June 23, 2011

Bread-Baking



I have been having the hardest time learning to bake bread. I don't know if my yeast was bad or if my flour wasn't right or if I was killing the yeast or I wasn't kneading it enough but it has never come out right.

Jodi at Curious Acorn,graciously showed me how to bake bread properly and it came out lovely!








Bread-making Tips:

- Keep your yeast in the refrigerator or freezer to prolong its life.
- Always use a small measuring cup and another cup to fill it. That way you get a better measurement as the flour won't compact as much.
- Knead for the duration that the recipe calls for, it is necessary. 
- A regular lamp is enough heat for the dough to rise near.
- Put a warm, moist towel over the bowl to help it rise.
-Putting a metal tray of water in the oven while baking bread helps develop a darker crust.
-Baking on a baking stone helps the bread form a good crust.


It tuned out nice. We used a recipe from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking. It is a different style dough than normal bread but Jodi showed me how to make normal breads too and the difference between regular dough and "no knead dough." 

We also looked at a colonial recipe that I am hoping to reduce soon and try to bake. The original recipe calls for a peck of flour (about 225 or so cups) and to bake the dough in five pound loaves!  

7 comments:

  1. Thanks for the plug :) I had lots of fun and so did Bron. We have to do something fun again sometime.

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  2. Five pound loaves! Wow.
    Bread baking is something I haven't mastered yet, I've stopped at leavened buns for now, so thanks for the tips! I like the tip with the lamp - in winter, I keep my dough on the heater, but I didn't know what to do in summer...

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  3. Lovely, interesting post, as usual. :) And it looks as though the bread really turned out nice!

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  4. Wow, your bread looks gorgeous! I love baking bread, but I've never gotten a good sourdough. . . It always ends up like a brick!

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  5. Thanks everyone! We did have a lot of fun, I can't wait to try making period bread.

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  6. I linked to you over at my place! How was the bread and jam this weekend?

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  7. Thanks Jodi, the bread and jam was delicious. Everyone took a taste as most of them had never had quince jam.

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