my bread!

[Amanda]

my bread never looks that aireated...it looks a lot more dense....i must be doing something wrong!

Mine does too. I can't figure out why. I made the TM31 bread the other day. I think my tins are wrong. I have 2 small ones (which are really too small for quantity of bread in a batch) and a really big one (which seems to be too big). I'm not using bakers flour at the moment because someone gave me a 25kg bag of plain flour. It does rise really well, but it doesn't seem to stay up when I put it in the oven. It flattens off at the top. Even the bakers flour seemed to do that though. Next time I bake some bread, I'll take some photos. It's probably easier to see in a pic.

Cathy

Cathy, plain flour is just not strong enough to make bread with.  You could buy some gluten to add to it if you want to use it up to make bread  - that might help a bit.  Gluten is available in the supermarket.

[brazen20au]

aagh i've recently read the reason for that (it's very very common in gluten free bread baking) but cdan't remember the reason given. will come back if i come across it again...

[Tenina]

You should always use bakers flour to hold the rise for bread making...to get a nice dense dough and therefore finer textured bread, less liquid (obviously) and probably like in French bread, no frills, so water, flour, yeast and a little salt. I am about to post a great recipe for French baguettes I made today...steam required, so without a steam oven, it is possible to do them in the Varoma, though I have not tested this method yet.
Too tired tonight, but stay tuned...put a date rolls recipe up this morning which whilst not strictly bread and no good for sandwiches, is none the less a yummy addition to any meal!

[UnConundrum]

Cathy, when you let your bread rise, what temperature is the room and how long do you let it sit?

[wombleydoo]

To be honest, I haven't noticed a difference between bakers flour and plain flour. I do know when I used plain flour in the bread machine (I'd make the dough in the machine and do the final rise in the bread tin and bake because I prefered it), my bread would rise up and be quite high over the top of the bread tin and would stay during baking.

I usually rise it in a bowl/tin, covered in oiled cling wrap out on my verandah, which is very warm. It rises quite quickly out there. Inside it (airconditioned) it rises much slower.

Cathy

[Thermomixer]

 I am about to post a great recipe for French baguettes I made today...steam required, so without a steam oven, it is possible to do them in the Varoma, though I have not tested this method yet.

Hubby will be pleased that the steam oven is being used 

[CarolineW]

Have now made Djali's bread with water, rather than buttermilk, and it was lovely.  I have another version baking in the Remoska even as we speak ... This one is 2 thirds white spelt flour, and 1 third wholemeal spelt flour.  It's looking and smelling good so far 

[Shayla]

I posted a recipe for mik bread adapted from UK cookery book, you can use a mixture of flours to have brown or white bread. we prefer the soft white bread here, it is a wonderful recipe and best when using fresh yeast. It is cold here in Cape Town so I rise my bread by wrapping the bowl (covered  with cling wrap) in a duvet. It usually rises within an hour even in the coldest bedroom in the house, alternatively it can be left to rise in the fridge overnight. The quantity would fill a large bread tin for a "toaster" size loaf. I make this bread every few days and slice and freeze the remainder. Freezes really well.

Shayla in Cape Town

[Thermomixer]

Thanks Shayla

[quirkycooking]

I usually find that my bread doesn't rise well and is heavy and 'flat' on top if the dough is too sticky.  Make sure your dough springs back when you touch it.  When you tip it out of the TMX, it should come out easily, and not be all stuck to the blades and sides.

I absolutely love my TMX for bread making - I would never go back to a bread maker.  I make wholemeal spelt bread, and it's so yummy.  For a really delicious, moist, wholemeal loaf, (actually makes two loaves), try this recipe for Challah - you don't have to braid it, you can just put it into two loaf tins if you like.  (I like to braid it because it looks pretty.)  http://quirkycooking.blogspot.com/2009/01/challah.html

[judydawn]

I have just made a beautiful loaf of white bread from the UK Thermomix site. Baked it in my 14cm wide x 24cm long x 7cm deep loaf tin - not a huge loaf so next time I'll be making 2 - may as well whilst the oven is on. Served it warm to neighbours who were over helping me in the garden, with my banana jam and cream - they were very impressed.  So was I   Instructions are for bread loaf, finger rolls or burger buns.

Check it out here - http://www.ukthermomix.com/recshow.php?rec_id=21

This won't take you directly to the recipe but just click on the Thermomix site and it will come up immediately.

[JulieO]

Banana jam, ohhh you are killing me.  I will have a look for the recipe first before I ask for it, and  another bread recipe for me to try. 

[Shayla]

I did a chef demo today and the chef showed me that the dough was ready when you stretch it and it is transparent before it breaks - if it breaks first then knead some more as the gluten is not fully processed! He also used half the yeast called for in the recipe - as I left before it had risen I am not sure how it went. When we tried using less yeast yesterday the bread didn't rise so much and was also more cakelike.
Chef was suitably impressed by sorbet and we made three different purees and a pesto - they loved the colour and consistency of puree and pesto!
Another sale!

[Thermomixer]

Good work - Warren (Unconundrum) has written about how much yeast is needed.  If you are happy to let it spend more time rising and knock it down and let it rise again then less yeast is good.  The cakey texture may come from not working enough to activate the gluten.

[virginiaqda]

I have been making Artisan Bread, using whole grains I grind first. I make it quite wet dough and place in the fridge after the first rise in a small roller box with lid. I make about 10 loaves from one mix. Every morning we have a lovely loaf of bread. yummy