Beginning my adventure with dough
After finding out my son has somewhat severe dairy and egg allergies it's really gotten me to realize how hard it is to find pre made foods that don't come in contact with either of these. My mom always baked bread growing up so I had some idea how to do it, but for some reason my dough is never the same as hers, even though I use her recipe.
so I've began to make breads, they aren't quite what I'm aiming for so every friday I plan to experiment a little bit until I've found something im happy with.
I made a basic white bread this week it was okay, I am going to keep making it until I get it right. the finished bread was a bit too soft and the loaves weren't as big as I had hoped. I'm also having trouble shaping them so they are nice and smooth looking I think this is because my dough is so sticky.
im not really sure what any of that means, I think im going to try adding more flour next time.
this the recipe I'm using - not quite the same as my moms I changed it a bit. I use a mixer.
1.5 tbsp active dry yeast, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 cup warm water - mix together and let the yeast bubble away.
1/3 cup oil (lately I've been using lard and I think it makes my dough softer), 1/2 cup(minus 1 tbsp) white sugar, 1 tsp salt - be together until thick.
Once the yeast is ready I add that to the oil mixture and combine. I then add 3.5 cups of warm water and 4 cups of flour. Once this comes together I switch to my dough hook and add roughly 5 cups of flour until the dough is a bit sticky but cleans the sides of the bowl and I let it knead for 5 minutes. then rest in an oiled bowl covered with a tea towel in the oven for about 20 minutes. Punch and rest 20 again. Form loaves and rest again then bake at 350 until golden on top.
Im not really sure if my recipe is missing anything or if ratios are right but it's a work in progress
i also made some pulled pork stuffed buns. mmm delicious! I will be doing that again
Comments
Is to switch from measuring by volume to measuring by weight. It will give you more consistent results. Besides, cup measurements do vary... And lack of volume in loaves is in part due to too short a bulk ferment and then proof - at only 20 mins each, you're not giving the yeast enough time to work. Plus, the slower bread is made, the more flavour there is in the end product. :-)
A basic white bread dough shouldn't be over sticky. This one is a good one to start with:
750g strong white flour
2 level teaspoons salt
15g lard (but you can put in more than that)
7g dried active yeast (or one teaspoon)
450g tepid water
Mix the salt into the flour and then rub the fat in. Dissolve the yeast in about 50 ml of the water and wait till it starts bubbling. Add the yeast and most of the water to the flour. Mix well by hand and add remainder of water to the mix if the dough is a mite dry. Knead for around 15 mins (5 mins less if you're using a stand mixer).
Cover your bowl (cling film or a large, clear food bag) and leave to bulk ferment until doubled in volume. Depending on the temperature it will take at least an hour - room temperature is fine, but watch the dough, and not the clock. Knock back and shape. Place shaped dough into greased and floured tins (this one makes 2 medium loaves), then pop each tin into a food bag and leave to prove.
At this point, preheat your oven to around 230C. When your loaves have almost doubled in volume again, but not quite, score the top lengthways with a razor and pop into the oven. Give the loaves around 10 minutes at 230C before reducing the temperature and baking for a further 25 to 30 mins. (This will depend on your oven). Turn loaves out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely before slicing.
HTH :-) And good luck on your journey.
Thank you for the tips im going to give this a shot on Friday and post my results!
Fingers crossed.
P.S. Love the kitty in your profile pic :-)