Bread

Soda bread - 300g flour, 250ml buttermilk, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp bicarb. Mix it together, divide into two, roll out to ~1cm thick (round and then into quarters would be traditional), cool in a medium pan for about 6 minutes each side.

Wheaten bread (sorry for the oz measurements) - 2 tsp baking powder, 12oz wholemeal flour, 4oz plain flour, 2 tsp bicarb, 2tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 1tbsp golden syrup mixed with 2oz melted butter, 300ml buttermilk - mix it all together and put in a loaf tin - cook at 200 deg for 35/40 min

I 3d printed a lame. Works extremely well.

Durability to be confirmed but I used a relatively durable plastic so it should last a fair while.

1 Attachment

Blade cover is a great little touch, good work.

I used a bastardised version of the no knead bread to make focaccia today. The consistency of the dough made it hard to make the idents you’d expect. I coated it in a salt solution and olive oil before baking, I didn’t have any rosemary but other than that I’m happy

2 Attachments

Pretty pleased with these. Last two were a bit tunnel-y, these seem much more consistent, very soft crumb but with the sourdough crust. Combined with my own PB and I'm struggling not to go back for a third slice.

2 Attachments

Anyone tried giving a loaf a second run in the oven? Baked a loaf this morning where the crust is a bit of a let down, thinking about giving it another go to firm it up

Look great!!

Third batch of bagels and starting to look more like bagels. Incredibly good, somehow chewy and fluffy. Freeze very well too.

1 Attachment

Refreshing bread in the oven is fairly common? It’s recommended (and written on the packaging) for supermarket bought loaves.

Recipe please?

[apologies if I've missed it upthread]

I've been winging it taking the best bits from other recipes. Its easy... just boiled then baked bread.

Basically its a lean (no fat) bread dough made slightly heavier than usual that has been boiled for 1 minute per side before baking for 20 minutes until brown. 1kg bread flour, 600ml water, 2% flour weight in salt, 2% of flour weight instant yeast is a good starting point.

Lots of different opinions on shaping methods, which ultimately doesn't really matter. They turn out great whichever way you do it. Traditionalists roll a sausage and then join the ends. Lazy people, like me, punch a hole with a finger. Some people don't bother with a hole, preferring a bap like end product.

If you want to give it a shot, just read the first few recipes on google and see what works for you really.

Grand, just wondering if you add malt/ baking soda/ other stuff into the water?

Pro tip - don't forget the loaf in the oven like I just did. An hour ago I had a slightly pale loaf, I now have a completely black loaf. Idiot.

Mate. Got a crumb shot? These look banging.

Don this so many times when I've got a loaf in that needs another 5 minutes. Forgetting to put a timer on and getting distracted.

Some recipes suggest malt or brown sugar in the water but I haven't bothered with that.

One thing I might try in the future is boiling in bicarb or lye to get a pretzel effect. I have a feeling that a bagel pretzel might be a good thing to have in my life.

Will be having some for lunch, will try to remember to take a pic then.

Peckham Morrisons only had 16kg bags of flour today which I couldn't carry on foot but they had these bread mixes. Gonna give it a go, anyone used them?

1 Attachment

Yeah, I noticed that my local Morrisons had switched to 16kg bags as well - guess it may be what they get from their suppliers for in-store baking?

I've used bread mixes in the past and they're fine - they may have dough improvers added as well as flour, salt, and yeast, and the recipes on the packet tend to give a lower hydration than bread nerds would aim for.

I am bored of trying to get higher and higher hydration levels. The open crumb structure comes to a point where the bread is unable to be used for sandwiches and the loaves just end up sprawling outwards. Am sure I could work on shaping techniques to get more skin tension and possibly because of the extra water the dough is proving much faster and maybe I should shape it earlier. But reverting back to the thoughtful bakery recipe and my loaves get better oven spring and have better shape.

Higher hydration is great for a bread that is being dipped but other than that seems to be a tad disappointing. It may also be that I am lucky having a steam oven which also is encourages spring and crisp brown crust.

70% is the new 80%. I went mad making pizza dough, pushing it to over 90% to get better pizza in my shit home oven. Bought an Ooni, and now I've realised 65% is king - you just need a bloody hot oven.
Going from 75% - 70% for bread has made a big difference too. Still got an incredible soft and glossy crumb, but spring and shape are way improved. I think high hydration compensates for certain aspects of the process but getting your schedule, shaping and fermentation right almost negates the benefits of a super wet dough - IMO. Retarding has definitely been the game changer I was after - 12-24 hours in the fridge after shaping gives better crumb, crust, and distribution of gasses through the dough - so you get a nice light loaf, without huge tunnels running through it.

I tend to find that higher hydration highlights any flaws in technique or scheduling but it doesn’t actually have any great benefits apart from bragging rights. It has taught me better technique but has just left me feeling like I am pushing bubbles under wallpaper, as fast as one issue is sorted another problem arises (or fails to rise).

Two malted granary loaves from earlier today, retarded proving for twelve hours, released easily from banneton, retained shape, decent spring etc etc.

2 Attachments

I guess what I mean is that a high hydration loaf, with shit fermentation can be blobbed into some cast iron and baked into something that seems half decent - big holes, crispy crumb etc. But actually making a decent loaf requires a more thoughtful approach.

with shit fermentation can be blobbed into some cast iron and baked into something that seems half decent

Oi, no need to get personal m8

Tbf that still makes something that's tastier and healthier than 99% of supermarket bread, which is a win?