Making Bread

[Caggsie1]

i tried a week ago to make a no knead bread. Cooked in predominantlyin a slow cooker Everything did as was supposed to. I left it to rise overnight as suggested on you tube, shaped it and let it rise for second time. It looked very good. It cooked for about 4 hours, and seemed cooked but was very pale. I finished it off in the oven to get some colour. It looked fab, it had lots of air bubbles but was quite a heavy bread. Is this how it should be? I’ve bought a Dutch oven in hope this will be better method of cooking as only needs 35 mins but a very hot oven. I’m worried to try again!

 

[Puddleduck]

There is a lot of trial and error involved.

 

[Madcaravanner]

Bread is so variable depending on type of yeast how long you prove it for even the weather (ambient temperature) and oven temperatures

I've had surprising results in the Mr D's cooker but real crispy bread is best in a openfire oven but that's only my opinion

 

[Odd-no-more]

Try soda bread. Very easy to make

 

[Emmit]

I apologise if my expertise in this matter is 47 yrs. old but from memory, if you don't knead the bread in between provings 1 and 2 your bread will have inconsistent air bubbles. (After all, the 'bubbles' are caused by the effect of the yeast)
If you 'knock it back' after proving No.1 and give a kneading, you should have a more consistent crumb.
Good luck

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[Caggsie1]

@Emmit it was a no knead, so proving over a much longer period was required.

 

[Caggsie1]

@The gasman watching utube on soda bread I will have to make a culture, which takes about 10 days. Is it a lighter bread?

 

[Wildbill]

Bread is so variable depending on type of yeast how long you prove it for even the weather (ambient temperature) and oven temperatures

I've had surprising results in the Mr D's cooker but real crispy bread is best in a openfire oven but that's only my opinion

Made in a five gallon oil drum oven
BILL

 

[Emmit]

I see from a quick troll through t'internet that No Knead bread was invented in 1999.

Then I was two years off my 'Plodding' pension and 28 years from going home covered in a fine cloud of bread flour!

 

[Odd-no-more]

@The gasman watching utube on soda bread I will have to make a culture, which takes about 10 days. Is it a lighter bread?

No that is for sourdough, soda bread uses soda instead of yeast. Very easy!

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[Caggsie1]

Does anyone have any fool proof recipes that give a lighter dough please

 

[ChrisL]

You didn't mention whether your bread was made with wholemeal or white flour, wholemeal tends to be quite a bit heavier, i normally use two cups of wholemeal and one cup of white to get a lighter loaf.

 

[Jill]

I made 'no knead bread' yesterday.

This is the recipe I used:

3 cups flour, 1.5 tsp salt, 0.5 tsp instant yeast, 1.5 cups room temp water.

Mix it all together in a bowl (won’t be pretty). Cover with cling film and leave for 12-18 hours on the kitchen work top. When ready to bake preheat oven to 450 degrees or gas 8 and place a large Pyrex dish with lid or cast iron pot with lid in to pre heat. Scrape dough onto a well flowered surface(it’ll be quite sticky) and just shape into a ball. Flour top & put on baking paper. Lift using baking paper and place into hot dish and bake with lid on for 30 mins, remove lid and bake for further 10-15 mins til brown.

It is a bit heavier than a regular loaf - and has a bit of a sour-dough taste to it.

 

[Caggsie1]

@ChrisL strong white flour, in fact the recipe that I’d used seems to be the norm on the utube vids. 3 cups flour, 1/4 tsp yeast 1tsp salt. 1.5 cups of warm water. I’ve been looking for more videos and came across Richard Bertinet, which was 1kg flour, tsp yeast, 2tsp of salt. He beat the hell out of it. Anyway, I’ve decided to beat it in the mixer and I am now letting it prove overnight. I will give piccies tomorrow. But will be used g cast iron 3ltr pot to cook it in.

 

[Caggsie1]

@Jill, do I have to do the kneading method to get a lighter texture?

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[Jill]

I've made several loaves in the past all turning out pretty much the same. TBH I've not tried kneading any of them. My mixture is always a bit on the sticky side so would get messy. This was yesterday's effort.

 

[Caggsie1]

@Jill that looks fabby

 

[Puddleduck]

I am gluten-free which is a whole different ball game but generally I use a bread maker. Sometimes I let it run the full bake programme but sometimes tip it out after the last knead, shape and allow to do the final prove before baking in the oven.

 

[Caggsie1]

I too have a bread maker but haven’t used it fir some time. I just wanted to master the art of bread making to make a half decent loaf. The one I made wasn’t bad, just found it quite heavy. Maybe I’m trying to replicate what can’t be replicated- light crusty loaf from supermarket. That’s the lightness I want. Is it actually achievable?

 

[Jill]

I've a bread maker too that normally gets used several times a week. It's just nice to do something a bit different.

I'm currently getting very excited over my bubbling sourdough starter. I'll put up a piccy when I use it in a loaf.

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[movan]

i tried a week ago to make a no knead bread. Cooked in predominantlyin a slow cooker Everything did as was supposed to. I left it to rise overnight as suggested on you tube, shaped it and let it rise for second time. It looked very good. It cooked for about 4 hours, and seemed cooked but was very pale. I finished it off in the oven to get some colour. It looked fab, it had lots of air bubbles but was quite a heavy bread. Is this how it should be? I’ve bought a Dutch oven in hope this will be better method of cooking as only needs 35 mins but a very hot oven. I’m worried to try again!

One of the best bread making funsters is @Ed Earl ... if you ask nicely he MAY give you some tips ... or a round of his bread at one of the rallies

 

[Chockswahay]

I have tried 'no knead' a few times ........ the results are never as good as kneaded bread. As for the bake, bread is best baked at high temperatures and not really suited to slow cooking. You will get an 'edible' result either way but probably not very good quality.

When in the van I use an Omnia stove top cooker with a non stick 'bundt' style liner, but i still knead the dough. If you don't want to knead then modified 'folds' would be the next best.......

Here is a link for you:

 

[Caggsie1]

@Chockswahay yes seeing your bread posts have made the increase in interest to make bread. Also the fact you’d made it in the van too. I don’t think that getting another gadget in an Omnia oven is something I’ll get until I get better at it.
I’d seen that guy too but making sourdough, making a culture. I find his voice quick easy to listen too. I’ll give his method a go next time

 

[Caggsie1]

And in from taking neighbour for Xmas pressie of a meal out. It looked very good, but I had to peel the cling film off, this is how it ended up. Won’t be cooking till morning it looks like it collapsed a bit. I think I will bash it about slightly and gently and put it to prove again.

 

[Caggsie1]

Just beat it a bit and going to let it prove overnight. I will cook it in the morning.

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[Caggsie1]

Turned out turned out better than last one but still quite a heavy/ dense texture

 

[Jill]

Voila! (Forgot to take the pic before eating )

 

[Minxy]

I bought some Omnia style oven/pans while in France as they were clearing them out and I thought some funsters might want one - if so let me know - I've put them on Ebay but obviously there would be a £4.99 discount for funsters as there's be no fees to pay!

 

[Caggsie1]

@Minxy Girl
What is the second funnel for?

 

[Caggsie1]

I’m now trying to make a French stick, using another utube. It’s kneaded every 45 mins x 4 times, then30 min rest then cook. John kirkwood. So will see how it goes.

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