'real' Bread In The Provinces

[zzap]

I am out in the sticks, and happy to eat whatever is on offer, except for my breakfast first thing in the morning.

There is one single brand of bread (the spongy, white variety), which is, ehh, not as sweet as the other bright-coloured bakery products...

It's sort of alright in a sandwhich maker with tinned mackerel or processed cheese and tomatoes, but it's not something I want to eat every day for the rest of my life...

Yeah, I know... , I do eat rice-soup for breakfast, just aiming at some variety.

I've made some satisfying pasties with "Kao Sali" , but I wonder if anyone has experience with baking bread themselves?

[Tywais]

Had a friend back home that used to do it but maybe you wouldn't call it "do it yourself" in that it used a fully automatic breadmaker. Would love to get my hands on one here.

Just put the mix in, it mixes, needs, and bakes it automatically.

Edited December 8, 2005 by tywais

[zzap]

Yeah, I was thinking of bringing back one of these on my last trip 'home'.

But are ingredients available? Wholemeal flour, Rye flour?

[BangkokBaker]

zzap

Some tips and advise:

In search of your unsweetened bread,search for a shop in your area selling "moo satay" or look for milk shops.They will both have bread on display which looks like an open top loaf of bread.

These breads are (most of the time) unsweetened since they get toasted and topped with sweetened condensed milk or green custard.You will not find this kind of bread in mini marts ,but may 'be you have a chance to find them on markets.

If you want to make your own bread,I suggest that you buy your whole meal,whole wheat or rye in a Lotus ,Villa Market or Foodland when on a trip to BKK. Mix the wholemeal or rye or whatever you use with 1 part bread flour and 1 part all-purpose flour to get a nice home made delicious bread!

Good Luck

Bangkok baker

[BambinA]

i baked the bread at mom's home .. unluckily ..old yeast

my bread was rejectted by diggie..they were not interested ...make me more upset and thrown the bread

dogs had broken head

my bread was hard as rock or diamond

bambi

[billd766]

I was in the Emporium on Sukhumvit road in Bangkok a couple of weeks ago and they had a breadmaker there for around 5,000 baht.

They also sell bread flour.

I was curious but running short of time and I have no idea how they work.

If anyone knows can they please explain it and maybe I will get one on my next trip.

[suegha]

I was in the Emporium on Sukhumvit road in Bangkok a couple of weeks ago and they had a breadmaker there for around 5,000 baht.

They also sell bread flour.

I was curious but running short of time and I have no idea how they work.

If anyone knows can they please explain it and maybe I will get one on my next trip.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It's quite simple, they are doing what your hands would do but in a controlled environment. You put in all the ingredients set the machine, for example they have different settings for different types of bread, and leave it to do it's job! The loaves are often a bit of a strange spape but the bread is excellent.

Personally I prefer to use the old fashioned method, I think the kneading is great fun!

One real advantage of a bread making machine is that you can set it on a timer and wake up to freshly baked warm bread - yummy!

Edited December 8, 2005 by suegha

[zzap]

Thanks for the tips, all!

I'll check out the Lotus in the provincial capital when I'll go there, though there is much less 'farang' stuff on offer than in their BKK branches.

[RamdomChances]

My wife makes bread occasionaly, and we gan get all the stuff localy although we have to go into town (Nakorn Sawan or Chainat) to get it. I'm out in the sticks but can still find bread, usually eat the wholeweat one, if you have a 7-11 nearbye just go and talk to them about stocking it, our local one (about 10 km away) carries a range of bread and even stockes ham, bacon and butter , mainly cos I buy it off them....had no luck with then stocking cheese yet though.

RC

[eddie11]

Bought a bread making machine over from the UK.

Just chuck the ingrediants in, set the timer and you have the smell

of fresh bread waking you up every morning.

I live in the sticks and the ingrediant are easy to get hold of.

[lomatopo]

zzap Do you have an oven? If so, all you need is flour, water, salt and yeast (maybe a little honey to wake up the yeast). All of these ingredients are available in my local (Bangkok) Foodland.

Note that appliances like bread machines have local power requirements. So a machine purchased in the U.S.A. would require 115/60 AC power, and if brought to Thailand would be cooked before your first loaf unless you use a transformer/converter. So if you want a bread machine buy it here or in a 220/50 country.

Personally I wouldn't ever use a bread-making machine as making and baking is so much fun and satisfying. However, without an oven, or even with an oven but not wanting even more heat generated in your house, and a strong desire for bread, I can see where a machine would be a welcome addition.

I can get decent baked bread here but I really miss a good bagel. (I ate six on a two-day trip to the U.S.A. last week!)

[jumbo]

I was in the Emporium on Sukhumvit road in Bangkok a couple of weeks ago and they had a breadmaker there for around 5,000 baht.

They also sell bread flour.

I was curious but running short of time and I have no idea how they work.

If anyone knows can they please explain it and maybe I will get one on my next trip.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It's quite simple, they are doing what your hands would do but in a controlled environment. You put in all the ingredients set the machine, for example they have different settings for different types of bread, and leave it to do it's job! The loaves are often a bit of a strange spape but the bread is excellent.

Personally I prefer to use the old fashioned method, I think the kneading is great fun!

One real advantage of a bread making machine is that you can set it on a timer and wake up to freshly baked warm bread - yummy!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Suega

Do you know how to get the bread a little more light, in which I mean more 'air' in them,

Jumbo

[BambinA]

Do you know how to get the bread a little more light, in which I mean more 'air' in

IMHO bread will be light or not ..depends on

1- recipe

2 -yeast - fresh or not?

3-yeast 's food - sugar

4- time /temp/humidity - that you wait till yeast produce CO2 and make dough get increase the size

[BambinA]

Basic Bread (busycooks.about.com)

Bread Ingredients

Make sure your yeast is fresh. Active dry yeast, sold in individual packets, is the easiest type to use, and keeps well in your pantry. There is always a 'best if used by' date on the packages, and you should follow this rigorously. If you are going to take the time to make bread, fresh yeast is essential. Cake yeast, if you can find it, really makes a wonderful loaf of bread. This form of yeast is fresh, stored in the refrigerator, and is very perishable. When you buy it, use it within 1-2 days, or it may mold.

The temperature of the water, whether used to dissolve the yeast, or added to a yeast/flour mixture, is critical. Until you get some experience, use a thermometer. When the yeast is dissolved in the water or other liquid, the temperature must be 110 to 115 degrees. When the yeast is combined with flour and other dry ingredients, the liquid temperature can be higher; about 120 to 130 degrees.

The flour you choose for your bread also makes a difference in the quality of the final product. Bread flour makes a superior loaf. This flour is higher in protein content, and protein, or gluten, is what gives bread its unique texture. When water is added to flour, two proteins, glutanin and gliadin, combine to form gluten. Gluten forms a network of proteins that stretch through the dough like a web, trapping air bubbles that form as the yeast ferments. This creates the characteristic air holes of perfect bread. All purpose flour will also work just fine in most bread recipes. Don't use cake flour because there isn't enough protein in that type, and your bread will fall because the structure won't be able to withstand the pressure of the gasses the yeast creates.

Whole grain flours and other types of flour add color, texture, and flavor to breads. These flour types don't have enough gluten to make a successful loaf on their own, so all purpose or bread flour is almost always added to provide structure.

The type of liquid you use will change the bread characteristics. Water will make a loaf that has more wheat flavor and a crisper crust. Milk and cream-based breads are richer, with a finer texture. These breads brown more quickly because of the additional sugar and butterfat added to the dough.

Fats, oils, butter and shortening add tenderness and flavor to bread. Breads made with these ingredients are also moister. Make sure you don't use whipped butter or margarine, or lowfat products, since they contain water. The composition of the dough will be weakened, and your loaf will fail.

Eggs add richness, color, and flavor to the dough and resulting bread. Egg breads have a wonderful flavor. Sugar is the fuel that feeds yeast so it ferments, producing carbon dioxide that makes the bread rise. Some bread recipes don't use sugar, but depend on sugars in the flour to provide food for the yeast.

Salt is essential to every bread recipe. It helps control yeast development, and prevents the bread from over rising. This contributes to good texture. Salt also adds flavor to the bread.

Toppings can change the crust of the loaf. Egg glazes are used to attach other ingredients like nuts or seeds. An egg yolk glaze will create a shiny, golden crust. Egg white glazes make a shiny, crisp crust. For a chewy, crisp crust, spray the dough with water while it's baking. If you brush milk on the dough before baking, the crust will be softer and tender. Brushing the baked loaf with butter will also make the crust softer. Enjoy experimenting with toppings and the recipes!

Bread Making Methods

Begin by reading the recipe carefully. Make sure you have all the necessary ingredients. Start with a simple bread loaf recipe, like the French Bread recipe below.

Measure the liquid called for, and heat it to the correct temperature. Sprinkle the yeast over the liquid, and let this sit for a few minutes. This is called proofing the yeast, and ensures that the yeast is fresh and active. When the yeast mixture rises and starts bubbling, proceed with the rest of the bread recipe.

Measure part of the flour into a bowl, and add any other dry ingredients or flavorings. Make a depression, or well, in the center of the flour, and add the dissolved yeast and other liquids. Beat well to combine.

Gradually add the rest of the flour until the bread dough becomes difficult to stir. At this point, flour your work surface and dump the dough out of the bowl onto the floured surface. Begin kneading the dough.

To knead, turn the dough over several times, gathering any stray particles. Fold the dough in half towards you, and push away with the heels of your hands. Turn the dough one quarter turn, and repeat this process until the dough is smooth, elastic, springy, and no longer sticky. This will take from 5 to 10 minutes. Doughs made with bread flour typically require more kneading than those made with all purpose flours.

Grease a large mixing bowl lightly with shortening. Place the smooth, kneaded dough into the bowl, turning it over so the top is greased as well. This step makes sure the dough doesn't dry out as it rises. Cover with a clean cloth and place in a warm spot. An electric oven with the light turned on, or a gas oven with the pilot light are perfect places for rising.

Let the dough rise until double in bulk. This means the dough increases in size, and when you press your fingers into the top, the indentation remains when you remove your fingers. Punch down the dough, and turn it onto a floured surface. Shape according to the recipe.

Place the dough in greased loaf tins, or on a greased cookie sheet for freeform loaves. Cover and let rise again until double in size. This second rising will take less time, because there is more yeast in the dough.

Bake the bread in a preheated oven. The bread should rise a bit in the oven too - this is called 'oven spring'. Bake according to the recipe until golden brown. The bread is done when it sounds hollow when you tap it with your fingers. Remove from the pans and let cool on a wire rack, then stand back as your family attacks it.

Other Methods

Sometimes the yeast is stirred into the flour, instead of being proofed separately. The only change in this type of recipe is the water should be warmer. Follow instructions as above.

Batter breads start with wet doughs or batters. This type of dough isn't kneaded, but stirred vigorously for a longer period of time to develop the gluten. The dough is stirred down after rising, instead of punching down, and spooned into loaf pans to rise and bake.

Sweet breads and other savory flavored breads usually have special shaping instructions. Follow the recipes carefully.

[edd]

I can not stand Thai bread.

It is too sweet and no taste.

If you have an oven, make your own, dead easy, go on the internet for directions.

if you have a bread maker even easier.

You dont need special flower any will do, use skimmed milk and butter is ok if you can not get lard, they might call lard. Shortning.

Try any supermarket bakers and ask if you can buy some live yeast from them, a little goes a long way.

I have been making my own bread in Thailand for 10 years, no problem.

[Sheryl]

Had a friend back home that used to do it but maybe you wouldn't call it "do it yourself" in that it used a fully automatic breadmaker.  Would love to get my hands on one here.

Just put the mix in, it mixes, needs, and bakes it automatically.

I bought one here, it was in either Robinsons or Central I forget which. Definitely a worthwhile investment.

You can get good whole meal and dark rye flour easily in Bangkok.

Nothing like fresh baked bread!

[BangkokBaker]

Do you know how to get the bread a little more light, in which I mean more 'air' in

IMHO bread will be light or not ..depends on

1- recipe

2 -yeast - fresh or not?

3-yeast 's food - sugar

4- time /temp/humidity - that you wait till yeast produce CO2 and make dough get increase the size

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wow Bambina,I'm impressed with your technical knowledge of bread baking.

Bangkokbaker

[Dara]

I can get decent baked bread here but I really miss a good bagel. (I ate six on a two-day trip to the U.S.A. last week!)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If you make bread, you can make bagels - the only difference is, after punching down the first time the dough has risen, have a pot of boiling water ready, divide the dough into balls, make a ring for each ball and drop them in the boiling water, turning them over for the dough to rise on both sides, fish them out onto a cooling rack. Brush with egg white and bake at 425 degree F for 15 to 20 minutes.

I used the Joy of Cooking recipe a number of years ago and it worked just fine...

[BambinA]

Do you know how to get the bread a little more light, in which I mean more 'air' in

IMHO bread will be light or not ..depends on

1- recipe

2 -yeast - fresh or not?

3-yeast 's food - sugar

4- time /temp/humidity - that you wait till yeast produce CO2 and make dough get increase the size

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wow Bambina,I'm impressed with your technical knowledge of bread baking.

Bangkokbaker

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

im not a good baker.. i can do some.. but i stand on the base of micro-biology of yeast

[jumbo]

Do you know how to get the bread a little more light, in which I mean more 'air' in

IMHO bread will be light or not ..depends on

1- recipe

2 -yeast - fresh or not?

3-yeast 's food - sugar

4- time /temp/humidity - that you wait till yeast produce CO2 and make dough get increase the size

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Bambi

You never stop surprizing me with all your knowledge

I was still wanting to ask you ; Can you cook too???

Well no need for that anymore

I tried all the recipies and ingredients but the bread is still not light enough inside for my taste. My french bread is outstanding by the way

Jumbo

[BangkokBaker]

I tried all the recipies and ingredients but the bread is still not light enough inside for my taste. My french bread is outstanding by the way

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If you want a light bread,you need to increase the volume of you bread,this can only be done by adding bread improvers,available in all supermarkets around Thailand. If you want to have more information regarding details on the bread improvers just send me a private mail.

Bangkokbaker

[costas]

I tried all the recipies and ingredients but the bread is still not light enough inside for my taste. My french bread is outstanding by the way

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If you want a light bread,you need to increase the volume of you bread,this can only be done by adding bread improvers,available in all supermarkets around Thailand. If you want to have more information regarding details on the bread improvers just send me a private mail.

Bangkokbaker

i would add that improvers are not the only way forward, although i have absolutely nothing against them. you basically need to increase the air incorporation in your dough mix- or in plain words- get more and bigger bubbles in there.That can be done with longer -preferably controlled- time as well as energy input in your mixing

[trickster_bk]

Why not try to use your rice cooker to make steamed bread. Every one has one of these in Thailand dont they? Otherwise go and buy one, less than 1000thb.

First make your dough (common dough, read previous posts) , I use a mix of baking wheat flour available from "Lotus/Carrefour/Big C/Villa/Foodland", to make it a little tastier I add oat meals, also available from above stores.

While your dough is rising put the rice cooker on and have about 2-3 cm of water in it, pre warm the water.

Have a deep bowl ready that fits inside the rice cooker (not plastic). try to use a wide bottom bowl.

Grease the bowl and put in a pice of dough. You might have to experiment on how big piece you can put inside.

In with the bowl in the cooker, turn on the cooker to boiling.

Wait about 10-20 min, check the bread, try by pressing your finger in to the dough, again this is something you have to experiment with to get the right timing with your dough.

If not then steam cook it a littkle longer.

Voila and you have some ready bread. It is white in colour but tastes good, to get a crust put a slice in your toaster.

I usually slice the bread into slices that fit into my toaster and put it in the freezer. So I can take out a slice for my breakfast or when I want.

Hopefully I will not need to bake in the future. I just made my first order from Bread Republic, they promised me that they will deliver now on saturday to me. Their service is to deliver par baked bread here in Bkk.

I let you know if it is good or not.

// Trickster_Bkk

Edited January 13, 2006 by trickster_bk

[trickster_bk]

Hi all.

First of all, I forgot to mention that usinga big electric wok, with a steamer top, gives you a chance to make many small bread rolls at the same time, also gives you a chance to make larger&wider breads than in a rice cooker.

With the electric wok you have better control of the boiling of water as well.

I got my bread delivered yesterday, packaging looked ok, nothing fancy in my opinion.

I had ordered some loafs of rye bread and a pic n mix of their crossaints and bagels.

Unfortunately my freezebox got totally cramped to fit all this bread, they had a minum ordering of 400thb, if they don't lower the minimum ordering I might need to think about buying an extra freezer if I am continuing to order.

I have a small electric owen, so I put in a loaf of rye to baked it according to the reccomended time they gave me. I have to point out that I needed to add aabout 2 minutes for the rye bread to become totally good. I tried a slice of the newly baked rye bread and it really smelled and tasted goodm, I had some fresh Paris ham on top from carrefour that made me a good snack.

The bread was a almost a hit on the dinner table, I have my mother visiting from Europe and she said it was not too bad, but that she could do better. But it was a little better than the rye bread I usually buy from carrefour.

Today I had some ciabatta and croissants for breakfast, after a failed first attempt of burning my croissant I got the next one to be very good, they are delicious when they are freshly baked, I could not had them delivered fast enough to be that fresh. But need to be a little carefull with the baking times, maybe my owen is a little too hot.

Alltogether a nice experience not to need tha hassle of making the dough and wait for it to raise, clean the bowls and so, jut take it out from the freezebox and put in the owen.

So I will probably make a new test of the other breads in a week or three.

I got a flyer from where I ordered and called last week, they also have a website called bread republic.

But I hope that they will lower their minimum order since it really stuffs my freezer when ordering.

// Trisha

Edited January 15, 2006 by trickster_bk