Author Topic: Why I don't make bread. (Read 8985 times)

tim · « **on:** April 21, 2005, 17:14:14 »

Or not as often as I should. The damned stuff has half gone before you put the pans away!!

Marianne · « **Reply #1 on:** April 21, 2005, 19:14:59 »

Looks delicious Tim !! Is this your own home made bread !
:D

tim · « **Reply #2 on:** April 21, 2005, 20:23:59 »

Organic wholemeal to boot!

Normally I do only one loaf, if we get short, but it's gone 30 mins later with nothing to show for it. So this time I thought I'd get ahead of myself.

Bless the AGA!

NattyEm · « **Reply #3 on:** April 21, 2005, 22:02:49 »

you and your AGA making us all jealous!

I try and make two, i do one in the machine as dough take it out for rolls then put another one in as a loaf. Put the rolls in the freezer before anyone munches them, and use the loaf for that day/next day/next half hour!

gavin · « **Reply #4 on:** April 21, 2005, 22:15:51 »

Yup - know the feeling! Couple of weekends ago, thought I'd pull a fast one on the kids, and not set the bread maker going until 10.00pm. I stayed up until 1.30am, to get the bread out - so it'd be nice and crisp for breakfast.

B....r me if two of them didn't get up at 2.00 am and pig out on it! Anybody'd think they were starved!

"Aw Dad, the smell woke us up and made us hungry."

AND the little sods know which recipes they like best,which flour mixtures work for them ------ I've got my bread-making timetable worked out for weeks ahead :(

All best - Gavin

PS I am a grumpy old sod - I'd really worry if they were waking up at that time in the morning and doing midnight raids on chocolate and the like.

PPS When it's so simple, why can't they do it themselves?

Marianne · « **Reply #5 on:** April 22, 2005, 20:48:53 »

Wow Tim that is clever ! I would not know where to start to make bread .. ??? :o

tim · « **Reply #6 on:** April 22, 2005, 20:55:57 »

Gavin - thanks for your support!

Marianne - if you haven't done it, the feel of pulling dough is a must - & such wonderful exercise?

Nothing clever - just read the blurb! And be PATIENT!

Marianne · « **Reply #7 on:** April 22, 2005, 21:37:44 »

Hi Tim,

The Blurb ;D ;) You mean the recipe ??? ;D

Will have a look, Thanks.

gavin · « **Reply #8 on:** April 22, 2005, 22:33:30 »

Psssst - Marianne! Don' t tell Tim (I'm jealous of his Aga :) ), whatever else you do, but there's an even easier way. Get a bread maker, chuck the stuff in, push a button ----- and it's all done for you.

Hey, but it is so satisfying to get stuck in and do it the way it's meant to be - kneading dough by hand is a wonderfully therapeutic exercise. And the smells!

And the taste - hoi, where's that loaf gone :o -- go on have a go! Try a few times, until you get a feel for it - I remember my first loaves were like firebricks.

All best - Gavin

And let us know how you get on?

Marianne · « **Reply #9 on:** April 22, 2005, 22:38:06 »

Hi Kevin,

Well I will have a go at making bread. I agree it must be so satisfying to know you can eat something you have made with your own hands and sweat ! ;D

Will have the camera handy when the bricks come out of the oven ;D

P.S. I do not own an AGA.

slugcatcher · « **Reply #10 on:** April 23, 2005, 07:25:07 »

You have all just got me going back in time.

I was a baker for quite a few years and the smell of the yeast and the dough and then finally the bread. As it has been mentioned these smells are really nice.

Its nice to nw that you are making time to bake bread as making bread is time consuming (done the proper way, not in a bread maker).

It is also a shame that the small bakeries have been forced out by the instore bakeries, because the different shops all had their different ways and recipes.

Nice post Tim, thanks ;D

Ron

tim · « **Reply #11 on:** April 23, 2005, 08:26:52 »

I know that machines are a boon to some but:
1. We have nowhere to keep one - except in the barn.
2. They save labour but, I believe, only do a small loaf at a time?
3. By hand, 5x1lb loaves (or equivalent) at a cost of 5 mins exercise.
4. Machine mixes contain 'improvers' or preservatives? Maybe not harmful, but I prefer not.
5. Machines can't do rolls, cottage loaves, pittas, baguettes etc?

Great for many, but not this boy!

Charlotte Sometimes · « **Reply #12 on:** April 23, 2005, 15:07:07 »

Tim

I agree with you on the subject of kitchen machinery! The other thing with bread makers, food mixers and the like is that you have to wash the buggers up later. To me, that's always a worse chore than washing the one bowl. And the infernal racket!

I don't eat gluten, so don't make "ordinary" bread, but now and then I use a gluten-free packet mix from Sainso's and add herbs, chopped nuts, seeds, sun-dried toms etc. That's very tasty... fresh out of the oven with plenty of butter. ;D

I also love pancakes, and its the same there. Can never be bothered to get the mixer out, always make the batter by hand (with gluten-free flour of course).

Your loaves, incidentally, look scrummy and I'm sure I would find it torture to smell them baking - I do so miss normal bread (and pizza bases, cakes and biccies!). BUT, the GF diet helps a lot with my skin (psoriasis), so my main sources of carbs are rice, spuds, beans and pulses. I like these foods too, so its no great hardship. :)

Tulipa · « **Reply #13 on:** April 23, 2005, 15:19:40 »

Charlotte, my son has a friend who is on a wheat free diet and I make bread for him in my breadmaker. It is so easy, I only have to wash the pan and that hardly at all as the bread leaves it clean. It is quiet too, nothing like a food processor which I imagine you are thinking of so don't rule out a breadmaker completely, find a friend with one and ask them to make you some bread to try. The smell is so wonderful when it is cooking, or to wake up to in the morning if you have a timer on it which most of them do.

Doris_Pinks · « **Reply #14 on:** April 23, 2005, 15:44:09 »

I am a bread maker convert! Have had mine about a month now, it is quiet and you can make your loaves medium, large or XL! I make my dough for the rolls, baguettes etc. in it, then just shape as per usual and leave for the final rise and bake. I don't use packet mix , but use organic flour, yeast , etc. as per a handmade loaf!
I think the washing up is actually easier as the non-stick coating of the pan makes it easier to clean than a bowl.
I agree with the storage of the darn thing, but with me using it almost daily, (children have packed lunch) it unfortunately sits out on the worktop. (I say unfortunately cos I hate cluttered worksurfaces in the kitchen, and I have very little counterspace anyhow!)
But I am a definate convert, last loaf I made was sundried tomato and basil and it was fabulous, tomorrow we are have 14 friends over for a barbeque, and I will make french loaves in the morning, well the machine will! ;D ;D

Charlotte Sometimes · « **Reply #15 on:** April 23, 2005, 15:53:30 »

Tulippa

OK, you've almost got me convinced. Shop-bought GF bread is also hugely expensive, so buying a bread-maker would seem to make economic sense at the very least. I'm also sure I could make a better GF loaf than some of the shop-bought ones I've tried!!! :P

I like the idea of finding a friend to bake for me! That would be very good. ;D Unfortunately, I don't know anyone who bakes, apart from my future MIL who lives a long way away. :( Normally its a good thing when your MIL lives far away I suppose ;) but actually she's an excellent cook and whenever they visit I get some gluten-free treat (cheese straws, fruit cake, the list goes on), so I wish she lived nearer!

Doris, just read your post. I don't think that GF bread rises well-enough to make big loaves. Could be wrong though. It has been known. Those aubergine seed you sent me have all germinated by the way and are doing well :). By coincidence MIL & co had half of them and theirs have all germinated too (I heard today). So thanks once again!

Debs · « **Reply #16 on:** April 23, 2005, 20:17:32 »

Know the feeling Tim ;D

Except for me, it's when I've made a Tunisian orange & almond drizzle cake (Sophie Grigson)

Mother, Sister, kids and me devoured 3/4 before the cake had been out of the oven for an hour!!

Debs

NattyEm · « **Reply #17 on:** April 24, 2005, 20:35:10 »

I've made loaves in my machine with spelt and chickpea flour which I wouldn't have had the time to do by hand, especially spelt since it really does need two if not three provings.

Tim:
1. We have nowhere to keep one - except in the barn.

Mine is used a few times a week, so it lives tucked away but on the worktop.
2. They save labour but, I believe, only do a small loaf at a time?
Yes only a small loaf, but enough for a meal or two so since its so easy just have fresh bread every day!
3. By hand, 5x1lb loaves (or equivalent) at a cost of 5 mins exercise.
Its not just the exercise, it's the time being around at certain times for the correct proving and knocking back.
4. Machine mixes contain 'improvers' or preservatives? Maybe not harmful, but I prefer not.
I don't use machine mixes. Never have. Same improvers and preservatives you get in shop bought bread - so kind of defeats the object doesn't it! I use all sorts of flour, mostly organic.
5. Machines can't do rolls, cottage loaves, pittas, baguettes etc?
They do the dough though, then its easy to take the dough and make your rolls or whatever.

My machine is a bit on the small side though, it would be handy to do enough rools so I can stick them all in the freezer without having to run the machine twice. But then, I wouldn't have enough room for them to all sit and prove anyway :)

gavin · « **Reply #18 on:** April 24, 2005, 23:08:03 »

Agreed - better (much) to make bread the real way, with real yeast. Possibly tastes better cos I enjoyed making it so much more ???

But I'm with nattyem - the only "improved" product that goes into my breadmaker is the dried yeast; otherwise, it's the organic flours etc I'd use for handmaking.

No dried milk - I think it's in all the recipes only to improve keeping (well, that's a complete waste :) :) :) !)

It IS very handy not to be tied to the bread-making for three hours, if you've got 3-4 kids around!

And so handy for making the dough for all sorts of breads, rolls, whatever. Pitta bread'll never be the same after fresh made.

Problem - it only makes one loaf at a time, but it is a good big one!

All best - Gavin

PS Washing up? Ummm - what's that?

A quick wipe of the pan is all it ever gets - no scraping dried dough off the table, sweeping "misplaced" flour off the floor, preparing/cleaning baking tins, washing up bowls/weighing pans/utensils. OK, I'm mucky when I hand-make bread - but it's only getting into the spirit of things.

westsussexlottie · « **Reply #19 on:** April 25, 2005, 11:53:40 »

You can make the dough for rolls etc. in the breadmaker - I do it frequently and adding stuff like Sun dried toms, thyme,etc...
Also make pizza base dough in mine.

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Author Topic: Why I don't make bread. (Read 8985 times)