Bread makers who work FT

[TeaOneSugar]

I'm not strictly full time but I do work 6 hours per day Monday to Friday, so just shorter days.

Anyway, I'd like to make my own bread regularly, I've got a batch of dough proving at the moment, because I'm working from home today (lunch break), but I can't get my head around how I can do it during the week when I'm at work.

I could make the dough the night before and let it prove in the fridge overnight, but I wouldn't have time to knock it back, shape it and bake it before I go out, usually leave about 08:40 to drop dd at school. I already get up about 7am to shower, make breakfast, put a load on etc before school so getting up earlier isn't an option.

Can I leave it in the fridge during the day for it's second prove and then bake it when I get home or do I need to dig the breadmaker out and use the timer so it bakes in the night, I've done this before but the timing again is crucial because it has to come more or less straight out once its finished.

Can you not bake on the weekends? My DH prepares and bakes a couple of loaves on Sunday with DD - it's become their Sunday afternoon ritual .

I'd dig out the breadmaker... then set the timer so that it is ready in the evening and leave it on the rack to cool for the following morning. I find this makes it far easier to slice and just as fresh. Otherwise your bread finishes at 7am and it's far too hot to use for breakfast.

I did think about that but I'd have to make at least 3 loaves and freeze 2 and I'm not sure it will taste as good when it's defrosted.

Does you DH freeze them ?

The breadmaker is probably the best option for fresh bread during the week.

I prefer it handmade but I can't see how it's practical unless I batch bake at the weekend and freeze, and then making several loaves might take the pleasure out of it a bit.

TOS, it depends on what method you want to use. I generally only bake once a week, on a saturday morning, and start my bread off as I go to bed on Friday nights (half-sponge method). I have, occasionally, had to do it mid week, in which case I start it off at work at lunchtime (in one of those 4 clip plastic storage boxes) and finish it off at home after supper.

I weigh out the flour, and add the yeast (Allinsons Active Dried Yeast granules) before I leave home in the morning then add the water at lunchtime (as I work for a bakeware company with a test kitchen we have a measuring jug at work). I then take the sloppy sponge back home with me at the end of the day and add the rest of the four, fat, sugar and seeds after supper, knead, prove and then bake, getting into bed at about 11.00pm

If I do a more normal method, I can do that after supper, still getting in to bed at 11.00pm, but that is using Fast Action Dried Yeast sachets which, as the name implies, act faster. I give it a really good, stress relieving 10 minute knead and I only have to leave for half an hour to rise, and I don't knock back.

To be fair, with all of this, I don't need to put kids to bed as they are old enough to do it themselves.

In short, it is entirely possible, and I still have time to cook supper if my wife is working a late shift.

I'll have to investigate the half sponge method, thanks.

The dough I've got on the go at the moment has fast acting yeast in it and It's been proving for the last hour and a half and not quite there, maybe my kneading needs work.

TOS, FYI, bread made with the half sponge method has better keeping qualities and as I only generally need to make one 2lb loaf per week, I don't have a problem with it going stale.

What DH does is make two different kinds of loaves, eg a rye loaf and a seeded wholemeal, and they seem to last all week without needing to freeze or even refridgerate. We use up the two loaves between three of us (toast, sandwiches).

I don't work but I use the 5-minute no knead artisan bread method. It's brilliant

I work ft and we use a breadmaker - probably about 5/7 days. I occasionally handmake soda bread. I wouldn't have time to handmake "daily" bread.

I bake about 4 loafs a week using the sponge method in a bread maker.
mix a cup of water with a cup of flour and half a teaspoon dried active yeast. pour into breadmaker and leave.
when home from work I add another cup of water, 500g flour, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon salt, seeds to taste and switch on mashine.
sometimes, I bake two loafs in a go, one in the mashine and one in the oven, then I just make double the starter in a big bowl and divide later.

mousymouse Would it work if I used the dough setting on the breadmaker and then baked it in the oven?

I work f/t and wack all the ingredients together and knead for 10 minutes as soon as I walk through the door @7ish. Then shove in the airing cupboard for and hour, knock back and shape, leave to prove for another hour and then pop in oven. Means it is done before I go to bed. I also make two loaves and freeze one.

Disclaimer: I don't have any children!

I work FT and make all our own bread. Well, rolls, for packed lunches.

I do white ones on a Sunday because they need more time, and then on a Wednesday evening I make Hovis Granary rolls, because they only need to prove once. Get in about 7, knock up the dough in about 15 mins, shape it, leave it to prove, stick it in the oven around 8.30ish and they're done before 9. I leave them to cool for about half an hour and make the next day's sandwiches, and put the rest away for the rest of the week.

tea not with my mashine, it can't handle more than 700g flour any one time.

Thanks everyone, I think I'm going to get DH to get the breadmaker down from the top shelf tomorrow.

I'm going to try the half sponge method, as mousymouse suggests using the breadmaker to make the dough (that way I can get it started in the morning and finish it off when I get in from work but I only have to drop the ingredients into the machine and switch it on).

Then after dinner the dough should be ready to knead for a few minutes and then bung in a tin in the oven, or to make rolls

The loaf I made today - using a river cottage recipe- worked ok, tastes good but it's a bit heavy, I prefer to use just wholemeal flour so I think I need to look for some vitamin C powder, or maybe use a tad more yeast.

I get home rom work at about 4pm every day, I don't know if that's the same as you, but I use my breadmaker on a dough setting (don't like the taste or texture of it actually cooked in there) and set the timer so it is ready just as I arrive home. I shape it and put it on the baking tray in the kitchen whilst I see to the kids, do dinner etc and then at about 8pm, when all is quiter, I bake it and then leave it to cool overnight. Hope this helps.

Not sure if this will help TeaOneSugar, but this is how I do it.

Evening before - measure out ingredients.

Put children in the bath at 6pm. That keeps them occupied.

Then NOW NOW NOW get the yeast started (no quick-acting yeast or decent stir-in granules where I live). Grease the tins and knead the dough (which takes me 20 minutes during which time I hope like buggery that there isn't an emergency that forces me to leave off.

Separate batches and put into tins to rise in the oven, which I preheat to approx 30 degrees.

The dough batches will normally take about 30-40 minutes to rise.

Gently remove the dough from the oven, crank it up to hot, which takes 10-15 minutes.

Bake the bread at 7.15 pm.

Remove it at 7.45 pm.

By 10pm it is cool enough to freeze (yes, this doesn't improve the bread, but it's still better than the shop stuff).

As long as I get that magic 20 minutes to knead the dough, I can make the week's bread while being able to do other stuff as well. The truth is that sometimes I simply have to go and buy it.

NB: I don't bother proving my bread. I find that it never rises as well the second time, and I have only ever had air pockets on about three or four occasions. Would be interested in other people's views on whether one should prove bread.

I'd be very interested in that as well.

mouseymouse

I have a loaf in the oven made using your method, it's looking good.

great to hear that :)
have the butter ready for the first slice from the warm loaf!