When I got my new Mixer a few months ago, I knew that I was going to be using it for bread but what I didn’t know was how much I was going to learn about bread making because of it…
Not to say that I am at any way an expert but I have been having some great results from experiment breads…
The last times that I have made bread I have just expanded on my basic recipe (water, yeast, honey, salt and flour) … the texture has been perfect. It doesn’t crumble for sandwiches, it toasts perfectly, when still warm the crust is crispy but not at all tough and when the loaf is cool it is slightly chewy but still very tender…
The times that I have made it it has made 2 free form loaves, but the next time I am going to make it in bread pans to see how it turns out… but I am pretty sure that this will be a great bread to use in our sandwich press…
The great thing about the mixer and bread making is that you can really get the right texture in the dough… of course this could be done by hand but the mixer makes it so much easier especially when it comes to not putting more flour than needed….
Now, I see that before, the problems that I had with bread (though they tasted great) had all to do with texture… I wasn’t kneading long enough (or efficiently enough) to get the glutens going as much as I do now… I was also adding too much flour because the dough would stick to my hands or the counter and though I felt that there was too much flour I didn’t know how to not have it stick without adding more….
Anyway… this bread is delicious, simple and is a keeper…
combine…
- 2 cups warm water
- 2 1/4 tsp yeast
- 1 tbsp honey
meanwhile soak 1 cup of 10 grain cereal in boiling water…
combine
- 4 1/2 cups of unbleached flour
- 1 tsp of salt
When the yeast has proofed, add the soaked grains and mix. Then add the flour and mix…The dough should be very sticky… keep adding flour by the tablespoon until the dough comes together…
At this point I turn off the mixer and I step away for about 20 min… this seems to really help get the flour to relax and makes it easier for the gluten…after letting the flour rest I start kneading the dough making sure that it is clearing the sides of the bowl… and then set my mixer for 9 min and I let do its work…
I then do the window pane test to make sure that the dough is the right texture and if needed I will keep kneading for a min or two… when it is ready I transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover and let rise…
then form two loaves and let them rise while I preheat the oven (and the bread stone) to 375…(or depending on my mood… I put them on a baking sheet and put in cold oven and let it rise in the oven while the oven is heating up)
Bake until ready (about 40 min)
this still seems complicated to me.. what does yeast proofing mean?
Wow, that’s so nice when experimenting pays off like that. I’m just curious though – what exactly is the window pane test?
Well, you know I will probably never buy a mixer but all your results are making a difference to me anyway. Thanks for sharing them. I’ll try and keep them in mind when making it by hand. Muah!
xo
Cheap, Anti Electric, Stubborn Lady
If only I could convert one of the those mixers to bike power….
Mojavi… yeast proofing is making sure that the yeast is alive… Basically the yeast eats the sugar and excretes alcohol and carbon dioxide.That Alcohol and carbon dioxide are what the pockets in bread are filled with as bread bakes.
So to proof the yeast you mix it with a sugar and if it is alive it will become all foamy…
Sophia… the window pane test is when you take a little piece of the dough, make a little ball and slowly stretch it… it should become thin enough to see light through without tearing…
i was going to ask the same questions. i am assuming that this is a lot cheaper than buying bread, i know it is way healthier. i have a stand mixer i really should start making bread. what would you suggest i buy a bread stone or bread pans?
Christina… making bread is SO much cheaper than buying it… here a good loaf of bread is at least 3.50 or more…
I calculated a while back and for a loaf like the one above the cost is about .75 per loaf… less than .50 if you don’t have the grains in it..
You really don’t need the stone or pans… I use a cookie sheet when I don’t use the stone… the stone though is great not only for bread but for Pizza also which is something that we love making here…
A simple loaf pan (like for banana bread etc) is also nice to have if you want that shape of loaf but not needed…
wow that is a huge price difference!!! i will have to start doing this on a regular basis! thanks for the inspiration!!
I make all my own bread as well. I use the machine to make the dough then I shape it like you did. You certainly can’t beat the smell that permeates the whole house.Sigh…
My kids won’t even wat store-bought bread.
Just curious… Do you need a stand mixer? Or can you do everything by hand?
No, you don’t need a stand mixer (though it does make the job easier). Bread was being made way before the invention of the mixer and I still do enjoy making it by hand also.
I was just about to make this but wasn’t sure about something…. when you soak the cereal in boiling water, will you be straining the water from the cereal after soaking? Or adding cereal and soaked water to the proofed yeast? And how much water? I imagine you’d just cover the cereal with water if not straining it…
No straining, the cereal will soak all the water up and you won’t really have much water left over. Yes, just cover the cereal.
I will have an updated recipe coming up soon very soon (everything is ready, I just need to write it) that has become our new staple… 🙂
Eating this bread right now still warm from the oven and it turned out much better than I thought. I’m new to breadmaking (only a few months in) so when I was making this, I was not sure it’d turn out as it was so much stickier than when I hand knead and it was hard to resist adding cup after cup of flour. But it’s delicious and not super dense like my others tend to be.
THanks!
just made this bread. was sweating making it because I wanted it to turn out. Well, added all the flour in the mixing stage and then more, more for kneading. I knew it was wrong because the dough just tore.I couldnt really get it to stretch! Too much flour, too much mixing? Any ideas? Tastes ok, just is also slightly doughy….
its my very first time making bread!!!
Toni! yay for your first loaf!!!
There are so many reasons that a loaf can be a bit doughy… I would look at the amount of flour first. It is really important that you don’t add too much. You want the dough to have a good water ratio and remain a bit sticky. Also make sure that you are baking long enough… it should sound hollow when you tap the bottom when it comes out of the oven…
Bread does take a bit of time to get used to making but it is so worth the effort 🙂