Bread recipes?

I saw something about bread here a couple of days ago but can't find it.....

Does anyone make their own bread and have a tried and tested recipe to share? Whole wheat if possible. I have never had much luck with yeast breads. I make Irish brown bread quite a lot, because it is a quickbread, but I am trying to completely give up dairy at the moment due to allergy flare ups, and it contains buttermilk.

I don't have a bread machine. Do they make better bread or is it just easier? I do have a mixer.



ETA It was in the "penny pinching" post that I saw bread talk, but there was no recipe. Oh Cassy??

[Cumberland]

Re: Bread recipes?

I have made the recipe on the back of the king arthur whole wheat flour several times and it came out perfectly. I also had great success with the no knead bread recipe that was in NYT and mother earth news. Here is that one:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/081mrex.html

I just got a breadmaker and will probably stick with that bc it is so much less work.

[spotty_dog]

Re: Bread recipes?

Cassie, is that a two pound recipe? Looks like a ton of flour and yeast! I usually do one pound recipes that call for 1.5 tsp. I'll pull a couple out in a bit and copy them here.

[spotty_dog]

Re: Bread recipes?

Whole wheat can be tricksy because it doesn't have enough gluten to counteract its density. Cutting it with bread flour helps, adding straight gluten helps more. I'm thinking that if there's too much yeast and/or sugar, you'll get it rising high and then crashing down into a dense mess before it bakes. But that doesn't explain really why the yeast brand matters! I'd be stumped too.

Here's a basic whole wheat bread, I'll copy the 1 pound recipe which is what I usually make since anything more goes stale before I use it.

1/4 cup water
3/8 cup milk
1 egg
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons Red Star yeast for bread machines. (I use Fleischmann's.)

Select Light Crust setting.

[spotty_dog]

Re: Bread recipes?

And here's my standby raisin bread, always a hit at playgroup. Also a 1 pound recipe.

BTW, I love my book Rustic European Breads from your Bread Machine. Not only does it have great recipes, it has great info about the "chemistry" of bread baking and how things are altered when it comes to the machine!

Anyway,

1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
7/8 cup water
2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon oil
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup raisins
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoon Red Star yeast for bread machines

Select Rapid Bake setting, Regular crust.

Both these recipes are from Bread Machine Magic, a pretty good cookbook so far.

Re: Bread recipes?

Cassy I have exactly the same issues with yeast!!!! I am so glad it is not just me!!! My loaves are puny and dense! I thought it was because I am trying to adapt European recipes (I find American bread so sweet!), but have the same problem when I make recipes from here. I grew up baking bread with my Mum back in England and never had this issue. I didn't know the yeast was different. I know the flour is different :sigh:
I guess I'll get Mum to bring me some yeast next visit
And maybe I should get a bread machine. I'll try freecycle.
Thanks for the recipes I will try them.

Re: Bread recipes?

And Cassy in general I find that substituting unsweetened soy milk for regular milk in baking is fine.

[Michele]

Re: Bread recipes?

Cassy, I don't think you have enough sugar....but I'm still a bread novice.

I wanted to post the recipe I'm using a lot for everyday bread...

In my breadmachine pan, I add:
1 c warm water
2 tsp yeast (regular - not rapid rise)
3 tbsp honey

Let proof for 10 min.
Then add:
1/4 c canola oil
1 c whole wheat flou
2 c all purpose flour
3 tbsp vital wheat gluten
1 tsp salt

Select regular bread, and light crust setting. I know I know it goes against the directions of the bread machine to NEVER let the yeast touch the water...but it works great. I bet I could get away with less "sugar" but I like the sweetness with the wheat.

Oh and I have a rosemary recipe that we love (similar to Macaroni Grill).

[poky]

Re: Bread recipes?

I think the "don't let the yeast touch the water" in bread machines is if you're going to let it sit for a long time before starting the mixing - do you start it mixing right away, or time it to start making it several hours later?

[Michele]

Re: Bread recipes?

I set it to start right after the 10 minutes.....that makes sense though about if it's going to sit and be made later.....ooooh would you get a yeast bloom!!