What's a great tip for making your own bread?

Answer 1

Get a good recipe I have a favorite bread book called the Tassajara Bread Book it has a great step by step along with many types of bead. I love to make bread, it is almost a lost art, Fresh bread is so much better than any thing you can buy.

Answer 2

That's fine that everybody is talking about kneading, and bread machines. But the best way to do it is by hand or if you are making under 1.5kg in a ken wood with a dough hook. And its just as important to get the consistence right. Because you can knead all you like but if the dough is to wet or dry it won't turn out that great. Even a few drops of water can change the way it turns out. So never add all the water and oil, the recipe tells you too. Reserve some, say 10-20mls and check the consistence. It depends where you live and what flour you use as well. So once you have a nice smooth dough, that is soft and not sticking to your hands or hook. knead until soft and doesn't spring back, that means you have stretch the gluten. Take a small ball of the dough roll into a ball, then work it flat with your fingers until it stretches with out tearing. Next proving, you can over prove the bread, which results in the yeast dying. Fresh yeast, dryed yeast and home made starter bug will all give you different flavours and textures. Baking is important as well a hot oven up to temperature and it helps if you can get steam in there some how. I've seen ice on a separate tray work before

Answer 3

when making your own bread at home use a good quality strong or bread flour.french or italian "OO" flour is the best.A strong flour will support all those air bubbles that the yeast will make and your bread will rise well.when using yeast as the raising agent ,your flour should be warmed slightly just to body temperature.yeast needs not only food but warmth to grow so even warm the bowl slightly be careful though as too much heat will kill the yeast. weigh your ingredients correctly,too much sugar will give you big holes in your bread and too much salt will kill the growing action of the yeast. when using water or milk in the bread make sure that it is at body temperature too. For best results when baking, use a fan oven as the temperature is constant throughout the whole oven,also put a deep dish of hot water onto the base of the oven as this will help keep your dough moist yet give it a nice crisp crust.

Answer 4

I make bread all of the time. I mix it up at night and let it rise. In the morning I punch it down and separate it into loaves. After 4 or 5 hours it is ready to bake. It is a lot of fun and better for you. It doesn't have all of the preservatives and oil and sugar that store bought bread has. This bread is all homemade. I have never used a bread machine. Hope you make some bread. Enjoy!

Answer 5

Use good strong flour, and fresh yeast is best, if you can get it.

You need warmth and humidity for the rising, a hot oven for baking. Not too much salt - it kills the yeast, just enough to release the gluten in the flour - and for taste.

If the kitchen is cold and/dry and you have a microwave, bring a cup of water to the boil in the microwave, switch off, place the bowl of dough in the oven with the cup still in there, close the door but make sure you do not switch the oven on again, The steam from the cup of hot water in a small space creates a nice humid atmosphere.

Answer 6

When I make my own bread, I have found it very helpful to place the kneaded bread into a bowl. Place the bowl into a sink with the water level about three inches. This allows for the dough to rise prior to baking. Also, cover the bowl with a cotton towel. Let it stand about 10min then your good to go. I have found that the bread will rise more.

Answer 7

Use fresh yeast, available from most supermarket bakery department. Strong bread flour either white or brown or mixture of both. I add olive oil or even walnut oil for an extra nutty flavour, a pinch of salt for taste. Knead it and leave to rise in a warm place. A kitchen is fine, or a fridge overnight if you want to impress with fresh bread at breakfast. Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, millet are all very good in bread and healthy too.

Answer 8

Use "strong" bread flower and very fresh yeast.The more you kneed the dough the better it is, then let it rise in a warm place before you cook it. It is gorgeous when it is eaten warm straight from the oven, and it is a darned sight cheaper than the expensive loaves on the supermarket shelves. Probably better for you too as the ingredients are healthier.

Answer 9

This is the recipe I use. It contains lots of tips. I had success with it the first time I tried it, and have never had any failures. I found that sifting the flour is important.

Wholemeal bread

Combine a 7gm sachet of dried yeast with half a cup of warm water in a small bowl: stir in 1 teaspoon of caster sugar. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 5 minutes until bubbles appear on the surface.

Sift 2 cups of unbleached plain flower, and mix with 2 cups plain wholemeal flour, add 1 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons dried wholemilk powder and 1 tablespoon caster sugar into a large bowl.

Make a well in the centre, add yeast, quarter cup cooking oil and 1 cup warm water.

Using hands or large spoon, mix to a soft dough. Turn onto lightly floured surface, Knead ten minutes or until smooth and elastic. If needed incorporate up to half cup extra flour until dough is not sticky.

Place in large lightly oiled bowl. Leave, covered with a teatowel in a warm place for 1 hour or until well risen. Punch dough down, and knead for 1 minute.

Divide and shape into loaves or rolls. Leave covered with plastic wrap for 45 minutes or until well risen. Place in a tin which has been lightly oiled with butter or oil. Or mould into free-form shapes and place on a greased baking tray.

Bake in tins in a 210 degree C (Gas 190 c) oven for 10 minutes, lower heat to 180 c - bake an extra 30-40 minutes.

Bake free form loaves in a 210 c oven for 10 minutes - lower heat to180c and cook for 20-30 minutes. Cooking times will depend on size of loaves or rolls. To test for doneness, tap bottom of bread with knuckles. A hollow sound indicates bread is done.
Note. Dough is enough for 1 large, 2 medium or 3 small loaves, or 16-24 rolls.
If white bread is prefered replace the 2 cups of wholemeal flour with another 2 cups of plain flour.

Answer 10

I love my bread machine! Except I don't let it bake in the machine. I just use the dough setting to make dough. Then I still get the fun of some of the kneading and shaping loaves. I make French bread or baguettes at least once a week.