This is the Bread Thread!

[LocalEdLeicsshire]

Rightho, I'm making bread. Specifically, I'm making the Mumsnet Loaf!This is something I've just invented - or rather, am on the very cusp of inventing. I'm hoping to be able to make my own bread every day, baking it to fit around my daily schedule. I've been taking advice from the man behind this great blog No Bread Is An Island. Here's the stuff. Here's the plan:

The Mumsnet Loaf recipe

Ingredients
500g strong flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 teaspoon dried active yeast (2gms or less)
350ml lukewarm water
2 tbsp olive oil

Method
Step 1: Get the kids to bed. Dissolve the yeast in the water. Mix the flour and salt in the food storer, then add the yeast liquid and olive oil.
Leave overnight in the kitchen.

Step 2: To be performed by my as-yet-unwitting husband. In the morning, (when, my love, you usually amble round the house just eating bananas and wishing someone else was up), shape the mixture into a loaf (adding more flour if it’s too wet) and place in an oiled loaf tin. Put the tin in an oiled plastic bag in the fridge.

Step 3: Get home from work/school, and bake the loaf at 220C for about 25-30 minutes.

We're not 100% sure it will work, me and the breadman, but if it did, it would be a great, no-hassle loaf. To make things a little harder, I'm going to try it with 100% wholemeal flour, which doesn't seem to be a popular bread-maker's choice.

What do you think? Have I just revolutionised bread-making? Will I put Greggs out of business? Or is this destined to be a sorry, sticky failure?

Great stuff! Try and remember to take a pic next time. And, now you've made one bap, why not double up and make two at a time?

About the wine - since it'll take you at least 28 days before it's ready, we'll be into March by then!

I've been considering having a go at wine, I drink too much of it for shop prices (in my defence - ish - I prefer it to tramadol because I don't feel so drunk after a bottle of wine as I do with tramadol and I have less hangover next day and I don't do it very often because I can't afford to) so just wondering, is everything stuff you can buy in Tesco or whatever?

HW that's something I don't always get right, having a gas hob. But as soon as you see smoke I'd turn the heat down. Well done, though - any chance of a pic?

Go easy with the microwave - they probably wouldn't need it, but if you want to, just give them a short blast.

That's why I started making my own wine, LEL, now I can afford it my parsimonious soul won't let me buy it - and in any case I enjoy the process of making it. And it doesn't take long - about an hour in total for each batch of 5gals.

Your local HFS might be the best place to go (don't do Tesco [shudder]) and Wilkinson's also sell all the gear. I'll put the equipment needed on my blog.

Sorry to hear you're on Tramadol!

I'm trying to convince the OH now that we should do it. I've always been tempted but never had the reason to, I'm starting to feel more like I have a reason and I've been getting into things like fudge making (proper fudge) so it seems like something else I should try. What's HFS?

I know what you mean about affording, I'm like it with knitting, I cost things up in my head when I see them on the shelf. I stopped sewing because it was cheaper not to.

Unfortunately I can't get the tramadol, I've been making a TTO from A&E last when I'm desperate. My GP gives me codydramol that doesn't touch anything. I think I have a strange metabolism because painkillers and alcohol neither really touch me for long and I don't get hangovers (apart from tramadol). My back has never forgiven me for throwing myself down the stairs 8 years ago when I was pregnant (obviously I didn't "throw" myself, it was an accident) and issues in one place of your back tends to cause other issues as your body compensates. I'm normally able to manage by knowing my limits and using my crutches but as soon as we hit December, even without snow, I start to struggle. It's a good excuse though for drinking, just enjoying the season...

Speaking of hangovers, is it true what I've read today that there's less of a hangover with homemade wine because of the lack of chemicals?

Sorry LEW I just saw 'LocalEditor' and missed the Wolverhampton bit!

Hells bells, that sounds rough, though!

HFS = Health Food Store.

Makes sense about less of a hangover - there are chemicals in the yeast nutrient I add, but I'm pretty sure these are fairly harmless:
Diammonium Phosphate, and
Ammonium Sulphate.

One teaspoon of this per gallon.

Another reason I like to make my own wine is that it's vegan.

Best wishes, B&W

That's OK

I never do anything by halves!

Looking into it has made me think more about it because I've seen that some wine has fish added to it which I'm allergic to, I'm surprised I've never had a reaction because I've never seen a fish allergy warning on wine! I know that things like Tango which say not suitable for vegetarians has fish in it and I can taste it, just didn't expect it with wine.

I am working on the OH, think I'm getting there

Wiki:
"Isinglass is a substance obtained from the dried swim bladders of fish. It is a form of collagen used mainly for the clarification of wine and beer"

Look for vegetarian wines, which use chemicals to do the same thing.

Good luck with the OH!

HW that's lovely to hear! Getting your kids involved in making their own bread is as good as it gets, in my book! Allow them to experiment and have fun - check out the pain au chocolat and jam tart recipes on my blog. Oh, and 'chocolate cake in a mug' - great fun!

Here's a few jam tarts I made with one of my special needs groups - a little bit of flour, 4 dessertspoons of jam, and you've got pudding for 4!

Cutting strips of dough with a pizza cutter is hugely satisfying for youngsters (including me!)

Hello again, everyone. I've made my next loaf, and it's a really nice one! I've baked it slightly earlier than the usual schedule (as my Mondays run to a different pattern), so we'll see how that affects things.

The main differences to the recipe now are that I'm using 1tsp yeast, rather than half a tsp. I'm leaving it to mix in the kitchen and prove in the airing cupboard. And I'm not using an oiled plastic bag - which had just ended up getting all sticky and stuck to the loaf itself.

Here's my picture. I think I've kind of got the hang of the basics now. It's clear that I CAN make bread to this schedule, with minimum effort - although I still want to experiment a bit and read up all around it. Thanks to all of you for your help!

I will post another pic if I ever rise above 7.5cm.....

If its any help I use Allinson dried active yeast.

I mix 10 grams per 450 grams of flour which is about 2 heaped tsp per 1 lb of flour.

I activate the yeast in a ramekin with a bit of warm water for a few minutes to let it froth up then pour it into the flour and water mix.

I still think your bread will rise a bit more if you use more yeast but that loaf looks quiet nice as it is.

I'm doing that soda bread tonight for DCs.

That looks the business, LEL!

It's clear that I CAN make bread to this schedule, with minimum effort

That was the brief, so well done, indeed!

Now you've got the basics, the sky's the limit!

As a matter of interest, can you give me dimensions of your loaf tin, please?

I also used that yeast, MB - it's the one I recommend if you can't get hold of fresh yeast.

Good luck with the soda bread.

B&W - I just did it and was a major success!

Used your recipe and did 4 flat soda bread loaves in two batches in a black iron pan with a lid on just over a medium heat on the hob. Took a bit longer than 5 mins each side but was worried about burning them so might do it slightly hotter next time. I have an induction hob so can precisely control heat.

Children loved them sliced through like a pitta bread, stuffed with bacon and tomato sauce straight out of the pan.

I might try with GF self raising flour - its a bit like a scone so it should be OK.

Hogwash - yes I think it is very important to have the lid. It makes a sort of mini oven. You can keep the heat underneath lower then so they don't burn. My pan is actually a very heavy black iron skillet with no lid but luckily I kept a steel lid that fits perfect from an old sauce pan.

Alternatively, do what B&W suggested and put a baking tray on top.

I cant speak highly enough of iron cookware. I used this skillet to cook my soda bread in

I use it every day and it really did not cost much but will last forever and food never ever sticks once it is tempered.

Its the B&W recipe at Sun 02-Feb-14 07:15:48

Down the bottom it says:

"Divide the other piece of dough in two, make two smaller cobs and flatten them down into discs about 1.5cm high. Place them in your frying pan and turn the heat up to medium. Put a lid on the pan - if you have no lid, use a spare baking sheet or similar. You're trying to create a 'mini-oven', if you like. Put the timer on for 5 minutes."

I did the recipe as described but cooked the whole lot in a pan as 2 lots of 2 flattened cobs as B&W describes.

B&W

Thanks for tip about pallet knife!
Tonight cos i was so pleased with yesterdays 'experiment' loaf... i decided to go the whole hog today and quadrupled my quantities!

So ... i soon realised why a wooden spoon was ok small quantities ... not 500g!

So i am excited as my dough is now resting in the fridge... and i shall pre-oven SPRING outta bed tomorrow to see how it looks! Then after i've got the boys off to school/college/6th form ... and dough has had an hour at room temp.. i will shape and place dough into my HUGE FAMILY loaf 4lb tin!

Yesterdays mini one was my best yet at 'oven spring' etc!
And to hear the joyful sound of the crust cracking as i impatiently waited for it to cool down... well ...you know the feeling!!!

Forget Mother's Pride" ... I had MrsF's Pride*!!!!

p.s It really is a pure miracle i get any crust at all as my oven hinge is faulty and i tie the oven door handle to the grill door handle with a huge boot lace... in order to keep it tightly shut! (so my oven temp is not reliable!)

I really should take some photos!

Sorry, HW! Mea culpa!

I’ll rectify that omission, ASAP!

Thanks for coming to my rescue, MB!

And well done with the soda bread! I’m interested in how the GF soda bread turns out.

Pics anyone?

I’ve also got a cast iron frying pan – which is my all time favourite kitchen tool!

Never, ever, ever…(99 more evers)..sticks!

MrsF that's marvellous! I do indeed know the feeling - it is so very satisfying, isn't it?

Like the pre-oven spring out of bed!

When you shape your large loaf, tomorrow, to make it easier to divide in two in case you want to freeze half, divide the dough in two and put one shaped loaf at one end of the tin, and one at the other. So that, from the side, the top looks like the letter 'm'.

The loaf is then easy to tear in half along the divide. I've even done it in four pieces.

Sympathise with the oven door situation - I've been known to keep an oven door shut with sellotape in the past!

Please, show us the pics!!