Bread Help...please.

[TammyinTN]

I want to make my own bread. I have no clue how to do this. I have a bread machine that I use those little mixes that come in a box. It's ok...but..I want to learn to make really good bread for my family. Could someone please post a recipe and how to do it?

Many Thanks!

[Lakeside]

Hi Tammy-

I'm not sure what type of recipe you are looking for but this is my favorite for the bread machine:

 

French Whole Wheat Bread

from The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook by Beth Hensperger

1 3/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk

1/2 cup water

 

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup whole grain spelt flour or additional 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon gluten

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

 

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon SAF yeast

OR 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

 

 

1. Place all the ingredients in the pan according to the order in the manufacturer's instructions. Program for the Dough cycle. Press start. The dough ball will be sticky, but very springy when you press your finger into the dough. Do not add any more flour at this point. The dough will smooth out during the kneading.

 

2. When the machine beeps at the end of the cycle, press Stop and unplug the machine. Open the lid and use your fingers to deflate the dough. Close the lid, set a kitchen timer for 30 minutes, and let the dough rise in the machine. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

 

3. When the timer rings, remove the bread pan from the machine and scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface with a dough card. Knead a few times and pat into a 12-by-6-inch rectangle. Roll up from a long edge and roll back and forth with your palms to make pointed ends. Fold the log of dough in half lengthwise and pinch the seams to seal. Roll the dough back and forth again, and pull out the pointed ends to make a loaf about 14 inches long. Place on the baking sheet and cover with a clean tea towel. Let rise at room temperature until doubles in bulk, about 1 hour.

 

4. Twenty minutes before baking, place a baking stone or tiles on the center rack and preheat the oven to 400degrees F.

 

5. Holding kitchen shears at a 45 degree angle, snip the surface 4 or 5 times down the length of the loaf, no more than 1 inch deep. Place the pan directly on the stone and bake for 32 to 38 minutes, or until the surface of the loaf is a deep, dark brown and sounds hollow when tapped with your finger. The loaf will be very firm. Immediately remove bread from the pan and place it on a cooling rack.

 

*My notes*

I always use just the whole wheat flour.

 

It is really a pretty simple recipe. I don't worry too much about the following the instructions for rolling it out. I go for the general shape the recipe is after!

 

I use a pizza stone for the baking stone.

 

I also read a tip somewhere that suggested using a spray bottle to mist some water into the oven to create a bit of steam every 2-3 minutes for the first 7-10 minutes or so.

 

We really like this bread. Most whole wheat recipes that are 100% whole wheat are heavy and dense. This always has a crispy crust and a somewhat chewy inside.

 

(I'm assuming you have access to American ingredients. I know that German flour comes in types that react differently in America recipes. I didn't do much baking when we lived there, but American friends who did, had to adjust their recipes a bit.)

 

I hope you enjoy it!

[Okie]

Don't know what kind you like, but here is a basic white bread.

 

1 1/4 c milk (warmed to about 110°)

1 1/2 t salt

1/2 T butter

2 T sugar

3 3/4 c flour

1 1/2 t yeast

 

Put ingredients in bread pan in order given. Run on regular cycle. I run mine on dough cycle, then take out, form into loaf, let rise till double in pan, bake 40 minutes at 350°. Cool on wire rack.

 

Here's one for variety:

 

Cornmeal Yeast Bread

 

1 c warm milk

2 T butter, melted in milk

1 egg

2 T sugar

2 t salt

1 c cornmeal

2 c flour

1 pkg yeast (2 1/4 t)

 

Same directions as above.

 

HTH

[TammyinTN]

Thank you..this will get me started!:D

[Quiver0f10]

This is my wheat bread ( makes 2 loaves):

2 cups warm water

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup honey

1 tsp salt

1tbsp yeast

4 tbsp wheat gluten

 

Add to this 3 cups fresh ground whole wheat flour and mix in the kitchen aid for 1-2 minutes. Then add 2 1/2 more cups flour and let it knead for 9 minutes.

 

Cover, let rise to double and punch down. Let rise again then shape into loaves and let rise in pans @ an hour. Bake 350 for 35 minutes. Lghtly brush with butter while warm.

 

White Bread( makes 2 loaves):

2 cups warm water

1 stick melter butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

1tbsp yeast

 

Add in 3 cups white flour and let it mix for 1-2 minutes. Knead in another 3 cups flour, one cup at a time, until it pulls away from the side of the bowl.

 

Cover, let rise to double and punch down. Let rise again then shape into loaves and let rise in pans @ an hour. Bake 350 for 30 minutes. Lightly brush with butter while warm.

[TammyinTN]

Thanks Jean..these sound great!:D

[LauraGB]

Have you tried it w/out the gluten? Does it make a big difference? Have either of you ever substituted any of the oil for flax?

 

I go through spurts of making my own by making the dough in the bread machine, but I lost my wheat/flax recipe and I can't find it anywhere online. It was a good one, too! But, since I cheat and use the bread machine, I can only bake one loaf at a time, which is just a pain more than its worth, imo. So, I'm really happy to see this thread since I've wanted to cheat and use my food processor :) and get more than one loaf at a time, but all the bread recipes that came with it call for the sourdough mix that I can't concoct to save my life!

 

Thanks!

[Tammyla]

I have a super easy one you can make in your bread machine.

 

Water 80' 1 Cup

Sugar 2 tsp

Salt 1 1/2 tsp

 

(Place these items into your bread pan then add)

 

Flour 3 cup (Use bread or regular APF)

Active Dry Yeast 2tsp or Bread Machine Yeast 1 1/4tsp

 

Turn on machine and go. Or......I like to make this using the dough setting and when it beeps add in a large wooden spoon full of my sour dough starter.

Then, once the dough setting finishes - I take the ball out and separate it into two loafs on a buttered thick baking sheet and let it rise under a towel. Then bake around 350' for 20 minutes or so. It turns into two yummy San Francisco Style loafs.

 

 

FYI: If you visit the toastmaster web site....They have lots of free bread machine recipes you can print.

[Quiver0f10]

Have you tried it w/out the gluten? Does it make a big difference? Have either of you ever substituted any of the oil for flax?

 

I go through spurts of making my own by making the dough in the bread machine, but I lost my wheat/flax recipe and I can't find it anywhere online. It was a good one, too! But, since I cheat and use the bread machine, I can only bake one loaf at a time, which is just a pain more than its worth, imo. So, I'm really happy to see this thread since I've wanted to cheat and use my food processor :) and get more than one loaf at a time, but all the bread recipes that came with it call for the sourdough mix that I can't concoct to save my life!

 

Thanks!

 

I have never tried the flax, but I did try it without the gluten and found it didn't rise as much and wasn't as soft that way.