Will it rise properly and has anyone tried it?
Would self raising be better than plain?
This is to save me going to the shops in the dangerous weather!
Whilst I am not able to give you the scientific details.
I can tell you that the best bread is made with the best flour for the purpose and you do need a good quality 'strong flour' for bread.
Yes I have tried to make it with ordinary plain flour and it was horrible.
It wont cost a fortune to try it for your self to find out but by all means do so.
Ordinary plain flour is better for short crust pastry and Yorkshire puddings.
I believe it is to do with the amount of gluten the flour contains, which enables you to knead to develop the appropriate bread texture. I guess it depends what you want to make. If you want make traditional breads then it won't work, but I make a 'beer bread'. It isn't really a bread as it has more of a cakey texture, but it is really nice. It is a mixture of beer, SF flour, bit of sugar and melted butter.
The raising agent in the SR flour and yeast fight with each other somehow . The two raising agents do not mix together.
You have to either make a soda bread with baking powder or SR flour
Or use a plain flour with yeast. Strong flour is best for bread making.
If you have a lot of plain flour to get rid of then just buy the strongest white you can find and add 20%.
If the plain is brown you will probably need at least twice as much.
With all reluctant raisers and low-gluten mixtures you must use the longest bake and at least a couple of extra hours on the timer.
The alternative to strong flour is to throw an egg in (whole or just the white).
It does make the bread a little more 'cake-like' but it is still definitely bread, not cake.
I have baked low-gluten and no-gluten grains this way for a friend (may need two eggs if they are small) and they taste good - apparently much better than the expensive low-gluten loaves made with gums - certainly more 'natural' - and nutritious!
Cheers.
good info, vinlander, thanx for that
Yes that soda bread idea is a good one - before we had a breadmaker I used to make plain scones when I wanted quick bread. I don't like it as much as yeast bread, but it is very very fast! No need to prove. So it's a couple of minutes to mix and about ten mins in the oven!
I'd forgotten about that, I might make them this week.
I make this all the time, add different types of cheese depending what's in the fridge and also I hate goats cheese. :) it's one of delia's and not good if you're trying lose weight.. ;)
Goats' Cheese, Onion and Potato Bread with Thyme
Ingredients
1 x 4 oz (110 g) round firm goats' cheese
4 spring onions, finely sliced
1 medium red potato weighing approximately 6 oz (175 g)
1 rounded teaspoon chopped thyme leaves, plus a few small sprigs
6 oz (175 g) self-raising flour, plus a little extra for the top of the loaf
1 level teaspoon salt
½ level teaspoon or generous pinch of cayenne pepper
1 large egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 heaped teaspoon grain mustard
Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 5, 375°F (190°C).
You will also need a small, solid baking sheet, very well greased.
Start off by taking your sharpest knife, then pare the rind from the cheese and cut it into ½ inch (1 cm) cubes. Then sift the flour, salt and cayenne pepper into a big, roomy mixing bowl, holding the sieve up high to give the flour a good airing. Then thinly pare off the potato skin using a potato peeler and grate the potato straight into the flour, using the coarse side of the grater. Then add the spring onions, chopped thyme and two-thirds of the cheese. Now take a palette knife and blend everything together thoroughly.
After that, beat the egg gently with the milk and mustard, then pour the mixture into the bowl, just bringing it all together to a loose, rough dough, still using the palette knife. Next transfer it on to the baking sheet and pat it gently into a 6 inch (15 cm) rough round. Now lightly press the rest of the cheese over the surface, dust with a little flour and scatter the small sprigs of thyme over.
Bake the bread on the middle shelf of the oven for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown. Then remove it to a cooling rack and serve it still slightly warm if possible (but I have to say it's still divine a day later, warmed through in the oven).