Tips for Mad Bread Makers
Okay, having had a couple of emails and phone calls from people desperate to get into the delights of bread making, but getting stuck at the “house brick” stage, here is a very short, but I hope helpful list of things to think about:
- Do NOT use instant yeasts – they are unpredictable. Use fresh yeast or Alison’s Active Yeast. Both are REALLY easy to use.
- Start by mixing in a bowl and add your oil to the yeasted water rather than try and crumble into the flour. If you use butter, melt it. Pour most of the water in all at once – don’t try and do it bit by bit.
- When the recipe says “kneed for 15 minutes” do not cheat. Keep going. Dont kneed in the bowl.
- Don’t kneed on the kitchen work top unless you are really tall. Use a table instead. If you are over the top of the dough you will kneed more strongly and get less of a back ache. (Note, I said less, not none)
- Make sure your dough is not too dry. Better slightly too damp, then use lots of flour on your hands.
- Let the dough rise naturally – anything up to 2 or 3 hours. Dont rush it. Let is think about life. If your kitchen is cold, try the airing cupboard
- When you knock back after rising, dont just flatten it, work the dough a gain for a few minutes – you will improve the texture.
- Once you make your loaves, prove them for at least an hour. As an example, bread in a loaf tin should be coming close to looking like the full loaf before it hits the oven – not a sad flat thing in the bottom of the tin.
- Never give up. I made bricks for ages before I was really happy, and I cannot work out what I now do different. You kind of get the feel for it after a while.
As a final tip, my basic recipe is one and a half pounds of flour, 400 mils of warm water, 2 table spoons of oil, teaspoon of salt and a table spoon of active yeast or 15g of live yeast. And that is it! Stick to that till you get it right, then have fun. DONT get too complicated too early.
Happy baking!
Bear
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