Baking Bread

[Janna]

I am interested in making my own bread. When I have done this in the past it always tasted bland and was pretty hard. Toasting it and enjoying with melted butter was always fine, but to eat as sandwich bread? Not so much.

 

Does anyone have a tried and true favorite recipe that is healthy and one that even your kids enjoy? We are accustomed to eating Brownberry's 100% whole wheat, honey whole wheat, and Nature's Pride 100% stone ground whole wheat with honey (just depends which brand is on sale at the time).

 

Note: I don't have my own wheat berries and grinder. :001_smile:

 

Thanks!

[Janna]

bump.

[Halcyon]

I have just started making my own bread and it's come out wonderfully every time, and i am no baker ;)

 

I use this recipe and then substitute WW flour for half the white. I end up adding a it more water, but that's the only change:

 

http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/11/04/homemade-bread-cheap-delicious-healthy-and-easier-than-you-think/

[KrissiK]

Bread baking is an art, rather than a science. It takes time and lots and lots of practice to make good bread. My bread used to turn out terrible, mostly hard, but now I bake really good bread. All I can say is, experiment with different recipes. I don't use a bread machine or even my Kitchen-Aid for kneading. Hard bread is generally a result of too much flour and to determine how much is too much you need to knead the dough by hand. It's a feel. You just get the "feel" of what good dough is. I can't explain it, but with practice you will develop it. My best bread recipe is the same as every other ones - liquid, yeast, sugar, salt and flour. If you forget the salt your bread will be flat and really taste awful.

[cjzimmer1]

This is the recipe I use.

 

http://tadmitchell.com/cookbook/wheatbread.html

 

You could buy wheat flour if you don't have a grinder. It's not as fresh tasting but I don't think the store bought stuff is that fresh tasting either so you may not notice a change.

 

i started making it by hand and it had a good flavor but it was fairly dense. When I bought my bosch and made it it was fabulous, soft and fluffy. Even my dad who only eats white bread will eat this because he likes soft bread. Basically I've learned that when I was hand kneading it, I wasn't doing it nearly long enough to develop the gluten. hand kneading takes a long time unless you are very experienced (which I'm' not). Do you have a bread machine or a mixer to do the kneading for you? I think tyhat will make a world of difference to make bread that your kids will like.

[bunnyvirus]

This makes very good bread and very easy. It is nice to have a warm, fresh loaf with dinner every night.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Artisan-Bread-Five-Minutes-Revolutionizes/dp/0312362919/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1294858063&sr=8-1

[Janna]

Do you have a bread machine or a mixer to do the kneading for you? I think tyhat will make a world of difference to make bread that your kids will like.

 

I do have a KtichenAid Heavy Duty mixer that can do the kneading, though I'm sure I'll do some of my own as well. What happens if bread is over-kneaded? Is that possible?

[Sue G in PA]

Janna, we must be on the same wave-length today b/c I JUST posted a request for recipes! Just now! I didn't see your thread until I posted it! :D

[Janna]

I know, I just saw that too, LOL!

[justamouse]

I make bread almost every day---and every day I have to make different bread. :001_smile:

 

I have a bread machine and in the cooler seasons I just add it all in there--check a few times to make sure things are going well (the different every day part) and then when it's done with its first rise, I take it out, give it a good stretch, roll it up into a loaf, and let it rise again.

 

I make every loaf of bread the day before. I've found that if I let it cool that long, I can cut paper thin slices if I want (and make sure you have a good bread knife-you'll never get a thin slice without).

 

so, into the mixer goes

 

1.5 cups of warm water

honey, maybe raw sugar, sometimes molasses

dash of salt

couple pats of butter-THIS is the necessary part. If you don't add an oil or butter, you will not get a sandwich loaf (butter for a more tender loaf)

3.5 cups of flour-less if it's whole wheat (and more sweetness if it's whole wheat-and def heavy on the butter that way you get a moist, high loaf))

about 2 tbsp vital wheat gluten

teaspoon-2 of yeast. (I buy a huge bag of it at Costo for very little)

 

Set it to knead, check once and add water or flour as needed, check again to make sure just because

 

let it rise.

 

There are some fantastic bread books out there (the five minutes a day one is excellent, too) and James Beard BEARD ON BREAD is also wonderful. My mom taught bread baking so I learned a lot from her, too.

 

I mix and let it rise in the machine because it warms it just enough to get a good, even rise all the time. If it's the summer I bake it in there during the night, too.

 

I get about 4-5 loaves out of a five pound bag of flour. I also am partial to King Arthur flour-but at the very least make sure you buy non bleached. When mom and I get on a roll we grind our own berries and sprout our wheat, not all the time so don't think it's necessary.

Edited January 12, 2011 by justamouse

[LostSurprise]

There are several things that make bread soft.

 

*gluten or the need for extra gluten (wheat flour has rough kernels in it which break the strands...making it denser...so some people add vital wheat gluten as extra gluten to make up for that or do a wheat/white mix)

 

*developing the gluten enough so that it not only connects but slides easily (so the right amount of kneading)

 

*enough yeast or other riser

 

*the right amount of rise time (being able to recognize when a rise is done or needs more time, OR having an overnight or long, wet rise do the work for you)

 

*a hot enough oven (for oven spring)

 

Bread making does take a certain amount of practice. You have to get a 'feel' for it before it becomes easy to spot problem areas in your technique.

 

Keep working on it and be aware of why bread is light and fluffy. Then you can critique your technique and experiment until you find what works for you.

[redsquirrel]

I love to head over to the King arthur website for their bread recipies. My bread was hard as a rock when I started baking. My friend told me it could make a great renewable source of home building materials :lol:

 

Time and dedication fixed that. I have been baking for 20 years now and love it.

 

Check out king arthur. They also have some great cookbooks. Think about a machine. Bread machines are fun because they let you tinker and fuss with the recipe but they do all the kneading for you. I used to be very anti-machine (bread snob!) but then that second baby came along and kneading bread wasn't going to happen. I learned that machines have their place in a busy life. And like I said, it makes it feel easy to try a new flour or such. You feel like you have less to lose because you don't spend an afternoon kneading.

 

Good luck! Bread baking is a wonderful skill and art. Like most worthwhile things, it takes time.

[Janna]

I have to tell you all that now I'm a little nervous! It sounds like it's a bigger deal than say, making Quiver's cinnamon rolls, LOL. But, I'll give it a try. Thanks for the tips and recipes!

[GWOB]

I have been making bread frequently in the last few months. Here are my secrets:

 

1) Casually stroll down the Wal-Mart clearance aisleand notice a bread machine on sale for $25.

 

2) Follow the directions for bread included in said clearance-rack bread machine.

 

3) Keep bread away from dh and dc if you want to make sandwiches or they will eat ALL the bread.

 

Not very good directions, but it works for a baking idiot like me.

[joannqn]

 

My recipe is here. My kids prefer this bread to anything store bought. I use a bread machine to do my mixing, kneading, and rising but you can do it the old fashion way, too. The key to soft, light bread is using some white flour and baking in a cool oven.