Bread thread

So I made bread last night and figured I probably wasn't the only person on here who likes to make bread.

Seeing as this place has threads for nearly everything else I figured "why not".

So far I mostly make plain white loafs, but am starting to get into making sour dough, rye and wholemeal/wholegrain breads

I'll try and get a few photos up of my crusty creations when I can

Meanwhile anyone who wants to post photos or recipies of their handy work please do.

can't remember his user name … but we have/had a poster that opened his own bread store … St. Louis … maybe ?

I used to make bread .. the "old fashioned way" i.e. by hand …

but at one time, yrs ago, was given a bread maker … that nearly killed me ..LOL

and now diabetic, so have to keep very tight controls on my flour intake

Several us make whole grain breads uses the wastes of our beer making.

In reply to Grtechguy:

Oh Really? I like making bread and beer, but didn't know you could combine the two...

I've made some free form breads. Pretty artsy. However, I'm not a house wife. I work 60+hrs/wk, so I got to Whole Foods and buy their fresh bread. Damn good stuff and super heavy. Make lots of sandwiches or put it in the freezer because it only lasts a few days before the mold cones.

bgkast wrote: In reply to Grtechguy: Oh Really? I like making bread and beer, but didn't know you could combine the two...

http://byo.com/hops/item/714-great-bread-from-spent-grains

Many recipes. Google "spent grain bread" I've also substituted homebrew for water with great results.

Couple of months ago, I found a nice looking recipe in a magazine for whole wheat- which was good, and I thought I'd give it a try in a bread machine- and adjusting for the size of my machine- it works really well.

1 2/3 C whole milk 2 1/2 T unsalted butter 1 T oil (this is to help moisture- but it was 3T of just butter) 1 T honey 1 T molasses

2 C AP flour 2 C whole wheat flour 1/4 C wheat bran 1 T salt 1 T yeast. We tried fast rise for bread machines, and it seems better with that.

It's quite good.

If I were a beer maker, I would totally try the spent grain bread. Wonder if I could use the old yeast from wine.

I made a loaf today at work. I get my whole wheat flour direct from the farmer in Colorado. Everyone likes my bread. Ask Margie.

I've got a How To on sourdough on my web site.

I've only made one, my family's Easter Bread. Grandma got the recipe from some magazine in the 60's. Dad has been making it as long as I can remember and I made it while he was in Iraq.

It's like a sweet challah bread. Roll out 2 ropes, braid it 6 times, form a circle, put a raw colored egg in each knot, and top with green and red colored sugar sprinkles.

wbjones wrote: can't remember his user name … but we have/had a poster that opened his own bread store … St. Louis … maybe ? I used to make bread .. the "old fashioned way" i.e. by hand … but at one time, yrs ago, was given a bread maker … that nearly killed me ..LOL and now diabetic, so have to keep very tight controls on my flour intake

Yup, I liked their facebook page which is Red Guitar Bread. Looks delicious.Not sure of the user though.

First and only attempt at bread was pretty dense. My pizza dough has been quite successful though.

I have modified a simple white French bread recipe for a type of pull apart bun my Mom made. I prefer whole wheat bread, but I can't seem to make it without it being bitter. I'm sure there is a solution, but I buy an "Ancient Grains" bread at the store that I really like, so why make it myself?

Pagin Alex, Alex to the courtesy phone please

Grm continues to amaze me, I was kinda expecting crickets.

I've been making handmade hand formed loafs for a few months now, but not much more regularly than once or twice every week or two. I'd like to get to the point where I make most if not all my bread myself.

I've been making pizza dough for a few years, but never thought to translate it to normal bread till recently.

I made a sour dough stater a few weeks ago and made my first sour dough 2 weekends ago, it was great. Hopefully I can keep the starter going so the flavours continue to mature and develope.

I'll definitely have to look I to spent grain bread if I get into making my own mash/wort, which I'd love to do at some stage

Enyar wrote:

wbjones wrote: can't remember his user name … but we have/had a poster that opened his own bread store … St. Louis … maybe ? I used to make bread .. the "old fashioned way" i.e. by hand … but at one time, yrs ago, was given a bread maker … that nearly killed me ..LOL and now diabetic, so have to keep very tight controls on my flour intake

Yup, I liked their facebook page which is Red Guitar Bread. Looks delicious.Not sure of the user though. First and only attempt at bread was pretty dense. My pizza dough has been quite successful though.

that's the one ( I think ) … anyway, miss him on here

Streetwiseguy wrote: I have modified a simple white French bread recipe for a type of pull apart bun my Mom made. I prefer whole wheat bread, but I can't seem to make it without it being bitter. I'm sure there is a solution, but I buy an "Ancient Grains" bread at the store that I really like, so why make it myself?

my diabetes nutritionist chastises me for eating whole wheat bread (though it is SLIGHTLY better for me than white bread) because of the amt. of sugar added to make it taste "good" .. that might be the bitter you're experiencing

wbjones wrote: can't remember his user name … but we have/had a poster that opened his own bread store … St. Louis … maybe ?

Alex

I love to make my own breads. I don't have a lot of time so I will use the breadmaker on the dough cycle, then form the rolls/loaf and let it rise a final time before baking. Problem is I want to eat the entire thing afterwards, like that time I made croissants from scratch. Damn near killed myself eating 22 croissants.

I make Challah rolls for pulled pork sandwiches.

Now I'm hungry

bgkast wrote: In reply to Grtechguy: Oh Really? I like making bread and beer, but didn't know you could combine the two...

That's where Rumpelstiltskin got his "Today I brew and tomorrow I bake" part of his rhyme from.

daeman wrote: I've been making pizza dough for a few years, but never thought to translate it to normal bread till recently.

Pizza dough - at least the way I've made it - is basically French bread plus some olive oil. One other trick you can do with pizza dough is foccia bread - just add an extra teaspoon of olive oil and make it very thick, then drizzle it with olive oil, rosemary, and sea salt.

I've found using a food processor instead of kneeding the dough by hand saves a lot of effort.

wbjones wrote:

Streetwiseguy wrote: I have modified a simple white French bread recipe for a type of pull apart bun my Mom made. I prefer whole wheat bread, but I can't seem to make it without it being bitter. I'm sure there is a solution, but I buy an "Ancient Grains" bread at the store that I really like, so why make it myself?

my diabetes nutritionist chastises me for eating whole wheat bread (though it is SLIGHTLY better for me than white bread) because of the amt. of sugar added to make it taste "good" .. that might be the bitter you're experiencing

If there is that much sugar added, they're doing it wrong. It only takes 2 tablespoons of sugar for a 3 cup loaf, and that's to get the yeast jump-started.

looking at the list on the package(s) … the run-of-the-mill whole wheat bread comes in at about 11g of carbohydrates per slice … the more artisan breads (be they Rye, Pumpernickel, whole wheat …etc ) usually come in at about 25g per slice … I'm guessing those are the ones my nutritionists is referring to

Challah may be the best bread ever.

You could say I'm into bread - the 10,000 lb. brick oven I built would at least give you that impression.

Dr. Hess wrote: I made a loaf today at work. I get my whole wheat flour direct from the farmer in Colorado. Everyone likes my bread. Ask Margie. I've got a How To on sourdough on my web site.

Yup, the good doc makes a hell of a mix for breadmakers.

My latest discovery is homemade breadsticks. They are super easy with the breadmaker, infinitely customizable, and provide just the right amount of satisfying breadiness and crunch for us oldsters who have had to cut back on the refined flour. Only problem is that when the kids are home, most get gobbled up while still warm out of the oven

Marjorie Suddard wrote: most get gobbled up while still warm out of the oven

Is there any other way?