Bread-making Help Please [Flour & Yeast]

[DJKeefy]

OK its everyone over to AkenMahaf for thick slices of fresh made bread with butter (with salt)

[AkenMahaf]

OK its everyone over to AkenMahaf for thick slices of fresh made bread with butter (with salt)

:mice:

Fil Mish Mish!

:bye:

[Countessa]

So glad the bread turned out well Mmm....my mouth's watering at the thought of spiced teacakes - don't suppose you'd accept bribes??

[Countessa]

Btw Aken...did your order from the online supermarket ever arrive???

[AkenMahaf]

my mouth's watering at the thought of spiced teacakes - don't suppose you'd accept bribes?

Bribes? Nah!

The yeast action was amazingly fast and just as I remembered it from Britain - the bread dough was wonderful, as is the bread.

Spiced, light teacakes will be a pleasure to do (though I like a lot of spice in there!) and I'm happy to make a batch and send you a few

The pot of dried yeast from LL will only make about 10 to 15 loaves but at this point I don't care because I now have the answer to my problem!

I have a friend coming over at the end of January and I'm asking her to bring as many pots of yeast as she can possibly manage to cram in her suitcase - then just say the word and I'll provide the occasional loaf or a few teacakes... or strongly spiced hot cross buns

[AkenMahaf]

Btw Aken...did your order from the online supermarket ever arrive?

That is a VERY sore point!!!

I'm STILL waiting for the delivery and if it isn't here soon I'll be going to Trading Standards - it's about 50 days since the order!!!

I'll post on the original thread in detail about it when and if I get a delivery and also if I don't :mad2:

Mark my words, heads will roll!!!! :mad2:

[Connie Tindale]

I would bring you whatever you want from the UK in exchange for some of the spicy buns. drool drool

[AkenMahaf]

I would bring you whatever you want from the UK in exchange for some of the spicy buns. drool drool

It would be a pleasure

My shopping list starts with...

[Geraldine]

I also got a couple of e-mails to ask why on earth did I bother to make my own bread - it's quite simple, I like the taste of my own bread and I find the process of making it very therapeutic...

Oh, I know NOTHING better than bread straight from the oven!!!! At least here in Finland if you buy bread from a grocery store - sure it's good but your own bread is way better

At the moment I'm making barley bread and tomorrow will make delicious rye bread which we Finns eat every day And all this doesn't even take much time.

[Mad Dilys]

I use fresh yeast, locally known as Khamira Beera, get it from a friendly bread shop or there are other small places my errand boys go............
I never have much success with dried yeast either in the UK or here.

[fenix]

If you have no 'western' yeast.... try 'googling' with 'sourdough' !

That's the historical way of baking bread.... O.k... it takes time...
but if you don't have the wright yeast... it's a way !

And yes.... i bake my bread every day myself ! )

If this sourdough is to much work... there are other biologic alternatives.

It's just to difficult to translate all of them...... and yes... i am lazy to..


[glow=gold]Fenix[/glow]

[Ess]

Just a few pointers -

Mixing liquid should be at blood temperature. Any hotter kills the yeast.

Fresh yeast is only good for around 2 weeks - after that, it stops working.

Even dried yeast has a limited life.

Likely cause of failed bread is, undoubtedly, the yeast. Adding too much salt stops yeast from working as well.

[Countessa]

I was once told that adding a little sugar also helps the yeast work better???

[Ess]

A little sugar does - around one teaspoon for every 2 oz of yeast.

[Countessa]

Look Aken...I've found you a recipe for hot cross buns!!!! Over to you!!!!

Traditional spiced, sticky glazed fruit buns with pastry crosses. Served as a classic Easter treat, the buns can be also enjoyed at any time of year.

Makes 12

Ingredients
For the ferment starter:
1 large egg, beaten
215ml/7½fl oz warm water
15g/½oz fresh yeast
1 tsp sugar
55g/2oz strong white flour
For the dough:
450g/1lb strong white flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ground mixed spice
85g/3oz butter cut into cubes
85g/3oz sugar
1 lemon, grated, zest only
170g/6oz mixed dried fruit
2 tbsp plain flour
oil, for greasing
1 tbsp golden syrup, gently heated, for glazing



Method
1. Prepare the ferment starter for the dough by combining the beaten egg with enough warm water to give approximately 290ml/½ pint of liquid. Whisk in the yeast, sugar and flour, cover and put in a warm place for 30 minutes.
2. make the buns: sieve the flour, salt and spice into a large mixing bowl and rub in the butter. Make a well in the centre and put the sugar and lemon zest in the well. Pour on the ferment starter.
3. Gradually draw in the flour and mix vigorously, then knead to a smooth, elastic dough.
4. Carefully work in the mixed dried fruit. Shape the dough into a ball, put it in a warm, greased bowl, cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
5. Turn out the dough and knead to knock out any air bubbles and give an even texture. Shape it into a ball again, put back into the bowl, cover and put back to rise for another 30 minutes.
6. Turn out the dough again and divide into 12 even pieces. Shape them into buns and leave to rest for a few minutes on the work surface covered with the tea towel.
7. Place the buns on a lightly greased baking sheet. Slightly flatten each bun and then cut into quarters, cutting almost all the way through the dough, so that as each bun rises, it has a well-marked cross on it.
8. Grease a large polythene bag and place the tray with the buns in it and tie the end. Put in a warm place and leave to rise for 40 minutes.
9. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 240C/475F/Gas 8. Make a paste for the crosses on the buns with the plain flour and 2 tbsp cold water. Mix until it is soft enough to pipe through a nozzle.
10. Remove the polythene bag and pipe a cross on each bun. Bake the buns for 8 -12 minutes or until risen and golden. Brush the buns with hot golden syrup as soon as they are ready. Cool on a wire rack.

[Countessa]

Mrs Beeton's Teacake recipe (good luck finding German yeast though !!!

Ingredients
900g/2lb flour
½tsp salt
125g/¼lb butter or lard
1 egg
a piece of german yeast the size of a walnut
warm milk



Method
1. Put the flour (which should be perfectly dry) into a basin; mix it with the salt, and rub in the butter or lard; then beat the egg well, stir in the yeast, and add these to the flour with as much warm milk as needed to make the whole mixture into a smooth paste, and knead it well.
2. Let it rise near the fire, and, when well risen, form it into cakes; place them on tins, let them rise again for a few minutes before putting them into the oven, and bake for ¼ to ½ hour in a moderate oven.
3. These are very nice with a few currants and a little sugar added to the other ingredients; they should be put in after the butter is rubbed in.
4. These cakes should be buttered, and eaten hot as soon as baked; but, when stale, they are very nice split and toasted; of if dipped in milk, or even water, and covered with a basin in the oven until hot, they will be almost as good as new.

[Connie Tindale]

AKM - Is there anything on Countessa's recipe that you want me to bring back with me.

[AkenMahaf]

And all this doesn't even take much time.

This is exactly the point that people quote when I say I'm making bread: "it takes too long" which as we both know Geraldine just isn't true... not unless you stand watching the proving dough

Barley & rye breads? Fabulous!

I reckon that the time needed to actually attend to the dough/bread is about 15 minutes maximum (the rest of the time is just proving the dough), including knocking-back (not in all cases either) and kneading.
I think many people are of the opinion that the dough needs kneading for ages - not true... you'll ruin the bread.

Bread makers are brilliant but that removes the satisfaction for me, to an extent... but the 'delay' feature makes getting up to the smell and taste of freshly cooked bread bliss (with a good coffee or tea of course). I don't miss the machine and in fact I think bread makers can be bought in Egypt... but I'm happy now my problem has been sorted and I can make bread again here - bliss
Actually I think bread makers require more attention than hand-making as the fiddling about with fairly accurate measurements is important but I don't tend to even measure the amounts when making by hand and, with good yeast, I'm not often disappointed. The fabulous thing is that if a dough isn't too successful it can be added to something else, like a soup or a desert (bread and butter pudding for one).

If only people realised that bread making was simple and rewarding - provided the yeast is good

I used to make all sorts of rustic breads (and now I can here ) and threw all sorts of ingredients in there... but I find that people are worried about bread-making and tend to be too nervous - my line is that people have been making bread for *thousands* of years and why not try it and add what you fancy whether it's seeds, cheese, onions, herbs, tomatoes, fruit, dried fruits, spices etc.

I like to cook but I'd much rather bake... don't know why ::shrugs:: Maybe things like this are in the genes - my great-great-grandfather was a Master Baker (bread)... funny but true... and every generation since has had one or two good bakers.

I brought a copy of the old Be-Ro book to Egypt and make things from there or grab recipes from the 'net or just experiment... The pleasure of making something yourself is unknown to many, sadly, but I'm happy & fortunate to have the time to do so now I'm in Egypt

I have a very nosey neighbour here (an Egyptian family and I share the house) who genuinely didn't believe that a man was even capable of making bread - I had to show her the proving dough one day!

[AkenMahaf]

I use fresh yeast, locally known as Khamira Beera, get it from a friendly bread shop

You star Mad Dilys!!!

Thank you VERY much!!!

[AkenMahaf]

Mrs Beeton's Teacake recipe (good luck finding German yeast though

Thanks Countessa

I've used German yeast before and it's fabulous... in reality it's more like the yeast for brewing beer and lager but no problem now Mad Dilys has very kindly told me what to ask for to get fresh yeast - fabulous!!! Khamira Beera - must remember that tomorrow!