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Baking bread question

Kathsgrdn
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago

My daughter picked up some groceries for me today, including a half loaf of bread and some packets of yeast. When this loaf is gone I will bake a loaf or round? I haven't baked bread in probably 20 or more years. I did see a video on Facebook for bread baked in a dutch oven. Has anyone baked bread in one before? If so, how did it turn out?



Comments (24)

  • ravencajun Zone 8b TX
    4 years ago

    Yes I posted a thread on it a long time ago and several people tried it and posted pictures. Mine was was not perfect! But it tasted good. You can probably search here for it. No knead bread.

    Kathsgrdn thanked ravencajun Zone 8b TX
  • carolb_w_fl_coastal_9b
    4 years ago

    Many folks on the Cooking forum like the KingArthurFlour.com website for bread & baking recipes...

    Kathsgrdn thanked carolb_w_fl_coastal_9b
  • Kathsgrdn
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Ravencajun, that would be ideal since for some reason my left hand in particular is hurting, and feels weak. Have no idea what I did to it. I'm right handed.

  • matthias_lang
    4 years ago

    Kathsgrdn, my go-to recipe is white bread in the Joy of Cooking. However, I'm comfortable enough with bread making to just throw together the ingredients in whatever proportions, knead it, rise, and bake it without consulting a recipe. Sometimes add oatmeal or rye flour, often extra gluten. Go for it. If it comes out different than you expected it's not a failure, it's just a different kind of bread.

    I had a pain in my wrist for a couple years that kept me from baking bread, and also made me request easy-off lids on bottle from the pharmacy. I don't know what caused it and I don't know what made it go away, but it's gone and I can do bread again.

    Kathsgrdn thanked matthias_lang
  • Lukki Irish
    4 years ago

    I discovered a great recipe for No Knead Bread on Jennycancook.com. It’s Jenny Jones and not only are her recipes really good, but her videos are fun to watch too. The bread is so yummy and couldn’t be any easier to make, it’s 4 ingredients. Flour, yeast, water and a touch of salt. Mix it up, let it rise and bake.

    https://www.jennycancook.com/recipes/2-hour-fastest-no-knead-bread/

    Kathsgrdn thanked Lukki Irish
  • georgysmom2
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Raven's Crusty Bread.......I make a loaf every two weeks, Delish!!!

    3 C. A.P. flour

    1 3/4 tsp. salt

    1/2 tsp. Rapid Rise Yeast (I use regular, works fine.

    Whisk together and add

    1 1/2 C. water

    Stir together and cover bowl. Let sit on counter 12 - 16 hours.

    Preheat oven to 450

    Cover dutch oven and put in oven for 30 min. While heating, remove dough (it's sticky) from bowl onto floured counter. Use just enough flour to form in to a round loaf. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 30 min. Remove pot from oven after 30 min. Place dough in pot, cover and bake 30 min. Remove cover and bake another 15 min. It calls for an enameled pot but I use a stainless steel pot and lid. Works for me. I also put less salt in bread (about 1 1/2 tsp.) and sprinkle outside with coarse sea salt. Couldn't be easier. Thank you Raven!!!!!

    Kathsgrdn thanked georgysmom2
  • Kathsgrdn
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    I was watching other youtube videos and this English muffin recipe came up. I love Thomases' English muffins in particular, not so much other brands I've tried. Thought someone may be interested in this recipe besides me. I've bookmarked it and will bookmark the other recipe pages you all have mentioned, along with this one. I'm going to try the English muffin recipe myself when I'm off again later in the week. It looks really good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpQYpq5isH4

  • Olychick
    4 years ago

    I've made English muffins for years with ring molds and the recipe that came with them, but they never seem to get the nice holes/nooks and crannies of commercial muffins. This recipe looks perfect and I can't wait to try it. Thanks for posting!

  • MiMi
    4 years ago

    Thank you for posting the above link for the English muffin recipe. I have made English muffins before and they turned out beautiful but tasted like bread which is not a bad thing but I wanted the English muffin taste. This sounds perfect. I will sure try them

  • Marilyn Sue McClintock
    4 years ago

    I plan to make rolls this week sometime. I always try to use a recipe I can mix up and let rise in my bread machine. Too difficult for me to knead any more. Yes, I do have a stand mixer but like the bread machine better as it can rise in it and then be shaped and let rise in the pan. I am thinking of Poufy Buns with all purpose flour and also English Muffin Bread.

    Sue

  • georgysmom2
    4 years ago

    Please note I made correction to Crusty Bread recipe. You bake with cover 30 min. remove cover and bake another 15 min. That's what happens when you write a recipe from memory at age 83! :-))))

    Kathsgrdn thanked georgysmom2
  • Annie Deighnaugh
    4 years ago

    I posted this on another thread. I make it as a regular thing for me. It's so easy to do. I've used all white, all wheat or half n half and it always comes out fine. I did have to have DH put a metal handle on my dutch oven lid as the one it came with was not rated for that hot an oven.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0t8ZAhb8lQ&t=19s


    Kathsgrdn thanked Annie Deighnaugh
  • nicole___
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    To answer your question: "How did it turn out?" Heavy. Dense. Bakery's sell it as Artisan bread. I don't like heavy bread. The above recipe is what I use for pizza crust. I want light, fluffy, professionally made in a bakery bread....hot out of the oven.

    Link to see photos and recipe for a fluffy "light" bread

    Kathsgrdn thanked nicole___
  • georgysmom2
    4 years ago

    All I know is everyone who has ever eaten this bread loves it. I just baked a loaf for a friend who has been picking up some items for me at the grocery store. She said I have a new fan. Her husband, who is a picky eater, made himself a steak sandwich and a little later she heard him back in the kitchen making another, saying how much he loaves that bread. She said half the loaf was gone that day. I hate to tell everyone how easy it is to make, just sit back and accept the accolades. :-)))

    Kathsgrdn thanked georgysmom2
  • carolb_w_fl_coastal_9b
    4 years ago

    My tip for fluffy simple bread is to do 2 rises. First rise is like the no knead technique where I stir & mix the dough fairly well in the bowl and leave it a bit wet & sticky, then I add more flour and knead until smooth for the second rise. I do it all in a big bowl, so it's not too messy. It takes about an hour or so for each rise.

    After the 2nd rise I form the loaf making sure it's smooth and tight, but not punching down or flattening the dough very much, & let it rise for about 30 minutes or so before slashing & baking. The 2nd rise & extra kneading develops the gluten so the final result is very fluffy and soft inside.

    I usually bake a free form loaf on parchment on baking sheet.


    Kathsgrdn thanked carolb_w_fl_coastal_9b
  • nickel_kg
    4 years ago

    If anyone wants to be experimental and likes extra-soft bread, look into the "tangzhong" method. Here's a recipe to start with: Pillowy White Bread

    I've used this several times. You don't have to add the dry milk powder, and if you don't have whole milk (we drink skim) just add a touch more butter. After you combine all the ingredients, if you let it sit for about 20 minutes the kneading will go faster. Really good!

    Kathsgrdn thanked nickel_kg
  • Jasdip
    4 years ago

    I make bread every 2 weeks, and here are mine from yesterday. I've made no-knead bread but I wouldn't like it as my sole source of bread, it's too crusty for everyday use for me.


    A popular bread recipe is the

    Amish white bread

    Kathsgrdn thanked Jasdip
  • ritaweeda
    4 years ago

    I made German rye this past weekend but you of course need rye and wheat flour along with bread flour. Probably the simplest bread recipes I know of are French and Italian bread. There are lots of recipes and videos online and they require the bare basics on ingredients. I made a round loaf in my Le Creuset dutch oven once - it was pretty good - and also made a long loaf of rye in a German Romertopf clay baker. That was the most wonderful loaf of bread I've ever made. But it's sort of labor intensive due to the special handling of the clay pot.

    Kathsgrdn thanked ritaweeda
  • zinnia
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Here's a recipe for a single loaf.


    NO-KNEAD BREAD


    NO-KNEAD CAST IRON BREAD

    This no-knead bread is inspired by an original recipe from Jim Lahey, the bread maestro behind New York City’s Sullivan Street Bakery. Even the most intimidated baker can feel confident using Lahey’s method, which requires little work but a bit of time. Cooking this bread in a hot Staub cocotte is ideal, because the steam created in the cocotte creates a crispy crust and a luxuriously soft interior.


    INGREDIENTS

    • 3 cups bread flour, plus more for the work surface
    • 2 teaspoons salt
    • 1⁄4 teaspoon active dry yeast
    • 1 1⁄3 cups lukewarm water, plus more as needed

    HOW TO MAKE IT

    1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and yeast. Pour in the lukewarm water and, using a wooden spoon, stir the mixture until it comes together into a sticky dough. If it isn’t sticky, add more water, a couple tablespoons at a time, to get there. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and keep in a draft-free place for 18 to 24 hours.
    2. Lightly flour a work surface. Gently remove the dough from the bowl onto the work surface. Form the dough into a ball, gently tucking the sides of the dough under. Place the dough onto a large piece of parchment paper. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise for 1 to 2 hours, until doubled in size.
    3. Preheat the oven to 475°F. Place a medium cast-iron cocotte into the oven while it preheats.
    4. When the cocotte is hot, carefully remove it from the oven. Using the parchment paper sides as handles, gently lower the dough into the cocotte. Cover the cocotte, place it into the oven, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and continue baking for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the bread is golden brown in color. Remove the bread from the cocotte and allow to cool for 1 hour before slicing and serving.
    Kathsgrdn thanked zinnia
  • ci_lantro
    4 years ago

    If you want a soft white bread, I agree with Nickel. Look for Japanese Milk Bread recipes. Like this one:


    https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016275-japanese-milk-bread


    Bread made w/ the tangzhong (cooked flour & milk paste) tend to stay moist and don't go stale as quickly. That's the bonus. The downside is that they turn out distinctly Wonder Breadish.

    Kathsgrdn thanked ci_lantro
  • jewels_ks
    4 years ago

    I love to bake the Crusty Bread. Sometimes I add cheese to it or a variety of herbs and spices. It's fun to try different flavors. I'm going to mix some up tonight for our supper tomorrow night.


    Kathsgrdn thanked jewels_ks
  • ravencajun Zone 8b TX
    4 years ago

    I just watched a YouTube video for making beer bread. It's extremely simple and the bread look great. I may steal one of my husband's beers and give it a try.

  • Anne
    4 years ago

    I love looking at all your homemade breads! In the 90s I got a bread maker and made bread on occasion. One of my kids started making all our bread when it was just him and I at home and THEN a mouse chewed the cord and electrocuted itself. That was seven years ago , new old house, new farm and I would love to start making bread, grain bread