Really dumb question - making bread

[hopefully]

I make all of our bread now, but I'm still using bread mix packets rather than starting with flour, yeast etc. I know what I'm doing currently is much cheaper than buying bread from supermarket (make rolls for our lunches, used to cost us 69p for 2, now about 99p + electricity of oven for 8 rolls), but I feel that it would probably be even cheaper if I made bread from flour, yeast etc.

We don't have a bread maker, as I'm quite happy to spend the time kneading, waiting for it to rise etc (and don't have space for bread maker in the kitchen!)

So, is making bread from scratch, rather than adding water to mix, easy? Am I likely to have lots of cock-ups and make flat bread? Does anyone have an absolutely fail safe bread recipe that I can use? Also, if I want to add seeds or anything to the bread, at what stage do I do this? Should I just stick them on top?

I'm so lame...

when i make bred i use flour, yeast, salt and water - so can't be much more in the packet stuff.

need a good straight foreard recipe - but it really is amazonlgy easy!

i agree with BBBee, very very easy. I've only recently started making bread and haven't had a 'flat' loaf yet! I think a simple recipe is the place to start, I've been buying yeast in sachets which have a recipe on the back, think it's Allinson's or something like that and was about 79p for 6 sachets

Maybe it's time to be brave then. Seems silly not to go the extra step of actually making bread from scratch since I'm half way there!

you may as well, i started off with the packets of bread mix as well but then tried it with ingredients & it only takes as long with them as with a packet! much tastier too imo

Easy peasy - do you have a mixer with a bread hook? Even without it's fine (and much better fr the bingo wings of course).

You can buy flours with grains in already (the Dove's Farm malthouse one is good). I use:

1. 500g flour + 1 tsp salt in a bowl
2. about 325ml lukewarm water, a packet of easy yeast and a tsp of sugar in a jug - leave this for a min or two to start frothing up

add 2. to 1. while the mixer is mixing and leave it for a few mins to make the dough. I sometimes add a finely grated carrot and/or a tbsp of oil. You might need to add more flour or more water depending on the weather (no, really), but do this in tiny amounts till you get it nice and springy and smooth and not too sticky.

Take it out of the bowl (if you used a mixer) and wash the bowl, then oil it and put the dough back in, cover and leave for about an hour. Bash it back down and then put it in your loaf tin, or shape it on your baking tray. Cover with a tea towel and leave for about 30 mins.

Cook quite hot for about 25-30 mins.

Yum.
once it's

well I didn't know that about adding more flour/water! thats my something new I've learned for today covered

I don't have a bread maker midnight, but apart from the extra yeast step, that's pretty much what I do with mix, so really I could manage that. They sell Dove's flour in sainsbury's I think too.

Right, September is Real Bread Month!