I want to start making bread

[plain jane]

I've googled and watched some YouTube but I'm overwhelmed by all the different recipes and choices.  I'm looking for a simple, easy, fool proof and good tasting white loaf recipe as well as a whole wheat recipe that can be made in my KitchenAid mixer.  Can someone point me in the right direction?  Bonus if it's made with minimal ingredients- simple is key for me!!  I've been making bread in a bread maker for over a decade by have never made a loaf without one. 

 

I made a few attempts in the past few weeks to make sourdough bread as someone was kind enough to give me some starter.  However, all my attempts failed miserably despite following the directions on the recipes (tried a few different ones).  Seasoned sourdough bakers, what's the trick to making sourdough?  None of mine rose and were all about 1-1/2" thick.  I did cut and eat it and the flavour was there, but I would love to end up with a normal loaf. lo  I've since tossed the starter and will follow instructions on the internet to make my own and try again. I could use any and all tips as I really want to make sourdough loaves on a consistent basis.

[gardenmom5]

start with some of the bread recipes that came with the mixer.  there is a "feel" about making bread, and the only way to learn that is to make bread.  there's no such thing as foolproof.  someone somewhere has messed up every recipe out there.  

 

eta:

dh has a roll recipe that is considered mandatory by his family at thanksgiving dinner. (it's at least a 60/70 year old recipe) his niece was living in another state - and wanted them.  so, she started before  thanksgiving to make sure they turned out on 'the day'.  they wouldn't.  her phone calls to him became more frequent as she attempted to determine what was going wrong and he would walk her through.   she was using a glass pan in a gas oven.  she got an aluminum pan, and baked them in her neighbor's electric oven.  the neighbor offered to take them off her hands.  ;-D.

Edited October 15, 2016 by gardenmom5

[plain jane]

start with some of the bread recipes that came with the mixer.  there is a "feel" about making bread, and the only way to learn that is to make bread.  there's no such thing as foolproof.  someone somewhere has messed up every recipe out there.  

 

That's what I wanted to do, but my mixer book is long gone.  And when I google, there's too many choices for me.

[gardenmom5]

That's what I wanted to do, but my mixer book is long gone.  And when I google, there's too many choices for me.

 

did you want to do a yeast bread?  I would start with a basic white bread, then use it for french toast.

 

my daughter bakes to relax and makes all sorts of stuff (she was doing croissants recently), but I use a bread machine.

[rose]

Definitely start with white, commercial yeast bread. It's WAY more foolproof. Whole wheat flour is tough to get a decent 100% whole wheat bread without experience and learning a few tricks. Another thing that you can do is set your bread maker to the dough setting and take it out, knead a few times to get a feel for what it should feel like and then bake it in a bread pan. This should help you feel what a good dough feels like.

 

If you really want to feel good try this recipe: http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/11376-no-knead-bread . It's unusual but sooo tasty and impressive.

 

I do sourdough bread and there is definitely a learning curve. If you get the nerve up to try again feel free to PM me (I don't always follow the boards). I'm happy to post some instructions if others are interested. I'm a pro (in my own mind anyway). I've adapted the recipe that I linked to above to be a no-knead, 100% whole wheat, sourdough bread. It's delicious and rises well. I've got some sitting on the counter rising at the moment. Really the biggest hurtle to sourdough is learning how to tell when the starter is ready to use and accepting that your batches won't always be identical.

[redsquirrel]

ACK!  Don't start with sourdough.  Hey, you win a prize though.  Sourdough is usually the second bread new bread makers make, you are the first I've heard to start with it.  I'm impressed!  FWIW, I've making bread for...OMG, 30 years, and sourdough was in fact the second bread I made. It went so well I didn't even consider it again for 20 years, lol

 

Check out this recipe. It's a great one to start with

 

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/the-easiest-loaf-of-bread-youll-ever-bake-recipe

 

And you don't have to wait 20 years to get back to sourdough, but you might want to get a few more dependable and less temperamental loaves under your belt before you take on the care and feeding of a starter and all that it entails.

 

But before you know it, you'll be talking about your favorite biga vs a poolish vs a starter

[Guest]

I've made bread for years, usually artisan whole grain loaves. This is my bible for it:

https://www.amazon.com/Peter-Reinharts-Whole-Grain-Breads/dp/1580087590

 

Yeah, then life got hard. Now I'm making five minute bread that requires four ingredients and ZERO kneading. It's beautiful and gets done, everyone loves it.

 

There are dozens of iterations on the internet, but the instructions and details in the book are probably the best choice for you:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1250018285/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1250018285&linkCode=as2&tag=arbrinfimiada-20

[KrissiK]

Just practice. There's nothing to the ingredients - flour, liquid, yeast, salt, sometimes oil. But you do have to get a feel for the stiffness of the dough, how long it is to rise, etc. I bake a lot of bread. FWIW, I have never had luck with sour dough starters. I like a strong sour dough flavor and none I've tried work well. But there are fun things you can do with bread dough and it is very forgiving.

[nd293]

I agree that there's a 'feel' to bread. And there really aren't many rules, despite the number of books and blogs! For instance, kneading really isn't as crucial as it's made out - many recipes use minimal kneading. And rising times are irrelevant - your bread is ready when it decides to be ready. And the whole 'rise in a warm place' - that would be apart from when you opt to let it rise in the fridge. No recipe suggestion here - I get interested, find a recipe, get good at it, forget to bake for a while, find a new recipe and repeat!

 

I find pasta is the same - you only get good at making it once you've had a certain number of flops. What helped me was accepting that, and not acting as though we had to eat bad bread (or pasta) just because I'd made it. The family were more tolerant of my experiments after that!

[marbel]

I learned how to make bread - and then how to make variations on the basic loaf - from King Arthur Flour.  Here is their Yeast Bread Primer, which I think includes the recipe RedSquirrel linked above, but with detail on each step.    

 

I love making bread; I stop when it's so hot in the summer but am ready to start again now that the weather has cooled off.  

 

[Guest]

I will just add- use good quality flour and not cheap AP flour if possible. I love making bread. I honestly usually use my bread maker due to ease, but no matter which way there's nothing like that aroma filling the house!

 

Also, I learned from seriouseats that you can put your yeast in the freezer and it will keep six months. Just let it sit with the sugar and warm water for a good 10 minutes before adding your other ingredients.

[Ellie]

I've googled and watched some YouTube but I'm overwhelmed by all the different recipes and choices.  I'm looking for a simple, easy, fool proof and good tasting white loaf recipe as well as a whole wheat recipe that can be made in my KitchenAid mixer.  Can someone point me in the right direction?  Bonus if it's made with minimal ingredients- simple is key for me!!  I've been making bread in a bread maker for over a decade by have never made a loaf without one. 

 

I made a few attempts in the past few weeks to make sourdough bread as someone was kind enough to give me some starter.  However, all my attempts failed miserably despite following the directions on the recipes (tried a few different ones).  Seasoned sourdough bakers, what's the trick to making sourdough?  None of mine rose and were all about 1-1/2" thick.  I did cut and eat it and the flavour was there, but I would love to end up with a normal loaf. lo  I've since tossed the starter and will follow instructions on the internet to make my own and try again. I could use any and all tips as I really want to make sourdough loaves on a consistent basis.

 

I failed at making bread my whole life. Mostly my bread would make good pizza crust because I just couldn't knead it enough to get that whole gluten-thing going on, lol. And then I bought a Bosch Universal mixer. It was a game changer. :-)

 

This is the recipe I use for making whole wheat bread. I don't know if it will work in your KitchenAid or not, but you could try it.

[ktgrok]

Go to the King Arthur Flour site, they have great recipes ranging from easy to complicated. Or I bet you can find a bread recipe on the kitchen aid website. 

[ktgrok]

I used to make this recipe in my kitchenaid mixer. It's fabulous, and pretty fool proof. http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2011/01/farmhouse-white-easy-basic-white.html

 

Or this looks like  a good starter one, I haven't made it, but I trust king arthur flour recipes: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/classic-sandwich-bread-recipe

 

 

[Ellesmere]

I made my first loaves using a mixer. The first one I made was this whole wheat loaf:
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/no-knead-100-whole-wheat-bread-recipe
Their blog post, if pictures would help:
http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2009/03/15/this-bread-is-so-easy-you-can-make-it-with-one-hand-tied-behind-your-back/

The second loaf I made in the mixer was this, the same one ktgrok posted. Here's the blog, again:

http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2010/01/28/sandwich-bread-fit-for-the-king/#more-15212

And I often make this, which is the Artisan Bread recipe -- this is a blog post with step by step photos 

http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2009/12/01/the-crunchiest-crackliest-chewiest-lightest-easiest-bread-youll-ever-bake/

And they have tons of sourdough info if you want to learn that, too.

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/guides/sourdough/starter.html
 

Whatever recipe you use, just measure the ingredients the way the author does. I have a cookbook that uses a 5 ounce cup of flour. KAF, and some others, use a 4.25 ounce cup. It does make a difference. You don't have to use a scale, just use the same technique if you are going to use measuring cups.

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/how-to-measure-flour.html shows how they measure for their recipes

Edited October 15, 2016 by CaladwenEleniel

[ktgrok]

Oh, and I've totally made that farmhouse bread with part whole wheat, part white. 

[marbel]

Oh, and I've totally made that farmhouse bread with part whole wheat, part white. 

 

I started out making white bread, then started substituting some whole wheat flour for some of the white, increasing as I had success.  I have found that I need to add some gluten to my whole wheat loaves to help them rise.   I buy Bob's Red Mill Vital Wheat Gluten and keep it in the freezer.    I like to add some "extras" to my bread - oatmeal, other cereal grains, cracked wheat - and the gluten is really helpful there, as those grains can weigh down a loaf.  

Edited October 15, 2016 by marbel

[ktgrok]

I started out making white bread, then started substituting some whole wheat flour for some of the white, increasing as I had success.  I have found that I need to add some gluten to my whole wheat loaves to help them rise.   I buy Bob's Red Mill Vital Wheat Gluten and keep it in the freezer.    I like to add some "extras" to my bread - oatmeal, other cereal grains, cracked wheat - and the gluten is really helpful there, as those grains can weigh down a loaf.  

 

Yes! I if I do 100 percent wheat I add gluten. King arthur has a fabulous 100 percent whole wheat bread machine recipe that always turns out perfectly for me. 

[Carol in Cal.]

Sourdough bread needs to rise slowly at a low room temperature or in a cool place for quite a long time for the sour flavors to develop.  It's much more variable than white bread, and I don't suggest that you start with it.

 

White bread--one of my go to recipes is from "Soup and Bread" by Crescent Dragonwagon--the recipe with three rises is as close to supermarket white bread as anything I have ever seen  made at home.  One I like much better is the one in this OOP book, which I SO wish was back in print:  https://www.amazon.com/impoverished-students-cookery-drinkery-housekeepery/dp/B0007FXR9E

 

For whole wheat bread, the way to learn to make is from Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book, which has A Loaf For Learning, with very detailed descriptions of how to assess the rise of the dough properly.  Whole wheat is trickier than white bread but quite doable.

[KatieJ]

I am not an expert at any bread baking, but this is a recipe my mom developed and it has been a favorite around my house and many others for over 20 years. My 4 DD and DIL all make it in their kitchen aids, as well,as a host of aunties and cousins. I am with Ellie, Bosch mixer is best, but use your kitchen aid and be thrilled you can bake bread. It can be used as pizza dough, cinnamon rolls, buns, and just plain old bread. I prefer it baked in a French loaf pan, but bread pans work fine too.

 

3cups bread flour

3cups hot water

1.5 tbls yeast ( I use SAF brand exclusively, but others use what they have)

1tbls salt

3 tbls sugar

1/4 cup oil

1 whole egg ( this gives the bread elasticity)

 

Mix and let sit for 5 mins

Add 4.5 cups flour and knead for 8-9 mins

I find I need more flour where I live than where my mom lives. Can't explain why, but if it's a little sticky, put in a 1/2 cup more flour. Mix a little and it will be fine.

 

Move to greased bowl and let raise. Quick rise yeast raises in an hour.

I don't cover it. I just roll the dough ball around in the oiled bowl and it's fine.

 

Shape and put into bread pans and let raise again for an hour. This will make 2 loaves.

It's a fantastic sandwich bread.

 

Bake at 375 degrees for 25 mins

Yes, that is a hot oven. Hot and fast my mom says.

 

I have successfully added whole wheat flour and it's still fantastic as long as I keep the ratio of white flour higher than the whole wheat flour. I do not add gluten when using some whole wheat flour.

 

It's a simple recipe,many pretty fool proof.

Edited October 15, 2016 by KatieinMich

[Harriet Vane]

Easiest bread EVAH--

 

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

 

https://www.amazon.com/Artisan-Bread-Five-Minutes-Revolutionizes/dp/1250018285/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1476571951&sr=1-1&keywords=artisan+bread+in+five+minutes+a+day

 

Seriously, this system is wonderful. You make a big batch of dough in your KitchenAid. Transfer to a larger container. Leave on the counter for two hours, and then refrigerate. Each day, take out a wad of dough and bake it. 

[ktgrok]

Easiest bread EVAH--

 

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

 

https://www.amazon.com/Artisan-Bread-Five-Minutes-Revolutionizes/dp/1250018285/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1476571951&sr=1-1&keywords=artisan+bread+in+five+minutes+a+day

 

Seriously, this system is wonderful. You make a big batch of dough in your KitchenAid. Transfer to a larger container. Leave on the counter for two hours, and then refrigerate. Each day, take out a wad of dough and bake it. 

 

Easiest without a bread machine. Bread Machine is easier :)

 

But that's a totally different type of bread. 

[PinkTulip]

My family loves the Easy Sandwich Bread from Anerica's Test Kitchen. So easy, so good!

 

I make a loaf twice a week - it's the only bread my family eats.

 

ETA: wrong name!

Edited October 16, 2016 by PinkTulip

[madteaparty]

I really want to make rolls to freeze and serve with soup. (Bread that can't really be sliced not great for our purposes here). Anyway there is a NY Times recipe someplace.

I had a bread machine I inherited from grandma in law and should have kept it just for the smell. I tossed it because Teflon. If someone made a bread machine with no Teflon they'd have all of my money. Eta that I don't have a kitchen aid either...

Edited October 16, 2016 by madteaparty