Bread Baking

[Jeime_outdoors]

Hey there guys, I was wondering if anyone had any good recipes for Bread Baking? I am used to all the meat cooking and I thought I would give baking a try :)

[Reaps72]

Hi Jeime

This is the recipe that I use to teach my students:

Bread


• 1kg/just over 2lb strong bread flour
• 625ml/just over 1 pint tepid water
• 30g/1oz fresh yeast or 3 x 7g/¼oz sachets dried yeast
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 level tablespoon fine sea salt
extra flour for dusting

Stage 1: getting started
Pour half of the tepid water 38ºc into a jug, add your yeast and sugar, stir with a fork.Wait for the yeast to activate, bubbles & foam start to appear on the liquid. Pile the flour and salt on to a clean surface or large bowl and make a large well in the centre mixing the salt in. Then add the yeast mixture.

Stage 2: getting it together
Slowly, but confidently, bring in the flour from the inside of the well. (You don't want to break the walls of the well, or the water will go everywhere, hence the bowl to start with.) Continue to bring the flour in to the centre until you get a stodgy, porridgey consistency – then add the remaining water. Continue to mix until it's stodgy again, then you can be more aggressive, bringing in all the flour, making the mix less sticky. Flour your hands and pat and push the dough together with all the remaining flour. (Certain flours need a little more or less water, so feel free to adjust.)

Stage 3: kneading!
This is where you get stuck in. With a bit of elbow grease, simply push, fold, slap and roll the dough around, over and over, for 4 or 5 minutes until you have a silky and elastic dough.

Stage 4: first prove
Flour the top of your dough. Put it in a bowl, cover with clingfilm, and allow it to prove for about half an hour until doubled in size – ideally in a warm, moist, draught-free place. This will improve the flavour and texture of your dough and it's always exciting to know that the old yeast has kicked into action.

Stage 5: second prove, flavouring and shaping
Once the dough has doubled in size, knock the air out for 30 seconds by bashing it and squashing it. You can now shape it or flavour it as required – folded, filled, tray-baked, whatever – and leave it to prove for a second time for 30 minutes to an hour until it has doubled in size once more. This is the most important part, as the second prove will give it the air that finally ends up being cooked into your bread, giving you the really light, soft texture that we all love in fresh bread. So remember – don't fiddle with it, just let it do its thing.

Stage 6: cooking your bread
Very gently place your bread dough on to a flour-dusted baking tray and into a preheated oven. Don't slam the door or you'll lose the air that you need. Bake according to the time and temperature given with your chosen recipe. If you want a crusty bread either with a fine spray of water lightly moisten your crust, or on the bottom of the oven place a roasting tray of boiling water as you add the bread.
You can tell if it's cooked by tapping its bottom – if it sounds hollow it's done, if it doesn't then pop it back in for a little longer. Once cooked, place on a rack and allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes – fandabidozi. Feel free to freeze any leftover bread.

Any other cookery questions or recipes just pm me I have hundreds!

[Jeime_outdoors]

Thank you very much, I will try that when i'm away over the weekend.

Jeime

[Reaps72]

I have just edited it slightly so you may want to re read it !

Enjoy I really find bread very therapeutic as the key to really good bread is good yeast & take your time if it feels it is taking ages your probably on the right lines!
One more tip the moister then dough the moister the bread, just harder to work with!

Oh go on one more, If you want to add flavours or herbs; add dry ingredients to the flour stage 1, Cheeses, fruit or nuts knead in at stage 5 but what is a real hit is replace the liquid for ale or stout!

Have fun!

[Dan XF]

I like the sound of making it with cheese and ale. Sounds good. I would say that if you're planning on doing this in camp you'd be better off making a yeast free damper style bread with self raising flour. Use about a pound of flour with half a tsp of salt and a table spoon of vegetable oil. Then add enough water to make a soft dough which you can shape to cook over a fire like naan or in a dutch pot in the embers. I have had some success with this type as it seems to be cooked when it looks cooked but even then I've ended up with it being soggy in the middle when it looked ready. Naan bread should be thin and there is less risk of it being uncooked as the heat passes through easily.

[Jeime_outdoors]

I really like the idea of adding fruits, berries, etc... thanks a-lot you guys :D

Jeime