How many MAKE THEIR OWN BREAD?
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Having hand made bread for 5 years or so (and never boucht a loaf) how many have noticed so much more bread flour in shops? Perhaps artisan breadmakers are coming to the fore, at last!
The best flour so far is Canadian very hard wheat flour. Spelt flour is really good, also. Any suggestions?
Responses (19)
I love home made bread Greydo, but breadmakers just don't do the job! Every one I've had (and I've had about five now) dies after a couple of months! So now I've given up on them, and handmade bread is only at the weekends when I've time to make it. Very therapeutic, bashing it about at times I must say! My favourite is sundried tomato and parmesan, but I tend to throw in whatever's to hand within reason, and it all gets eaten :)
After watching River Cottage and HFS telling what exactly goes into a loaf of white sliced bread (at least 2 years ago) I immediately bought a bread machine and have never bought shop bread since. The most important thing is the machine itself - many are just awful. I can highly recommend the Panasonic SD255 (I'm almost sure that's the right model but I'm not home just now so can't check it). Superb machine that always produces perfect bread. My friend had this machine and sang it's praises endlessly and now I know why. Costs apx £100 but worth every single penny. Cheaper ones are just not worth buying and you'll end up throwing them out.
wendiew, one motivated purchase has changed your diet! Great news!!
I have that model too and have had no problems, it is far superior bread than shop bought, but less work than going to shops too often.
Maybe I've just been unlucky wendiew, but I've had a panasonic and sadly that died too..maybe I just hammer it too much, I do tend to use them every day!
We use ours every 2 days or so and it's as good as new. I hope you returned all your dead ones to the shop for a refund - they have 12 months guarantee!!
And yours has lasted at least two years??
I too use a Panasonic breadmaker regularly and find it very reliable. I have had it for at least three years and have refined my own recipes for a range of breads with my favourite being wholemeal seeded loaves which are yummy.
Must just be me then! Maybe it's time to invest in another when I can afford it
Perhaps some of you guys can help me with an answer to my question in my comment on greydo's original post.
I do sometimes bake bread, but by hand not machine, my daughter makes her own too, but she uses a machine. I've noticed that spelt flour is very easy to get these days, it used to be very difficult to find outside large cities, but my local Co-op even sells it now, along with a variety of other bread flours.
I do when I have the time - home made is so much nicer isn't it.
What's your secret to making spelt bread? We're a no-wheat household but I've not had much success making spelt loaves, they've turned out a little on the heavy side.
Hannah - Spelt is delicious. It is a relative of wheat and is not gluten-free therefore not suitable for coeliac diets. The gluten in spelt is much weaker than in 'hard'wheat bread flours and therefore bread made with it is always heavier. Try using a shorter rising time. Try a Google search for the Daily Telegraph Three Minute Spelt Bread which has a slow rise in a cool place overnight - or no rising stage at all if pushed for time.
Thanks Sidesalad! I'll take a look.
Gosh your all so knowledgeable about bread I feel as if I've been missing out on something super. I shall really try and sort myself out and make some of this delicious sounding bread.
This sounds fascinating.
How does the price of a home made loaf compare to one bought in a shop though?
Good question! U'm not sure there's a huge saving to be made but it tastes soooooo much better G-Man
G-Man - cost will depend on the type of loaf you prefer. Some supermarket loaves are very cheap but if you make your own you know exactly what goes into it and you can reduce sugar and salt to the minimum and use good quality wholemeal flour, seeds, grains and a little olive oil to get a delicious flavour. There are no added preservatives or flour improvers either. A bread machine costs about 4-5p per loaf in electricity on top of the ingredient cost.
For wheat-free it's over 1/3 cheaper - but not quite as good (or maybe that's just my baking!)
Olive oil is interesting Sidesalad. Does it only affect the flavour or does it alter the consistency?
AlwynP. - olive oil changes both. I like the consistency (think ciabatta) and also the flavour which is lighter than butter but more flavoursome than vegetable oil.
I like ciabatta - so its olive oil we need to add side-radish??
Omen - yes, ciabatta needs some good olive oil for texture and flavour, but I usually make it using a two-stage process of a 'starter' basic yeast dough made 12 hours in advance and added to a second yeast dough made with olive oil and milk. It's not really as complicated as it sounds, just needs a bit of planning in advance.
What flour do you use - Lidl actually sell Ciabatta flour and it makes the most amazing stuffed crust pizzas - £14 for one at Pizza hut and I can make one much healthier fresh ingredients , real mozzarella stuffed crust with cheese ham and pineapple grrrr
Its making me hungry now!
What sort of flour do you use for yer Ciabatta Side-Galangal?
Omen - I use a mix of 'ordinary' plain flour and a strong bread flour for ciabatta. I expect that the Lidl ciabatta flour is such a mix. Ciabatta is usually made using both flours (ratio is 350g plain to 500g strong, from memory) as it gives a rather softer texture than using only strong flour as you would with a standard loaf. I don't think you need to buy a special ciabatta flour.
We were given a Panasonic bread maker for Christmas. We like the multiseed malted brown loaf we buy for £2 from a local baker.
The Panasonic instructions say that wholemeal should be mixed with white flour to avoid damage to the pan.
I have a packet labelled 'Oak smoked stoneground strong malted blend flour'. Do you think that could safely be used without damaging the pan or is it likely to be just as abrasive as wholemeal?
Also does anybody have suggestions as to what seeds to add, e.g. buckwheat, linseed?
Hi AlwynP - I would expect the stoneground mix to be OK unblended in the breadmaker, but to be on the safe side (I don't want to be responsible for ruining your new machine!) you could replace one third with strong white bread flour (or at a level suggested by Panasonic). I usually blend stoneground wholemeal and other flours with some white in the breadmaker purely to lighten the loaf. I find that stoneground wholemeal alone gives a heavy loaf. I had never thought about abrasion problems in the breadmaker pan and have not had any with mine in spite of adding seeds and grains to the mix. I do know that the dishwasher is supposed to damage the pan and that they should always be hand washed.
Thanks Sidesalad. I decided to ignore the warning in the manual and made bread with all 'granary' flour and a mixture of seeds in the seed pan. It is fine although slightly less 'malty' than the bread from our local baker. I wonder if using muscavado sugar instead of granulated might make a difference. Also as I'm slightly diabetic I used olive spread instead of butter.
I use brown or muscovado sugar which does add more flavour but the amount is so low that there is not a huge difference between that and white sugar. I also use a mix of granary and wholemeal flours which give a good flavour. Try also cooking on the 'brown' or highest bake setting to get a more caramellised crust.
Is it necessary to have a bread maker?
Often thought of buying one?
If it makes perfect bread every time I may give it a go!
I luvv the smell of fresh bread!
hmmmmmm
Not actually necessary, but great results for minimal effort. You could make bread by hand but it's hard work and takes a while. If you read through this thread and look at reviews on the web you'll be recommended by nearly all to get the Panasonic SD255 which costs apx £100 but is far better than any other machine. You can set it at night and wake up to perfect fresh healthy bread in the morning, and no need for an alarm clock as the lovely smell with wake you!!
£100 and it isnt necessary so I will stick to doing it by hand - there is something sensual about all the kneading and pummeling!
I like a good pummel!!!
I do think we buy too many things to make life easier but it makes us unfit and unskilled.
I do make mine by hand since the last breadmaker turned my efforts to cinders wendi, and I quite enjoy getting physical with it:) It doesn't take too long really - you do a little bit then leave it to rise while you do other things, then when I remember I go back and do some more to it..all very scientific!!
And just think how strong your wrists are now Jazz.
All the better to fend off those muggers or to open that really hard to open lid of marmalade!!!
See benefits already by doing by hand!
>;o)
Lol OD, I'm sure strong wrists could be useful in many ways :)
I havent a clue what you could mean!
Is that why they call you Jazz!
>;o)
I assume you mean dancing...........?
Ohh I thought you meant pole vaulting!
>;o)
I missed the bit about pole vaulting before!
I missed the bit about power lifting after...
>;o)
good news
I'm getting the hang of this breadmaker malarky now. Omendata yes, if you have a Panasonic, it comes out perfect every time.
We've settled on the granary sandwich loaf. The only drawback is that you can't add seeds. The nearest is a mixed white flour and granary with seeds. It seems that using all granary flour scratches the 'Teflon' or whatever surface of the bin for that particular prgramme.
The really clever bit is that, for most programmes, you can set it up the night before and have lovely fresh bread ready for breakfast.
It is encouraging to see so many people making bread! If seeds are no good in your bread making machine, perhaps you could try putting 2oz porage oats into the mix. That should taste similar, be better for you, and not damage your breadmaker!
Is that the model wendiew recommended? I do need to get another soon, really miss mine
Well, jazzj and all artizan bread bakers- Mrs. G. has attacked the LIDL flour bread, and pronounced it "lovely", that prompted me to try some, and YES! It is excellent! All that travelling to Monmouth Waitrose, when Lidl is only 4 miles from here!
Yes Jazzj wendiew has aPanasonic 255. Mine's a SD2501 and it has a seed bin with programmes enabling seed to be added at some point during the cycle.
Thanks Alwyn, I'm saving up my pennies
All these domestically minded men - A bit of a competition here I believe.
Did you get a good crust on it in the end then greydo as I thought you were disappointed in the top.
My Panasonic SD255 also has the seed/nut/raisin container in the lid which drops its contents into the dough at the right time.
I also tried the 'dough only' programme, for hot cross buns, and it was superb - but my panasonic recipe book is not to be trusted as it said cook the buns for 10 minutes at 220 degrees!! Charcoal!!! My friend has this machine (which is why I got one) and his recipe book is an earlier version, the cooking times and temperatures are correct and the ingredients are slightly different for each recipe - mine doesn't mention milk powder at all, whereas his book does. I have photocopied his entire book and thrown mine away!
Thanks for the warning Wendiew :)
Still saving wendiew, still saving!!
I am trying various flours, to see the best value for money brand.
Have tried Hovis super strong- £1:24 per pack. 7/10
Waitrose Canadian super strong £1:49 9/10
Sainsbury Canadian (small pack) £1:19 8/10
And just made a loaf (not tried yet) using Lidl Bread Flour £0:64 9/10 YES, 64pence!
So that may help others!
Intersting that lidl comes out top, thanks
Ah! The taste test! Lidl bread (untried at posting) is not so flavoursome as, say, Waitrose flour. Although cheap, it lacks a crisp crust and loses out on structure in the crumb. It now appears that price dictates quality and flavour. Lidl flour is still worth buying, though.
I quite like a mix of flour. Tried adding 50 grams rye flour to 450 of wholmeal and made a dense loaf with a uniform crumb and a good flavour.
I agree Lidl Ciabatta flour as i mentioned earlier is great for stuffed crust real Itlaina pizza and ciabatta etc
Go lidl go...
My question would be has anyone tried to make Beer Bread - I am thinking of making bread with some beer and banana - might be a new sensation!!!
Always on the lookout for the next great thing....
>;O)
Beer and bananas....hmmm..interesting..I so need a new breadmaker!!
Beer , banana & olive oil with some prunes even.
mmmmm
Maybe need to invest in a bread making machine.
Still saving my pennies Omen
And watch the pounds look after themeselves eh...
.)-+)
mmm, been making my own bread now for the past 5 years. Still have the odd loaf in the freezer too. But you cant beat the smell and taste of fresh warm bread. Yum Yum..
Having never attempted to make bread i've always thought it must be very time consuming? I would like to know how long does the prep actually take as i'm always pushed for time?... And is it complicated?
I'm always game to try anything new at least once anyway...Might give it a go!
You might want to rephrase that last bit before Snoops picks up on it...........
Bread is so easy to do, you'll laugh when you do it..it doesn't take a lot of time..you do a bit, leave it to rise while you something else, then do a bit, so easy, and really doesn't take long if you have a warm place for it to rise (we all know things don't rise when its cold...)
Give it a go!
Just made that banana and beer bread - threw in some prunes but avoided the Olive oil - must admit its quite different and tastes very unusual...
Taking it up to the bakery at the Avenue tomorrow see if i can start a new business!!!
lol
Munch munch with some freshly chilled Lurpak mmmmmmm
My neighbour just popped up to ask what I was cooking , ate a bit and has now placed an order for two loaves - £10 each should be about right for my designer Newton Mearns loaves or do you think i am undercharging for this neck of the woods?
>;O)
Lol Omen, is it posh area then?
Prunes, bananas and beer - I expect to hear of gale force winds shortly........
Gale force 9....
Sounds like you're on the way to becoming an artisan baker, Omen! :-)
Wow go Omen! Check you out! Impressive indeed!
Remember as much as its a posh area we live in the people are a bit mean don't you think so perhaps £9.99 might sell better lol!
High Serena,
If you have a breadmaker it's a doddle. Starting with the yeast at the bottom you throw in all the ingredients, set the programme and, if doing overnight, the timer. Takes about 5 minutes. Come down in the morning to the smell of fresh bread.
Lovely with a breadmaker Alwyn!
Thank you Alwyn P! It's just want i needed to know i just didn't know where to start. I will give it a bash.
serena1, try this!
1 lb strong bread flour, 1oz fat (lard, butter etc) 1/2 teaspoon salt. Warm in switched off oven. 10 fluid oz water/milk (warm) and 1/2 teaspoon sugar . Add yeast: I use fresh, but dried also fine. 1/2 oz fresh used.
When frothy, add liquid to flour. Mix in mixer, or by hand, knead for 10 mins. Cover in bowl, let double in size. Knead again, lightly for 1 minute, cover for 10 mins. Place in greased and floured loaf tin. Cover. Switch oven on to hot (!) Gas 9,
When dough rises above top of tin, in oven, say 35 minutes. Turn out. Tap base. Hollow sound? Onto wire rack until cool. If not, back in oven 5 minutes. Slice and eat!! Sorry late response.
Marriage's the Essex based millers do a good range of bread flours - not sure if they are Canadian hard though. Many years ago we were able to get Canadian flour locally but the supplier gave up when prices rose. Bread flour from the Lidl chain is acceptable. My wife often mixes wholemeal and white flours.
michael90, thanks for your input, and welcome! Tell your wife to keep baking for fun, and to know exactly what goes in your loaf. Have members considered that? What are all these preservatives in our foods doing to us?
Well done everybody - I am so impressed by you all. Can I ask if anyone has made a loaf of Gluten Free bread that is not so dense it is heavy and just not worth the bother? My daughter has Coeliac disease and would give anything for a sandwich that tastes like it should. I am wondering if the big baking companies cannot get it to be edible what chance do I have? Any tips or recipes would be so welcome..............x
Thank you so much for your prompt reply Omendata.............x
Tricky one this, but here are some American recipes for bread that you might want to try. I have not tested these but they look OK:
http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2008/09/bread-and-quick-bread-recipes.html
Its always a pleasure for genuine new users - hope you will stay with us now!!!!
I promise to be nice!!!
>;o)
I promise to stay Omendata - aren't you always nice then? Actually that avatar pic is a bit scary to be honest - only kidding!!
Oooops nearly forgot - any really nice reciptes for Date and Walnut loaf (For my husband and I) not my daughter..........Thank you.
have a look at the walnut and date recipe in "The W I Book of Cakes" by Jill Brand. The recipe is simple, reliable and tasty. If no longer in print check out "Cakes and Biscuits: Best Kept Secrets of the Women's Institute" also by Jill Brand. I'm not sure if this has the same recipe and can't lay my hands on my copy at the moment. In any case, if you like baking there are loads of excellent recipes to try.
I've done it, I've done it!! I've finally ordered my breadmaker, should be here by end of next week at the latest!!
Best of luck, Jazzj, and keep it going: I have not bought bread for at least 4 years! You may smell some baking, now!!
Ooooh how exciting! You'll have such fun using it. Bon appetit.
Only ever bought cheapie ones before that die really quickly, but this time I've got a Panasonic..........soooo looking forward to real bread again!!
You are sooo in for a treat Jazz. Not only will have unlimited fresh bread but your house will smell wonderful too. We've had one for years and never tire of using it. Put all the ingredients in and leave it on a timer so there will be fresh bread when you get in from work or play!! Stick to the recipes, always use strong bread flour and always thoroughly clean around the mixing paddle.
Ooooh get me!!! Giving cooking tips to a Lady!!! :-)
A lady?? Best compliment I've had for ages Bonz :)
If i'd read the whole thread before jumping in i would have seen you'd had one before. Typical of me, rushing in where angels fear to tread!!
Nothing wrong with being enthusiatic Bonz!!
I made a seedy granary loaf today - yummy!
Yum sidesalad, can't wait!! None of my other machines lasted very long. I used them daily and just as the guarantee ran out I came home to uncooked middles and burnt outsides, and a horrid smell!!
Just got back to rainy UK since departing to sunny climes in November - only thing I missed whilst away was my Panasonic and the lovely bread. So pleased to hear that your savings pot reached its goal Jazzj, you must be so chuffed! Sadly there's not a pinch of flour or grain of salt in my house right now so the first homecoming loaf will have to wait till I can face shopping in the rain, but it'll certainly be worth it. Well done and ENJOY!!!
Right - all the more reason to bake as my grandson Jack has a milk/lactose allergy and just found it also has a soya allergy as well which is a real pain for his Mum and Dad. First loaf of bread in the Panasonic at the moment using dairy free spread etc - will let you know what it turns out like..........
Oh wow - lactose and soya allergy. That makes life difficult! Look forward to hearing how the recipe goes.
First loaf of bread baked and looks fine. Omitted the dried milk (not necessary apparantly - just for extra taste) and used Pure spread but have to confess I didn't make it - my son did but will post a photo and report back asap. Proud of my son - having a go for the sake of his son...............
Well done, I've just got a new Panasonic too and loving it!
Sorry for delay on bread review that was lactose and soya free but glad to report that it was excellent and my baby grandson Jack (2 years old) is enjoying his bread again. The texture was as light as a feather and lovely. Encourages us to try other recipes now but could be a long time before I get my Panasonic breadmaker back I think! Also have tried a loaf of Gluten Free but wasn't that nice to be honest but my daughter made it and she isn't the most patient of people so possibly didn't pay attention to detail so I'll give it a go.
Thank you for your invaluable advice - you are such a friendly, happy lot! Have a nice Bank Holiday Monday all....................
Oh excellent Dollychris, sounds like the lactose/soya free was a success, so difficult catering for different diets, makes me realise how lucky i am with my own children!
I'm a bloke and I make bread every week.
It's like a first meeting at AA.
Not only is bread expensive, but it is hard to find one that tastes half way decent.
I make bread when I do a roast-economical use of oven- but an aide to remember to do a bake.
Gone through a hundred recipies and all are nicer, if not more satisfying than shop bought.
I agree shop bought is tasteless compared to homemade Gryan, well unless you're prepared to spend a fortune it is. I make all the rolls for the childrens' packed lunches, not necessarily cheaper, but definitely tastier!
This week we've used our Panasonic for making Pizza dough - never tried this out before! The results have been fab, really nice pizza base, throw on the toppings of your choice and bake in the oven. Dead easy and SO tasty - much nicer then frozen or shop bought pizzas. We even managed to do a stuffed-crust one, which entertained us for a while as it was a bit fiddly but worked out great.
Sounds wonderful Wendi can you send me some through the post - love Sabre x
I've not done stuffed crust but I do use it for pizza dough, as you say, its so much nicer :)
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Thanks, Jazzj!
You can refine this Italian type bread by making focaccia, just add olive oil and milk to flour,then all herbs etc as mentioned!
Yep.I've done that too, but I don't like it done in a breadmaker as its too thick..prefer to make it thin with dimples in the top for the oil to sit in, yum :)
You can make focaccia in the breadmaker but you have to take it out and finish it by hand and bake in the oven. I find it's barely worth doing that and best to make it all by hand. I use Paul Hollywood's recipe.
I've never used a bread machine it sounds a good idea though'
Sabre - If you are inspired to give it a go I recommend this book for lots of ideas and recipes for both traditional and machine breads, "The Big Book of Bread: 365 Recipes for Bread Machines and Home Baking" by Anne Sheasby.