Question for anyone who makes their own bread w/out using breadmaker ...

[Millie1]

I tried a wheaten bread yesterday - plain flour, wholemeal flour, buttermilk, bicarb of soda & salt - anyway, firstly it seemed waaaaay to wet and sticky using the prescribed quantity of buttermilk so I'd to add more flour. Then had to increase cooking time by around 20 mins. Then the outside was as chewy as anything. Is it me? Is it the recipe? Should I have left it as wet as it was? Any ideas please?

Wheaten bread is quite chewy anyway, I find, although it having been too wet wouldn't help. I used to make it many moons ago and I found it best not to add all of the buttermilk at the same time; add it little by little until the dough feels the right consistency - firm but pliable.

Thanks WWB ... kids were really having hard work with the outside! Will try doing that with the liquid next time.

Oh, and if you find you have to increase the cooking time again you can stop the outside getting too hard by covering the loaf with foil while it finishes cooking.