and procedure is the same. Later on I may try the French or the Rustic French recipes, but it's possible the crusts will start to become inpenetrable!

I’ve successfully been using bread machine for around 13.5 yrs now and only occasionally buy bread nowadays. i’ve tried a variety of combinations - currently 400g loaf - 200g strong white, 100g rye, 100g wholemeal.

[Pulcinella]

I’ve successfully been using bread machine for around 13.5 yrs now and only occasionally buy bread nowadays. i’ve tried a variety of combinations - currently 400g loaf - 200g strong white, 100g rye, 100g wholemeal.

500g standard here at Casa Pulcinella: 350g wholemeal and 150g strong white.
Usually supermarket brand bread flour, but the last delivery included Allinson's VERY STRONG wholemeal, and it certainly is, so (after a first rather solid effort) the proportions are interchanged when using that flour.
I use sunflower oil (2 tbsp) instead of the 25g fat/margarine.
Occasionally I get adventurous and add a couple of teaspoons of caraway seeds, or even substitute some of the flour with oat bran.
Our local baker has a nice Country Crunch flour that was available during the first lockdown, and although they no longer stock it regularly (not enough sales) they said they were happy to deliver some on order when I next need some.
The thing that took the longest to get right was the amount of water to add: in general it's less than the recipe suggests, but different flours do seem to need different amounts.

[Dave2002]

I’ve successfully been using bread machine for around 13.5 yrs now and only occasionally buy bread nowadays. i’ve tried a variety of combinations - currently 400g loaf - 200g strong white, 100g rye, 100g wholemeal.

In the end I used a half and half mix of wholemeal and white bread flour last night - 200g of each. Program 5 in the book - 5 hours overnight. Now waiting to try it.

We had to buy an electric knife to cut through the bread we make more reliably, otherwise the "slices" are very erratic.

We've had several bread machines over the years. The latest one is the best, though the previous one is still being used not far from here. The blade in the last one got stuck in - "baked" in - and we couldn't get it out, but it still worked/works. Trying to avoid that happening with the newest one.

[LHC]

I’ve successfully been using bread machine for around 13.5 yrs now and only occasionally buy bread nowadays. i’ve tried a variety of combinations - currently 400g loaf - 200g strong white, 100g rye, 100g wholemeal.

We also have a bread machine, which we have been using for 10+ years (actually, we are on our third machine).

I previously used a mixture of supermarket strong white and wholemeal or brown flour. However, when this was unavailable during the first lockdown our local deli and wholefood store managed to get a pallet of various flours from a local miller, Marriage's Master Millers, which was much better than the supermarket own brand. I now use a mixture of their Strong White bread flour and their Golden Wholegrain (200g of each), which makes a really lovely loaf. Their flours are stocked by Ocado, so we now get it as part of our regular delivery. The full range of flours can be seen here:

https://flour.co.uk/our-range/home-baking

[Dave2002]

We seem to have diverted away from grumbles to recipes. Wrong thread?

Today's bread was good - which keeps up my small record - 100% success - but over a considerably larger sample "we" have had a few failures. Some were due to power failures, and occasionally missing or miscalculated or stale ingredients. One comment is that "sometimes the bread is different even though the ingredients and procedures are as close as reasonably possible to previous attempts".

[cloughie]

We also have a bread machine, which we have been using for 10+ years (actually, we are on our third machine).

I previously used a mixture of supermarket strong white and wholemeal or brown flour. However, when this was unavailable during the first lockdown our local deli and wholefood store managed to get a pallet of various flours from a local miller, Marriage's Master Millers, which was much better than the supermarket own brand. I now use a mixture of their Strong White bread flour and their Golden Wholegrain (200g of each), which makes a really lovely loaf. Their flours are stocked by Ocado, so we now get it as part of our regular delivery. The full range of flours can be seen here:

https://flour.co.uk/our-range/home-baking

I had a similar experience during lockdown and a local health food store delivered a selection of £27 of flour for me and a neighbour - yes the flour quality was excellent and yes, better than the supermarket. I’m on my 2nd bread machine (7+ years old now) and use it 2 or 3 times per week. As well as working out as a very economical way of making bread it has the advantage that I know what has gone into it eg amount of salt!

Looking like this is far from a grumble topic - we need a Bread Thread! - Dough! K

[Serial_Apologist]

Many of you people seem to be very well-bread!

[Dave2002]

Many of you people seem to be very well-bread!

Do we knead to rise to that?

[cloughie]

Do we knead to rise to that?

No leave it to the machine!

[vinteuil]

Many of you people seem to be very well-bread!

... a roll-call of loafers if you ask me!

Mme v makes bread with no need for machinery - a soda bread incorporating many nuts and seeds. A little on the heavy side for use as 'bread', but makes the most excellent toast. For 'bread' bread, our local waitrose often has its sourdough at much reduced prices when approaching sell-by dates : we stock up, and deep-freeze them - they unfreeze easily, and are excellent when warmed through.

.

[eighthobstruction]

... a roll-call of loafers if you ask me!

Mme v makes bread with no need for machinery - a soda bread incorporating many nuts and seeds. A little on the heavy side for use as 'bread', but makes the most excellent toast. For 'bread' bread, our local waitrose often has its sourdough at much reduced prices when approaching sell-by dates : we stock up, and deep-freeze them - they unfreeze easily, and are excellent when warmed through.

.

....sounds like you still have all [most of]your own teeth....i'm jealous of your bread v.....

[Nick Armstrong]

The Bread Thread

As requested.

No bread eaten here so have fun, folks

[cloughie]

As requested.

No bread eaten here so have fun, folks

Hey man, thanks for the bread!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

What flour mix do you use?

Strong stoneground wholemeal - always.

I recommend the flour ground at the National Trust watermill at Dunster Castle, near Minehead. The addition of organic soya flour is a worthwhile option.

[french frank]

Strong stoneground wholemeal - always.

I recommend the flour ground at the National Trust watermill at Dunster Castle, near Minehead. The addition of organic soya flour is a worthwhile option.

I've been able to get Shipton Mill wholemeal locally but have found supplies of strong white bread flour more difficult. As it is I've been baking my … delicious … 100% wholemeal loaves and wondering now and again whether I might not prefer a couple of Ryvitas for a change

I see Shipton Mill can be ordered online**, as many different flours as you could wish. They say white flours will last, properly stored, for up to a year, wholemeal for 6 months.

**No personal interest to declare