I don't belong here but I got a jones to make bread. After research decided chapatis would be easiest to start with. Disaster ensues. My kitchen is covered with flour and so am I. The "breads" looked great stuck to the rolling pin I bought for this occasion but I could not get them off it looking so great. Followed a recipe, WTF. F*ck a bread, so frustrating. I will go back to my NN roots which doesn't include it. Want A+ tasty food homemade. Mad respect for all you eminent bakers, jdc A+. I will continue to admire your skillz. Thanks for showing your pro results and getting the cooking proletariat inspired to try even a little. Baking ambassador.
― soviet, Sunday, 8 August 2010 00:45 (thirteen years ago) link
Odd that this thread gets bumped just minutes after I finished making a loaf of bread for the first time. It actually turned out really well.
I followed this recipe FWIW: http://www.instructables.com/id/How-To-Make-Bread-without-a-bread-machine/
― Janet Privacy Control (corey), Sunday, 8 August 2010 00:48 (thirteen years ago) link
if we're sharing recipes... this is wonderful, idiot-proof white bread (http://www.danlepard.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2593) and a recipe i wish i'd started with when i started making bread, as it is a great, easy loaf, with great results. and these rolls (http://www.danlepard.com/recipes/2010/07/2851/semolina-bbq-buns/) are a little trickier, but so delicious...
― are you some kinda rap version of marc loi (stevie), Sunday, 8 August 2010 09:00 (thirteen years ago) link
Followed the same recipe as before, with better results this time (and cut a fancy X in the center :D)
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs156.ash2/41117_419188966537_687686537_4961523_2906430_n.jpg
I let it proof for an hour, then kneaded it again and let it come back to size on the pan, and later brushed on some olive oil for the last five minutes — the crust turned a lovely brown and is deliciously crispy. :)
― Joanie Loves Shakuhachi (corey), Friday, 13 August 2010 04:21 (thirteen years ago) link
!
― Want A+ tasty food homemade (jdchurchill), Friday, 13 August 2010 13:23 (thirteen years ago) link
for the easiest bread in the world, do soda bread
http://www.howdidyoumakethat.com/content/marnas-soda-bread
― progressive cuts (Tracer Hand), Friday, 13 August 2010 14:18 (thirteen years ago) link
agree soda bread is mad easy and good to do
― Want A+ tasty food homemade (jdchurchill), Monday, 16 August 2010 01:41 (thirteen years ago) link
I made this buttermilk cluster as two loaves instead of a pan of rolls -- very nice, fine-textured crumb, better for sandwiches than the italian loaves I'd been making. And like all homemade bread, it makes great toast.
― the wages of sin is about tree fiddy (WmC), Sunday, 17 April 2011 17:16 (thirteen years ago) link
for my chi-town peeps i am involved in teaching bread classes as part of http://www.sourflour.org/chicago/
― Das Unbehagen in der Kultur (jdchurchill), Thursday, 2 February 2012 02:24 (twelve years ago) link
How important is putting bread dough into a preheated oven? I use the oven as a proofing chamber because the kitchen stays pretty cold and the pilot light keeps the oven warm but not too hot. When it's time to bake, could I just turn on the oven without taking the dough out? I'm proofing it in the dutch oven that it bakes in.
― oldbowie (WilliamC), Monday, 30 December 2013 17:05 (ten years ago) link
there's a discussion herehttp://community.kingarthurflour.com/content/starting-cold-oven
i think it ultimately depends on if the dutch oven is ceramic or cast iron --- it seems that a cold oven is suggested for ceramic receptacles/baking stones etc so that they don't crack, but if yr using cast-iron or enamelled cast-iron, you wouldn't need to do that & it may change how the bread turns out?
it's been years since I made bread from scratch, so idk
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 30 December 2013 19:40 (ten years ago) link
It's enameled cast iron. It's rising very well in the oven, and I don't want to accidentally de-gas the dough with the impact of moving it around a couple of times, especially into a colder environment, so I'm going to try just turning the oven on. Thanks for that link!
― oldbowie (WilliamC), Monday, 30 December 2013 20:29 (ten years ago) link
It depends a lot on the dough - for most, you want a hot oven so the steam/gas in the dough can puff it up before the crust forms too much. A slower oven dries out the dough more during the rising/crust forming stages, again for most.
― Jaq, Monday, 30 December 2013 20:31 (ten years ago) link
My last couple of bakes have been absolutely beautiful. Letting the preferment sit overnight was not working -- cutting back to four hours tops meant it was still very active and raring to go when I mixed the dough. Finally getting the hang of the Kitchenaid mixer. For this last batch, I had new silicone loaf pans. Got a huge oven bounce.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v296/WilliamCrump63/aprilbread2.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v296/WilliamCrump63/aprilbread1.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v296/WilliamCrump63/aprilbread3.jpg
― WilliamC, Sunday, 6 April 2014 15:12 (ten years ago) link
Gorgeous!
― Jaq, Sunday, 6 April 2014 15:17 (ten years ago) link
Thanks! I'm learning that little things can mean so much -- barely warming the oiled bowl that the dough rises in, and making a slightly wetter dough. But not exhausting the preferment has been the most important lesson.
― WilliamC, Sunday, 6 April 2014 15:30 (ten years ago) link