Baking my own Bread and a bit more - how to start?

[redcardave]

Were to start GET A WORK PERMIT if you are going to sell any. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL

[quidnunc]

What a wonderful topic to start the year...

The other respondents have covered the fun of making bread very well so I won't add much.

Keep away from the little bread making "machines". They work on a timer rather than what you can see and touch. Have never had a decent piece of bread from one of the things.

Use of a slab of granite, purchased at a reasonable cost from a granite shop, is just the only way to go. It can be used as a pizza stone as well of course. Seems to be some back n forth on whether to use the polished side or the unpolished. I've been using my slab for over 10 years, polished side. The items being baked are placed on baking parchment so there's no direct contact with the granite.

I buy my bread flour by the 10 kg case usually at Makro - better price than other outlets I've checked.

If you are going with yeast (I do mainly sourdough), make sure your yeast is the low sugar type - there are 2 types usually sold.

Enjoy the making and eating!

Actually, granite is a gamble. It can have hidden flaws in it that will eventually make the stone crack. So, what you have to do, is keep trying until you get a good slab. An inexpensive option is large unglazed terracotta tiles. Just make a mosaic of them in your oven.

[slipperylobster]

Some people do not own homes, nor need to install ovens just for bread. Although the quality is admittedly not as good as oven baked bread, I was often happy with my breadmaker. And it was portable.

[GinBoy2]

I have the problem of getting the nice crusty brown shell on the rolls and even the pizza dough. I have a large (toaster) oven that goes to 250C. I've used my granite stone (preheated), used a baking sheet and even just the oven racks but I cannot get that golden brown shell. Is it the oven?

The trick to crusty bread is putting a cup of water in the oven to get a nice steamy baking environment

[U235]

Hi, All you bakers. I have been using a bread machine for about 4 years in Thailand. I am the only person in the house that eats bread. I would appreciate some advice that would give my bread a longer life. it goes a little moldy after 3 or 4 days. Also when I cut a normal slice from the loaf ( unless it is a thick one) it tends to fall to bits. I have tried wheat flour and bread flour and mixed them together 50/50 with no different results. Thank you for any suggestions.

- Slice the bread and keep it in the freezer. To defrost, plase the slices for a very short time in the microwave so they become a bit warm like a very fresh bread.

- Try an electric slicer. I believe I have seen them at lazada and verasu

[phutoie2]

Good topic, just a few observations

1. Buy a good serrated bread knife.

2. Never keep bread in a fridge. In a freezer and just take out what you need and store in a sealed container

3. Bread lasting longer, look at your recipe. Oil, butter etc. Good preservatives. I used to use canola oil but now unsalted butter, much better crumb.

4. Agree with oven temp gauge, if you buy a Thai gas oven.

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[phutoie2]

Forgot to add to last post, if I ever read about cups & teaspoons again, well:(

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[phutoie2]

The one about water in oven, another iffy one. If you do'nt flour up your dough before placing in oven, just spray your dough with water. Same effect.

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[GinBoy2]

The one about water in oven, another iffy one. If you do'nt flour up your dough before placing in oven, just spray your dough with water. Same effect.

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 2 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

This is one of the things I like about baking bread. There is a myth that baking bread is hard, but in reality its one of the simplest things to make. After that we all experiment and try different techniques. Some work for some, but not for others a lot depends on your conditions. Thats half the fun of bread making, experimenting to find out how to make what works for you with the tools you have. Try everything you read here, nothing will be inedible (hopefully), but some you'll like more than others.

Good work guys.

[recycler]

Really getting exited about this bread now, I followed Ratsima's recipe and some other advise given here, longer kneading, shorter proofing and lowered the temperature of my oven from 230 to 200. I also put the bowl in the oven first and last 10 minutes back in the oven without the bowl.

The result was a bit like Ciabatta bread, with a very good crust! Not surprising as I used Italian flour from Makro.

Yesterday I bought some more types of wheat and flour, oats, linseed, raisins, etc. at Foodland and a non-stick bread pan.

Can't wait till next weekend to proceed with the experiment!

[F K Thornbury]

I'm getting into pizza making, myself. I saw an old thread that suggested True Value for mixing bowls, pizza pan, rolling pin etc.

Is that the best place? Does anyone have any other recommendations for where to buy basic baking equipment (low-cost, preferrably)?

FK

[jpduggan]

I was a pastry cook for 40 years and apart from patisserie, I made fancy breads - brioche, croissant, several different rolls and some fancy Swiss egg and milk loaf which was plaited and called zopf. So I have a few credentials.

I am retired now but still make my own bread. Don't be too fussed with what you do. Bread is the easiest thing to make. People tend to get worked up about it and try too hard. If you want to go to the bother of running a sour dough like Ratsime does that is OK and there is lots of info on the intenet about getting one started. If you can get hold of compressed yeast it is better than the dried stuff but the dried yeast is ok too. The sour dough starters available at the supermarket are not sour dough at all. They are just a con with dried yeast in them.

I don't even use a recipe. For 3 loaves I put about a teaspoonful of yeast into a bowl of about 2 cups of water at blood temperature - no warmer or you will destroy the yeast but cooler is ok but will take a bit longer to work. Into that I put enough plain flour to make a slurry and let it sit until it starts to bubble and rise.

Next I add some more water - maybe a cup or 2 and whatever else I feel like. For 3 loaves I use about 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. More salt will give a better flavour but too much will retard the development of the yeast and really too much it will never rise at all. I add 20 - 30 grams of a fat [ butter, olive oil, margerine ] and next it can be wholemeal flour, plain flour, a bit of bran, a bit of oatmeal, a few linseeds or a bit of oat bran. If you can buy some gluten [ the protein in flour that give it its strength] you can add a teaspoon of that.

The next step is really important. You must knead it for about 20 minutes and it is hard work without a machine. If you have a mixer use the hook fitting and run at slow speed. The more you knead the dough the less sticky and more elastic it becomes and that is what you want.

When you start to knead, if the dough is too soft then add some flour and if it is too dry then add some more water.

When the kneading is finished let the dough rise and then give it a very short further kneading. Do that 2 or 3 times. Form your loaves and then proof them [ allowing the loaf to rise before baking them[.

I make mine in oblong tins, sometimes sprinkled with sesame or poppy seeds. I bake it in an old, small Electrolux oven at about 220 degrees for 15 minutes and then turn down the temp. to 200.

The last 5 minutes I tip it out of the tins and finish baking on the racks of the oven. It is baked when you rap it on the bottom and it sounds or feels hollow and firm.

Good luck and remember - don't worry, you can't do much that is wrong.

I just had an idea that I wanted to put by you. I've done Thai cookery classes for 1000 baht per person for a morning class with up to 10 attending.Hands on tuition is always best in my opinion so would you be up for running some bread making classes?

[jpduggan]

If you go up Sukhumwit Soi 33 to the carpark, then on the opposite side of the carpark there is a baker and pastrycook wholesalers outlet. They have tins, flour and probably yeast and gluten as well.

What town Pattaya or Bangkok?

[FiftyTwo]

Hi, All you bakers. I have been using a bread machine for about 4 years in Thailand. I am the only person in the house that eats bread. I would appreciate some advice that would give my bread a longer life. it goes a little moldy after 3 or 4 days. Also when I cut a normal slice from the loaf ( unless it is a thick one) it tends to fall to bits. I have tried wheat flour and bread flour and mixed them together 50/50 with no different results. Thank you for any suggestions.

After it's cooled down,

Keep it in the fridge wrapped in a plastic carrier bag, lasts more than a week then.

[jpduggan]

HAPPY NEW YEAR folks !

I am absolutely a beginner of making bread. share with you my failure just yesterday while preparing a 1kg focaccia for the family new year eve dinner party. the dough was too wet and too sticky ( with bread flour ), even adding and adding flour into the mixture.

it is really fun of making bread, but at the same time is really frustrated when failed. my hands were stuck with the wet dough and I couldn't run other tasks in the kitchen. my party completely spoiled.

yes, definitely more practice, and more practice - my simple new year resolution !

Got great advice onetime that that has become the golden rule...''Don't ever make a dish for guests that you hav'nt tried out previously''

[FiftyTwo]

HAPPY NEW YEAR folks !

I am absolutely a beginner of making bread. share with you my failure just yesterday while preparing a 1kg focaccia for the family new year eve dinner party. the dough was too wet and too sticky ( with bread flour ), even adding and adding flour into the mixture.

it is really fun of making bread, but at the same time is really frustrated when failed. my hands were stuck with the wet dough and I couldn't run other tasks in the kitchen. my party completely spoiled.

yes, definitely more practice, and more practice - my simple new year resolution !

Got great advice onetime that that has become the golden rule...''Don't ever make a dish for guests that you hav'nt tried out previously''

Stir it with a wooden spoon, no need to get your hands sticky.

[jpduggan]

Were to start GET A WORK PERMIT if you are going to sell any. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL

I could'nt picture anyone putting a downer on making ones own bread but you just. Do I Knead permission to fry my eggs in the morning too?

[jpduggan]

Were to start GET A WORK PERMIT if you are going to sell any. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL

Edited January 7, 2014 by jpduggan

[kikoman]

What a great thread, I make all my bread at home been doing that for about 3-4 years, used to use a bread machine, then I use only the dough cycle and baked it in my horno, (pizza oven) and now make it all by hand, been trying to learn how to make a sourdough starter, to see if I would prefer that over using yeast, as lately my bread has an overpowering yeast taste, I believe my taste are changing.

Even though I have been baking bread for a while it is great seeing how others bake their bread!

Cheers

[ETatBKK]

HAPPY NEW YEAR folks !

I am absolutely a beginner of making bread. share with you my failure just yesterday while preparing a 1kg focaccia for the family new year eve dinner party. the dough was too wet and too sticky ( with bread flour ), even adding and adding flour into the mixture.

it is really fun of making bread, but at the same time is really frustrated when failed. my hands were stuck with the wet dough and I couldn't run other tasks in the kitchen. my party completely spoiled.

yes, definitely more practice, and more practice - my simple new year resolution !

Got great advice onetime that that has become the golden rule...''Don't ever make a dish for guests that you hav'nt tried out previously''

absolutely !! golden rule for party food - never do anything you didn't try before ! indeed, I stopped my wife on one of her menu, since it is new to her. BUT, I fail on something I been done for few time :-) good learning !

[ETatBKK]

HAPPY NEW YEAR folks !

I am absolutely a beginner of making bread. share with you my failure just yesterday while preparing a 1kg focaccia for the family new year eve dinner party. the dough was too wet and too sticky ( with bread flour ), even adding and adding flour into the mixture.

it is really fun of making bread, but at the same time is really frustrated when failed. my hands were stuck with the wet dough and I couldn't run other tasks in the kitchen. my party completely spoiled.

yes, definitely more practice, and more practice - my simple new year resolution !

Stir it with a wooden spoon, no need to get your hands sticky.

for me, the fun of making bread, is the mixing and the kneading by hand. sometimes I fail though.

thanks for the tips anyway !

[billd766]

I looked up No kead bread on Google and found this thread. http://www.thekitchn.com/time-to-bake-fr-162820

I tried the no knead bread recipe and made it last night and left it overnight then finished it off this morning.

A simple recipe and so easy to make.

Next time I will make rolls with the same recipe.

What You Need

Ingredients
3 cups white flour OR bread flour
3/4 teaspoon yeast
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups slightly warm water

Equipment
Large bowl
Plastic wrap
Spray oil OR olive oil
Oven-safe pot with lid OR Dutch oven (should be at least 4 quarts in size)

I used a big Pyrex dish as I dont have a dutch oven.

It came out like this and tasted great as it was still warm at breakfast time.

How to make no knead bread v02.doc

[cooked]

I also bought a bread machine (Central Plaza) under the impression that you just chucked the ingredients in and got bread. I then discovered that the recipes were rubbish , they seem to cater for people that like feather light airy bread that is only good for making toast with. I since discovered that cutting back on the sugar solves this problem, you can also add an egg. I also had to wade through stuff like 'packet of yeast' (I had to buy a Kilo), TSp and TBsp and other stuff. I now use it to knead my dough and let it beep after the required time is up, about 90 minutes in all. So now I make a great Focaccia, Pizza crust, Pitta bread, scones and all sorts of stuff that needs yeast plus kneading, like bread.

Unglazed tiles or a piece of granite will do the job of a baking stone.

[Showbags]

Bought a loaf of rye multigrain recently from the baker....best bread I had ever had.

Would love to make my own...but to scared to try.

[harrry]

Bread after 4 days is stale and probably mouldy unless it is full of chemicals as are most commercial breads,