just made bread for the 1st time in ages...it is like a stone..

[mabel1973]

it took us ages as well.
What have I done wrong?
used dried yeast (it was a bit out of date but thought it'd be ok) and lovely organic wholemeal flour from a local mill...

[laurasmiles]

That's so disheartening. I've been there. It's definitely the yeast - sorry. At least next time your bread should be scrummy, just chuck out tha out of date stuff. You could always go and feed the ducks?

[littlestrawberry]

I've been making bread for a while and still every now and then get a brick. Bought some different dried yeast yesterday, the stuff that has to be activated in water and I'm not happy with the results.

Did you use all wholemeal flour? That can make the loaf a bit heavy. Adding a proportion of white can lighten it up. Maybe 20% white?

[mabel1973]

we've got chickens so they've had it...!

[mabel1973]

I did use all wholemeal and to be honest, it looks really dark. When i was weighing the flour out it seemed like it had rather alot of 'bits' in relation to the actual flour

[littlestrawberry]

Give it a try with white aswell. If I recall the advice I've been given is 100g white and 400g wholemeal. I tend to use only half and half really now. I'm fed up with bricks!

Hope the chickens enjoy it.

[mabel1973]

thanks for the advice, i'll try that next time.
probably on another rainy day when i've got a few hours to kill!!

[georgiemum]

Lakeland do some 'magic fairy powder' that you add to wholemeal flour when making bread and it makes it lovely and light. I think it's called 'dough improver' and is about £8 a tub. You only ise 1-2 tsp per loaf so it does last.

I mix white with other types too (usually the remnants of bags in the cupboard). Spelt is nice. Kamut you could club a baby seal with.

[mabel1973]

Thanks
I think most bread flour and certainly loaves you buy usually have ascorbic acid added (vit C) which is a flour improver...wonder if that's the same thing?
I don't think the flour I used had any in...maybe because it's organic..maybe not allowed.
That might've had something to do with it as well.

[littlestrawberry]

I've go some kamut flour. Don't know why I bought it really. Maybe I won't bother making a loaf with it now.

The other thing you could try to lighten a wholemeal loaf is add vitamin c powder.

Check out this link

It explains why vit c is useful. Check out the other recipes in this guide too. I've used a few, all good.

[Overmydeadbody]

Being organic wouldn't mean it's not allowed to be fortified with vit-C.

It was most probablyyour yeast. Did you checkit was alive first by disolving it in warm water with some sugar to see if it froths up? That's usually the best way to check your yeast.

Other than that, you can ensure a lighter loaf by mixing half and half wholemeal and white.

Also, I have a foolproof white bread recipe in the basics section of MN recipes! It really is good.

For wholemeal I find Delia's foolproof wholemeal loaf always gives perfect results.

[Overmydeadbody]

Ingredients:

1 lb 4 oz (570 g) 100 per cent organically produced wholewheat flour, plus a little extra for the top of the bread

2 level teaspoons salt

1 level teaspoon soft light brown sugar

2 level teaspoons easy-blend dried yeast
about 14 fl oz (400 ml) hand-hot water

That's for wholemeal bread. Yes you get a heavier loaf than a shop bought wholeam loaf, but it shouldn't be like a brick

[mabel1973]

i didn't check my yeast...i just chucked it all in with the dry ingredients. It smelled yeasty!
Think I might go for fresh yeast next time.

I've never heard of Kamut flour...don't think i'll bother buying any now though

[georgiemum]

The Lakeland stuff is organic, so it can't be that bad...

Don't throw out your Kamut! It is high in protein! Just mix it 1/2 and 1/2 with strong white so it won't be so dense. Oh, and your bread will be slightly yellowish.

Dove's Farm Barleycorn flour for bread is yummy.

Forgot to mention - 1.5kg Doves Farm organig Strong White flour was 70p at a newrby Tesco. Seems too cheap to me, but hey, if it's a mistake who am I not to take advantage?