How to make some serious bread!

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xseler

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Apr 14, 2013
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Home made bread is the best! I make all my bread --- even hamburger and hotdog buns. Why pay the price for bread at the store for substandard fare? I think it only costs me about $0.75 to make 2 loaves of the best stuff on earth.
 

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xseler

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Apr 14, 2013
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I also use the same basic recipe to make cinnamon rolls that would put Cinnabon outa business. Most folks just don't realize how easy it really is. They say that they don't have enough time......poppycock. They've got the same amount of time that I do. I guess that I just do a better job of utilizing it.....
 
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xseler

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If you want something that'll knock off your socks, fashion your bread dough into hoagie type rolls and wrap them with some thick sliced bacon and let 'em rise a little longer than normal.

Shoot. I know what I'm doing in the morning!
 
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Toadmund

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Jan 19, 2012
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If you want something that'll knock off your socks, fashion your bread dough into hoagie type rolls and wrap them with some thick sliced bacon and let 'em rise a little longer than normal.

Shoot. I know what I'm doing in the morning!
BOY! I can't rush into this now!

I need to get regular ww bread pounded into my head and memorised first.
 
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xseler

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Cinnamon bread, that will be my next project, then brown raisen bread after that, heck, cinnamon raisen brown bread, probably interupted by making regular bread.

Is it molasses that makes brown bread?

Be careful if adding cinnamon into the dough --- it retards the action of the yeast. I always add more yeast when using cinnamon.

Also, yeast loves acid. I always add a touch of balsamic vinegar to my dough. Makes the bread really fluffy and you don't notice the the additional 'flavor'.

Good luck!
 
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D.J.

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Jan 20, 2008
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OK, some purists would scoff at this but I am going to extol the virtues of my bread maker. It is not a big brand machine. I got it new in the box at the thrift shop. It is easy to use. The machine came with a recipe book and the internet is flooded with recipes.

First things first. You need good ingredients. I use bread flour and bread machine yeast. I also use real buttermilk.

Even if you want to bake your bread in a conventional oven you can use the bread machine to mix the dough and then transfer it in to a regular loaf pan for it's final rising and baking. The machine is also great for mixing pizza dough. You have to mix enough for 2 pizzas at a time but the dough can be stored in the fridge for several days.

I really like the whole grain breads that you can make in the machine but the whole wheat flour is hard on the non-stick coating of the loaf pans. I usually make 33% whole-wheat bread.

The timer went off as I was typing.


And now for something completely different. I have a great recipe for Irish Soda Bread that is cooked in the MICROWAVE. I use a microwave safe bunt pan for mine. This is a great bread. You just have to get over the fact that it is cooked in the microwave. The only changes that I made were to add about 1/4 cup of flour (the dough was wet) and I only use 1/2 of the caraway seeds.

IRISH SODA BREAD

2 1/2 cups flour
3 tbsp. sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. baking powder
4 tbsp butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups raisins
1 tbsp. caraway seeds
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
3/4 tsp. baking soda

Mix flour, sugar, salt and baking powder; cut in softened butter. Stir in raisins and caraway. Combine buttermilk egg and baking soda; add to dry ingredients. stir only until flour is moistened. on a floured board, lightly knead dough until smooth, about 3 minutes. Shape in a ball and place in a 1 1/2 quart glass bowl with the bottom lined with waxed paper. Cut an "X" across the top of the dough. Cover with waxed paper. Cook at MEDIUM for 7 to 9 minutes. Let stand uncovered, 10 minutes; turn out of bowl. Let stand upside-down for an additional 10 minutes; store covered, until ready to serve.
 
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Toadmund

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Jan 19, 2012
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Even kneading dough by hand isn't that hard if you remember some techniques the Chinese used to make noodles, if you take your lump and press your palm heals into and squash it, (now the Chinese noodle part) fold it again and again and again, and kneading and rolling some more in between.
Folding exponentially creates hundreds of noodles if you are making noodles, but also mixes dough really good too.
 

xseler

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Apr 14, 2013
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I use the 'dough' setting on my two paddle bread machine to mix my dough. Then I use the 'fold and squash' method to get better air pockets.

I guess that my bread is a 'hybrid'.....
 

xseler

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Apr 14, 2013
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Making some simple rosemary/dill/cheese bread this evening. I foresee a few grilled cheeses in my immediate future!
 

Toadmund

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Jan 19, 2012
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I can't wait until I run out of bread, just so I can make more.
I wonder what I can get at the bulk store to put in my bread, I'll have to go and see.
I am still a bread noob.

Ah Ha! Garlic bread, onion bread, garlic and onion bread, cheese, garlic and onion!

MAN!
 

xseler

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Apr 14, 2013
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Chopped green olives or jalapenos are a taste treat, also! Just remember to add them to your water when you measure.

A little pan with a little bit of water in the oven as it's preheating will give you a crustier crust.
 

Allen_Wrench

Resident Mad Scientist
Feb 6, 2010
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Be careful if adding cinnamon into the dough --- it retards the action of the yeast. I always add more yeast when using cinnamon.


Good luck!
OMG! That explains it! When I'm baking banana bread for the kids, I was having trouble getting it to rise as much as my other breads did. I've been adding cinnamon to it, then adding only the usual amount of yeast I always do. I'm going to try adding a tiny bit more and see what I get.
 

xseler

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Apr 14, 2013
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I'm making a batch of plain old butter white bread this morning.......sometimes simple is great!!

Also making a batch of home made pasta sauce. Got the recipe from my ex-wife's granny......she was Italian and she always called it 'gravy'. Gonna have some good eats this evening!!
 

Toadmund

New Member
Jan 19, 2012
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Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
Made my 8th loaf yesterday.
Yes, just loafing about!

Bought a 10kg bag of flour today (white) then 1 more batch, then I got to get me a 10kg sack-o-WW flour. (50% WW I make)

I had sloppy joes with my bread for supper.
 

xseler

Well-Known Member
Apr 14, 2013
2,886
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Yep.......homemade pizza is almost as good as the square school pizza we would get on Fridays at school in the 60's!!