Baking Bread...when to slit loaves?

[firefox999uk]

This is how to do it

Have a Nice Day

[SFO2BKK]

Try Jim Lahey's No Knead Bread - see http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/11376-no-knead-bread. There is also a video on YouTube. It is not only the easiest but also best bread you can make at home. Genius. If you do it as described in the recipe, the top of your loaf will split on its own, just like you would get from a commercial bakery.

I love the video, its very convincing, the only drawback (I'm afraid) home oven are not hot enough?

I bought one on Lazada 10,000 Baht, mainly for bread and Pizza, but it heats "only" to 220° not sure its enough for this recipe ?

I have always made it at home though not here in Thailand where I don't have an oven. The recipe calls for the oven to be 230 C. Maybe 220 won't be hot enough, but you could try it since it is pretty close.

[MaeJoMTB]

Try Jim Lahey's No Knead Bread - see http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/11376-no-knead-bread. There is also a video on YouTube. It is not only the easiest but also best bread you can make at home. Genius. If you do it as described in the recipe, the top of your loaf will split on its own, just like you would get from a commercial bakery.

I love the video, its very convincing, the only drawback (I'm afraid) home oven are not hot enough?

I bought one on Lazada 10,000 Baht, mainly for bread and Pizza, but it heats "only" to 220° not sure its enough for this recipe ?

You only need 175c to bake bread.

220c is just to harden the crust faster.

[GAZZPA]

You are doing it at the right time. Make sure you rub the knife with some oil so it doesn't pull the bread and makes a clean cut. Also, make sure the second rise is not too long, if you leave it too long it fills up with a lot of gas and you kind of pop it like a balloon.

Only allow to rise by 50% to 75% and no more than an inch or so over the tin (if your talking about a loaf, if not still only 50% to 75% increase). Remember you will also get some rise when it starts to bake and the slit opens.

Glad to see you are bothering to bake your own. It is so much better then every shop loaf you will ever buy. Have fun fella.

[Kenny202]

You are doing it at the right time. Make sure you rub the knife with some oil so it doesn't pull the bread and makes a clean cut. Also, make sure the second rise is not too long, if you leave it too long it fills up with a lot of gas and you kind of pop it like a balloon.

Only allow to rise by 50% to 75% and no more than an inch or so over the tin (if your talking about a loaf, if not still only 50% to 75% increase). Remember you will also get some rise when it starts to bake and the slit opens.

Glad to see you are bothering to bake your own. It is so much better then every shop loaf you will ever buy. Have fun fella.

yeah I think Ur right. I read somewhere else leave the second rise as long as u can but not working for me. Next one I make I might put in the fridge over night to slow it down. Supposed to increase flavor

[Tchooptip]

Try Jim Lahey's No Knead Bread - see http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/11376-no-knead-bread. There is also a video on YouTube. It is not only the easiest but also best bread you can make at home. Genius. If you do it as described in the recipe, the top of your loaf will split on its own, just like you would get from a commercial bakery.

I love the video, its very convincing, the only drawback (I'm afraid) home oven are not hot enough?

I bought one on Lazada 10,000 Baht, mainly for bread and Pizza, but it heats "only" to 220° not sure its enough for this recipe ?

You only need 175c to bake bread.

220c is just to harden the crust faster.

Ah OK...thanks for answering I will try again, following this I reckon "incredible" video

[SFO2BKK]

Try Jim Lahey's No Knead Bread - see http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/11376-no-knead-bread. There is also a video on YouTube. It is not only the easiest but also best bread you can make at home. Genius. If you do it as described in the recipe, the top of your loaf will split on its own, just like you would get from a commercial bakery.

I love the video, its very convincing, the only drawback (I'm afraid) home oven are not hot enough?

I bought one on Lazada 10,000 Baht, mainly for bread and Pizza, but it heats "only" to 220° not sure its enough for this recipe ?

You only need 175c to bake bread.

220c is just to harden the crust faster.

Ah OK...thanks for answering I will try again, following this I reckon "incredible" video

I have made it hundreds of times and taught many others to make it as well. You will need to use the recipe that is posted in the NY Times link I mentioned. Since we are in a humid climate go easy on the water, or you will have a sticky mess. Good luck and PM me if you want anymore advice. But honestly, easiest, best bread ever! Sometimes it takes a few tries to get the exact feel, that's all.

Edited March 9, 2016 by SFO2BKK

[KittenKong]

My only problem with that US no-knead recipe is the measurements.

1 5/8ths cups? 1/4 tsp?

Could someone please explain to the USA that digital metric kitchen scales are readily available for just a few dollars and that a gram weighs near enough a gram everywhere on the planet. Whilst they are at it, tell them about the Celsius temperature scale also.

[phil2407]

Dario X3 could eat 1 of those in 2 days

[MaeJoMTB]

My only problem with that US no-knead recipe is the measurements.

1 5/8ths cups? 1/4 tsp?

Could someone please explain to the USA that digital metric kitchen scales are readily available for just a few dollars and that a gram weighs near enough a gram everywhere on the planet. Whilst they are at it, tell them about the Celsius temperature scale also.

I've never used scales, and you can buy a set of cup measures for around 50bht in Makro.

Really easy to use, scoop and throw in the mixing bowl.

My Pyrex Otto bowl oven has F and C on the temperature gauge.

[SFO2BKK]

My only problem with that US no-knead recipe is the measurements.

1 5/8ths cups? 1/4 tsp?

Could someone please explain to the USA that digital metric kitchen scales are readily available for just a few dollars and that a gram weighs near enough a gram everywhere on the planet. Whilst they are at it, tell them about the Celsius temperature scale also.

Some of us know. We can do both. Have scales, do metric, have cups do the US thing... Not a problem. :-)

No-Knead, No-Work Bread

Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.

Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery

Time: Actual work time is about 10 minutes total, plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising

3 cups (or 400 grams) all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting (If you want to use whole wheat flour, use 2/3 white and 1/3 whole wheat for the best result)

¼ teaspoon (1 gram) instant or regular yeast

1 - 1¼ (8 grams) teaspoons salt

1 ½ - 15/8 cups (350 grams plus) cool water (in humid climate, do not overdo the water)

Additional flour, cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. If you want to add flavorings, add them now (walnuts, onions, seeds, olives, cheese, herbs). Add 1 ½ to 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18 (can be longer too), at warm room temperature (about 70 degrees F, 21 degrees C). Note in a hot and humid climate, you can leave dough to rise for 8-12 hours, stir it, and then leave for another 8 plus hours. Note - the long rising time is what allows the flavor of the bread to develop.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it (if dough is very wet, heavily flour the work surface); sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger. Dough can be very wet, so make sure it is not stuck to the towel before you put it in the pot in the next step. If stuck, just peel it away from the towel, using a knife if needed, and dust spots that stuck with some flour.

3. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 F degrees (230 C). Put a 6- to 8-quart (or liter) heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex, glass, metal or ceramic) in oven as it heats (pot can be smaller and still work). When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven (or slide out rack and remove the lid if your oven is low). Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 20 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned (watch carefully so it doesn’t burn ). Cool on a rack.

[DrTuner]

If you have a very thin crust, try slicing butter with the knife before slitting the bread. That way the dry side of the knife won't catch.

[KittenKong]

My only problem with that US no-knead recipe is the measurements.

1 5/8ths cups? 1/4 tsp?

Could someone please explain to the USA that digital metric kitchen scales are readily available for just a few dollars and that a gram weighs near enough a gram everywhere on the planet. Whilst they are at it, tell them about the Celsius temperature scale also.

I've never used scales, and you can buy a set of cup measures for around 50bht in Makro.

Really easy to use, scoop and throw in the mixing bowl.

My Pyrex Otto bowl oven has F and C on the temperature gauge.

I know you can buy these ridiculous items: you can buy all sorts of pointless and stupid things in shops. But why bother buying special measuring implements that are hard to use and which clutter up your kitchen when a cheap digital scale does the entire job very simply, and, thanks to the tare function, requires no extra washing up or use of any implements at all?

Place mixing bowl on scale, hit tare, add first ingredient, hit tare, add second ingredient, continue as needed. Accurate results every time. No need to worry about whether your cup is rounded, or how big your teaspoon is. Life can be so simple, if we let it.

[KittenKong]

My only problem with that US no-knead recipe is the measurements.

1 5/8ths cups? 1/4 tsp?

Could someone please explain to the USA that digital metric kitchen scales are readily available for just a few dollars and that a gram weighs near enough a gram everywhere on the planet. Whilst they are at it, tell them about the Celsius temperature scale also.

Some of us know. We can do both. Have scales, do metric, have cups do the US thing... Not a problem. :-)

I know what these measurements are and I know what to do with them, but I dont see why I should have to bother with two different procedures when one simple, accurate and universal technique exists. I have much better things to do.

[Dario]

Dear gourmets,

On request of two members I mark here the recipe of the bread I make now once a week since about 2 years. I must honestly say, I never grow tired of this bread. Before I always made 6 buns out of the dough and had one every day for breakfast. I only started about two months ago to make loaves.

Please note that this is my own recipe. You won't find it anywhere on the net, only here. It has no name. You might call it:

Wholesome Swiss Bread

Ingredients

600 g white flour

60 g rye flour

1½ tsp of Patco 3

415 g of water

9 g of dried yeast

1½ tsp of salt

1½ tsp of sugar

40-50 g of melted butter

About Patco 3: it is an ingredient which makes the bread softer. I don't mean soft like Thai bread, definitely not, just soft like the bread we eat in Europe. In Bangkok you can find Patco 3 at UFM, the japanese supermarket opposite UFM (forgot the name) Villa Market, but as a general rule, Makro has it in 500 g or 1 kg packs. In a supermarket you might find it in the form of a small glass jar. My wife used to bake a lot years ago for schools. She always used Patco 3. I would call it a secret ingredient.

How to make the bread

#1 Sieve the flour together with the rye flour and the Patco 3. Don't trow residues away, add them again to the flour, make sure it's all fine powdered, most will be from the rye flour.

#2 Put the sieved flour into a mixing bowl. Create a big enough hole in the flour to accommodate the 415 ml of water

#3 Warm the water hand warm to about 40° not more otherwise it would kill the yeast.

#4 Now in the whole add the water, dried yeast, salt and sugar.

#5 Melt the butter in a small pan. Let it cool down a bit, then add it to the dough.

#6 Now mix the dough, preferably with a hand or bread mixer

#7 Knead the dough until it is firm and doesn't really stick

#8 Put it back into the mixing bowl and cover it. We cover it with a large plastic and a towel on top

#9 Let it rise until its volume has doubled.

#10 Take the dough carefully out of the mixing bowl. Not easy, because now the dough sticks to the walls.

#11 Knead the dough again, add a little sieved flour to the surface on which you're kneading the dough.

#12 Now cut the dough into two pieces and form 2 nice loaves. If you prefer to have buns, cut them into 6 equal pieces.

#12 Put the loaves or buns on a baking tray and cover the loaves. You can also just put them into the oven.

#13 Let them proove for about 2 hours, then they should have grown to the desired size.

#14 Uncover the loaves and with a sharp knife slit the loaves. I slit about 2 mm deep. Sieve some flour very thinly over the loaves. It gives them that beautiful look people like so much.

#15 Put them into the oven with about 50° temperature for another 20-30 minutes

#16 Now turn the temperature to 150° and let the loaves bake for about 25 minutes. Watch that the bread doesn't get too brown. Every oven is different, don't forget.

About the oven: we always used an oven with a fan, at our Pattaya and upcountry home. In Pattaya I had a white Spanish Fagor oven, upcountry we have a dark brown Zanussi

#17 Let the loaves completely cool down on a tray which lets dissipate the heath underneath the loaf, otherwise the bottom becomes wet/moist

Put the loaves in plastic bags and put them into your deep freezer. We have two, one with a front door and drawers and the other one is a chest model.

When I want to eat bread for breakfast, I take a loaf or bun out of the freezer for about 45-60 minutes and then put the bread for about 2 minutes into the preheated oven (150°).

I add some pictures of the Patco 3, the bread buns, the ovens and the hamburger buns. Good Luck! If you have any questions just PM me. Please note that the kitchens I have designed by myself. Kitchen doors are available at Boonthavorn or here. I bought them for both homes at Boontahvorn Pattaya. Good service.

Fancy some delicious self made apple sauce? I make regularly (never eat raw apples, though). Made one yesterday. Here a picture or two just before I added cinnamon powder. Chilled it is so refreshing with the now hot weather here!

By the way, here you find my wife's business. I'm the mental advisor only.

Edited March 10, 2016 by Dario

[Kenny202]

Jesus. Nailed it this time! 2 awesome light crunchy loaves. Best bread I've ever eaten. Let prove an hour....shaped and put in loaf tins. 10 minutes then slit loaves and into 40c oven for an hour. Whacked the temp up to 180 for 40 minutes. Really delicious bread! Looks a bit dry but lovely and moist inside. Mega crunchy outside too like crunching broken glass. Thanks all for the help. Hope I can replicate again. Finished product 2 cumberland sausages with gravy and fresh honey from the markets. Doesn't get any better than that :-)

Edited March 10, 2016 by Kenny202

[oldmajor]

Dear gourmets,

On request of two members I mark here the recipe of the bread I make now once a week since about 2 years. I must honestly say, I never grow tired of this bread. Before I always made 6 buns out of the dough and had one every day for breakfast. I only started about two months ago to make loaves.

Please note that this is my own recipe. You won't find it anywhere on the net, only here. It has no name. You might call it:

Wholesome Swiss Bread

Ingredients

600 g white flour

60 g rye flour

1½ tsp of Patco 3

415 g of water

9 g of dried yeast

1½ tsp of salt

1½ tsp of sugar

40-50 g of melted butter

About Patco 3: it is an ingredient which makes the bread softer. I don't mean soft like Thai bread, definitely not, just soft like the bread we eat in Europe. In Bangkok you can find Patco 3 at UFM, the japanese supermarket opposite UFM (forgot the name) Villa Market, but as a general rule, Makro has it in 500 g or 1 kg packs. In a supermarket you might find it in the form of a small glass jar. My wife used to bake a lot years ago for schools. She always used Patco 3. I would call it a secret ingredient.

How to make the bread

#1 Sieve the flour together with the rye flour and the Patco 3. Don't trow residues away, add them again to the flour, make sure it's all fine powdered, most will be from the rye flour.

#2 Put the sieved flour into a mixing bowl. Create a big enough hole in the flour to accommodate the 415 ml of water

#3 Warm the water hand warm to about 40° not more otherwise it would kill the yeast.

#4 Now in the whole add the water, dried yeast, salt and sugar.

#5 Melt the butter in a small pan. Let it cool down a bit, then add it to the dough.

#6 Now mix the dough, preferably with a hand or bread mixer

#7 Knead the dough until it is firm and doesn't really stick

#8 Put it back into the mixing bowl and cover it. We cover it with a large plastic and a towel on top

#9 Let it rise until its volume has doubled.

#10 Take the dough carefully out of the mixing bowl. Not easy, because now the dough sticks to the walls.

#11 Knead the dough again, add a little sieved flour to the surface on which you're kneading the dough.

#12 Now cut the dough into two pieces and form 2 nice loaves. If you prefer to have buns, cut them into 6 equal pieces.

#12 Put the loaves or buns on a baking tray and cover the loaves. You can also just put them into the oven.

#13 Let them proove for about 2 hours, then they should have grown to the desired size.

#14 Uncover the loaves and with a sharp knife slit the loaves. I slit about 2 mm deep. Sieve some flour very thinly over the loaves. It gives them that beautiful look people like so much.

#15 Put them into the oven with about 50° temperature for another 20-30 minutes

#16 Now turn the temperature to 150° and let the loaves bake for about 25 minutes. Watch that the bread doesn't get too brown. Every oven is different, don't forget.

About the oven: we always used an oven with a fan, at our Pattaya and upcountry home. In Pattaya I had a white Spanish Fagor oven, upcountry we have a dark brown Zanussi

#17 Let the loaves completely cool down on a tray which lets dissipate the heath underneath the loaf, otherwise the bottom becomes wet/moist

Put the loaves in plastic bags and put them into your deep freezer. We have two, one with a front door and drawers and the other one is a chest model.

When I want to eat bread for breakfast, I take a loaf or bun out of the freezer for about 45-60 minutes and then put the bread for about 2 minutes into the preheated oven (150°).

I add some pictures of the Patco 3, the bread buns, the ovens and the hamburger buns. Good Luck! If you have any questions just PM me. Please note that the kitchens I have designed by myself. Kitchen doors are available at Boonthavorn or here. I bought them for both homes at Boontahvorn Pattaya. Good service.

IMG_5786z.jpg

SAM_4603z.jpg

DSCN4981z.jpg

SAM_2140z.jpg

SAM_4420z.jpg

Fancy some delicious self made apple sauce? I make regularly (never eat raw apples, though). Made one yesterday. Here a picture or two just before I added cinnamon powder. Chilled it is so refreshing with the now hot weather here!

IMG_5783z.jpg

IMG_5785z.jpg

By the way, here you find my wife's business. I'm the mental advisor only.

Excellent. Thanks a lot Dario.

I will get back from work in about 2 weeks and this is on the "To Do" list. Really appreciate your sharing.

[KittenKong]

Wholesome Swiss Bread

Ingredients

.........

1½ tsp of Patco 3

.........

About Patco 3: it is an ingredient which makes the bread softer. I don't mean soft like Thai bread, definitely not, just soft like the bread we eat in Europe. In Bangkok you can find Patco 3 at UFM, the japanese supermarket opposite UFM (forgot the name) Villa Market, but as a general rule, Makro has it in 500 g or 1 kg packs. In a supermarket you might find it in the form of a small glass jar. My wife used to bake a lot years ago for schools. She always used Patco 3. I would call it a secret ingredient.

Patco 3 is an emulsifier and "flour improver" and contains two chemicals commonly used in commercial food production to extend shelf-life and improve mixing.

"Patco® 3 is a dynamic blend of two efficient emulsifiers, Calcium Stearoyl Lactylate (CSL), Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate (SSL), which together perform as both a dough strengthener and a crumb softener. Improves dough tolerance to processing and machinery variations. Aids in improving product volume and creates tighter crumb structure. The shelf life of yeast raised products is extended along with producing a softer crumb. Resists lumping in high humidity environments. Improves sheeting and helps reduce sticking for pressed products. It also aids in whipping."

Personally I would pass on that, and I'm not sure how "wholesome" it is either. Have you tried without it? An emulsifier really should not be necessary in a domestic bread baking situation.

[KittenKong]

Jesus. Nailed it this time! 2 awesome light crunchy loaves. Best bread I've ever eaten. Let prove an hour....shaped and put in loaf tins. 10 minutes then slit loaves and into 40c oven for an hour. Whacked the temp up to 180 for 40 minutes. Really delicious bread! Looks a bit dry but lovely and moist inside. Mega crunchy outside too like crunching broken glass.

They look good. I'm sure that doing the second raise in situ at a low temperature is the trick to stop them collapsing.

For a really crusty loaf try spraying the loaf with lightly salted water just before turning the oven up. I use an old window-cleaning spray for this. This is particularly effective if you want to bake a French style crusty baguette or crispy roll.

[adammike]

My only problem with that US no-knead recipe is the measurements.

1 5/8ths cups? 1/4 tsp?

Could someone please explain to the USA that digital metric kitchen scales are readily available for just a few dollars and that a gram weighs near enough a gram everywhere on the planet. Whilst they are at it, tell them about the Celsius temperature scale also.

Life is easy just buy a set of measuring cups and spoons,and you might need to make sure your scales can switch between metric and imperial

if like me you have a lot of old cook books, I let my bread rise in the fridge for at least 12 hours and use the no knead method,a good pair of scissors can work to slit the loaves,best of all is a hand sheep shears,

[Dario]

Wholesome Swiss Bread

Ingredients

.........

1½ tsp of Patco 3

.........

About Patco 3: it is an ingredient which makes the bread softer. I don't mean soft like Thai bread, definitely not, just soft like the bread we eat in Europe. In Bangkok you can find Patco 3 at UFM, the japanese supermarket opposite UFM (forgot the name) Villa Market, but as a general rule, Makro has it in 500 g or 1 kg packs. In a supermarket you might find it in the form of a small glass jar. My wife used to bake a lot years ago for schools. She always used Patco 3. I would call it a secret ingredient.

Patco 3 is an emulsifier and "flour improver" and contains two chemicals commonly used in commercial food production to extend shelf-life and improve mixing.

"Patco® 3 is a dynamic blend of two efficient emulsifiers, Calcium Stearoyl Lactylate (CSL), Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate (SSL), which together perform as both a dough strengthener and a crumb softener. Improves dough tolerance to processing and machinery variations. Aids in improving product volume and creates tighter crumb structure. The shelf life of yeast raised products is extended along with producing a softer crumb. Resists lumping in high humidity environments. Improves sheeting and helps reduce sticking for pressed products. It also aids in whipping."

Personally I would pass on that, and I'm not sure how "wholesome" it is either. Have you tried without it? An emulsifier really should not be necessary in a domestic bread baking situation.

The amount of Patco 3 is so small, I really don't worry. These emulsifiers and flour improvers are used everywhere in the western world and can do no harm, but improves the bread considerably. Sure I have started out many, many years ago without it and the result was not very to my or anyone elses liking. Don't worry about Patco 3, I'm happy I can get it.

Edited March 10, 2016 by Dario

[Tracyb]

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/10121/bread-scoring-tutorial-updated-122009

This link will give you some helpful hints on when and how to "score" loaves before baking.

have fun!

[KittenKong]

The amount of Patco 3 is so small, I really don't worry. These emulsifiers and flour improvers are used everywhere in the western world and can do no harm, but improves the bread considerably. Sure I have started out many, many years ago without it and the result was not very to my or anyone elses liking. Don't worry about Patco 3, I'm happy I can get it.

It's true that the amount is small, and it's true that factory bread probably contains it everywhere, but I dont think that real baker's bread in countries like France is allowed to contain it:

http://www.cooksinfo.com/french-bread-law-1993

[petedk]

This is how to do it

Have a Nice Day

Yes we use a good old fashioned razor blade and a firm hand.

[oldmajor]

Dear gourmets,

On request of two members I mark here the recipe of the bread I make now once a week since about 2 years. I must honestly say, I never grow tired of this bread. Before I always made 6 buns out of the dough and had one every day for breakfast. I only started about two months ago to make loaves.

Please note that this is my own recipe. You won't find it anywhere on the net, only here. It has no name. You might call it:

Wholesome Swiss Bread

Ingredients

600 g white flour

60 g rye flour

1½ tsp of Patco 3

415 g of water

9 g of dried yeast

1½ tsp of salt

1½ tsp of sugar

40-50 g of melted butter

About Patco 3: it is an ingredient which makes the bread softer. I don't mean soft like Thai bread, definitely not, just soft like the bread we eat in Europe. In Bangkok you can find Patco 3 at UFM, the japanese supermarket opposite UFM (forgot the name) Villa Market, but as a general rule, Makro has it in 500 g or 1 kg packs. In a supermarket you might find it in the form of a small glass jar. My wife used to bake a lot years ago for schools. She always used Patco 3. I would call it a secret ingredient.

How to make the bread

#1 Sieve the flour together with the rye flour and the Patco 3. Don't trow residues away, add them again to the flour, make sure it's all fine powdered, most will be from the rye flour.

#2 Put the sieved flour into a mixing bowl. Create a big enough hole in the flour to accommodate the 415 ml of water

#3 Warm the water hand warm to about 40° not more otherwise it would kill the yeast.

#4 Now in the whole add the water, dried yeast, salt and sugar.

#5 Melt the butter in a small pan. Let it cool down a bit, then add it to the dough.

#6 Now mix the dough, preferably with a hand or bread mixer

#7 Knead the dough until it is firm and doesn't really stick

#8 Put it back into the mixing bowl and cover it. We cover it with a large plastic and a towel on top

#9 Let it rise until its volume has doubled.

#10 Take the dough carefully out of the mixing bowl. Not easy, because now the dough sticks to the walls.

#11 Knead the dough again, add a little sieved flour to the surface on which you're kneading the dough.

#12 Now cut the dough into two pieces and form 2 nice loaves. If you prefer to have buns, cut them into 6 equal pieces.

#12 Put the loaves or buns on a baking tray and cover the loaves. You can also just put them into the oven.

#13 Let them proove for about 2 hours, then they should have grown to the desired size.

#14 Uncover the loaves and with a sharp knife slit the loaves. I slit about 2 mm deep. Sieve some flour very thinly over the loaves. It gives them that beautiful look people like so much.

#15 Put them into the oven with about 50° temperature for another 20-30 minutes

#16 Now turn the temperature to 150° and let the loaves bake for about 25 minutes. Watch that the bread doesn't get too brown. Every oven is different, don't forget.

About the oven: we always used an oven with a fan, at our Pattaya and upcountry home. In Pattaya I had a white Spanish Fagor oven, upcountry we have a dark brown Zanussi

#17 Let the loaves completely cool down on a tray which lets dissipate the heath underneath the loaf, otherwise the bottom becomes wet/moist

Put the loaves in plastic bags and put them into your deep freezer. We have two, one with a front door and drawers and the other one is a chest model.

When I want to eat bread for breakfast, I take a loaf or bun out of the freezer for about 45-60 minutes and then put the bread for about 2 minutes into the preheated oven (150°).

I add some pictures of the Patco 3, the bread buns, the ovens and the hamburger buns. Good Luck! If you have any questions just PM me. Please note that the kitchens I have designed by myself. Kitchen doors are available at Boonthavorn or here. I bought them for both homes at Boontahvorn Pattaya. Good service.

IMG_5786z.jpg

SAM_4603z.jpg

DSCN4981z.jpg

SAM_2140z.jpg

SAM_4420z.jpg

Fancy some delicious self made apple sauce? I make regularly (never eat raw apples, though). Made one yesterday. Here a picture or two just before I added cinnamon powder. Chilled it is so refreshing with the now hot weather here!

IMG_5783z.jpg

IMG_5785z.jpg

By the way, here you find my wife's business. I'm the mental advisor only.

Excellent. Thanks a lot Dario.

I will get back from work in about 2 weeks and this is on the "To Do" list. Really appreciate your sharing.

This turned out great without the Patco. Will the same recipe work if I use loaf tins?