breadmaking

[lindyloo]

hilary b; i always transfer my flour into large glass jars, the preserve ones with rubber seals, and spring fastening, rather than keeping it in the original bags. would they be ok to keep bread flour in for a goodly lenth of time? (and keep out unwelcome guests)

[Croila]

Thank you Two Sheds! It's easier just slopping some oil in a tablespoon than it is having to weigh out butter

[Two_Sheds]

flour into large glass jars, ... would they be ok to keep bread flour in for a goodly lenth of time?

this site says up to 5 months, or up to a year in the freezer

[Hilary B]

hilary b; i always transfer my flour into large glass jars, the preserve ones with rubber seals, and spring fastening, rather than keeping it in the original bags. would they be ok to keep bread flour in for a goodly lenth of time? (and keep out unwelcome guests)

As long as both flour and jar are thoroughly dry when sealed, it should be fine. Remember that if 'dry' things are a bit warm, there will be condensation when it cools down. If it is dry at low temp, you should be fine, certainly for months at a time.

[Hilary B]

Thank you for this info ... That's interesting. So it's okay to stockpile flour then, as long as it's dry. That's good to know because my nearest supermarket often runs out of the Doves Farm Malthouse flour that's my favourite, and I've got a nice big, dry cupboard to keep some reserves in. Good stuff!

Like I put in the other post, it needs to be dry-when-cold. I would reckon on a couple of months at the warmer times of year (rotate stock, ie use the oldest if you stockpile when it is going) up to 5 months or more when things are cold.
Unopened paper bags in a dry well-ventilated space keep most 'dry-goods' pretty well.

[buzzingtalk]

I keep looking at recipes for bread online, and found a nice simple one for oven baking with no oil or butter in it. A few q's though:

The recipe calls for 10 GRAMS of salt...for 6 bread rolls. I probably wouldn't put salt in it, or put a pinch maybe, but does salt 'do' anything to the bread, or is it just for taste? (I personally dont really like the taste of salt and rarely put it in my food)

All the simpler bread recipes ive found are for white bread, I prefer wholemeal/brown. Can you just swap the white flour for brown? Or would the other elements be affected. Also, it just says white flour - but theres 2 types (plain and self raising is it?) so which one do I go for?

[buzzingtalk]

weird, pressed enter to write message and it went to a page just with an advert on it, and wouldn't load. so i pressed back and it deleted it from the text editor, so wrote another one out (this one) and the same thing happened...so i went back to forum index and looked on the thread to find both of my messages on the page...

[Two_Sheds]

The recipe calls for 10 GRAMS of salt.. does salt 'do' anything to the bread, or is it just for taste?

I use 10g for a whole loaf (500g flour). Salt improves flavour, and makes the yeast behave itself; it also keeps the bread moist by doing something with the gluten (the science bits go over my head, tbh)
Here's a more articulate version:

"Salt provides several purposes in yeasted breads. The most "tangiible" of course is taste. Next, salt contributes to the chemical bonds in gluten: in essence, it "strengthens" the gluten network or fabric. Lastly, it slightly retards the activity of yeast.

If you ... leave out the salt, you will find the bread "insipid" or flat tasting. You will also find the dough stickier, because that small amount of salt takes up enough water to alter the feel of the dough, and also, the lack of the mineral ions from the salt leaves the gluten slightly more relaxed..unsalted dough is more likely to fall during baking"

Source(s):
"Bread Science" by Emily Buehler
"Cookwise" and "Bakewise" by Shirley Corriher

I prefer wholemeal/brown. Can you just swap the white flour for brown?

You can, but wholemeal gives a heavier, denser bread. Lots of people prefer a 50/50 or even a 75/25 mix

it just says white flour - but theres 2 types (plain and self raising is it?)

Neither. You need strong flour (specially for bread it is)

[buzzingtalk]

Thanks ever, T_S. Shame about the salt, I really wouldn't dream of putting 10 grams of salt for 6 bread rolls. Yuck! Maybe I can find a low-salt bread?? And this makes me wonder about how much salt is in a loaf of sliced bread, when each slice has 0.5g in them!

[Two_Sheds]

low salt bread recipes here

[hamsterhead]

I've still got a LOT of experimenting to do, but the first thing I'd like to do is try oil instead of butter. I wonder if anyone could tell me how much oil (and what type?) to use in place of 25g of butter?

I began using olive oil and then experimented with different flavours of oil, chilli oil especially good. When you get confident with the machine, try using chopped up olives, dried mushrooms and dried onions for different breads.

[Hilary B]

If you don't want salt, the bread keeps less well (if it ever gets the chance, many home-bread makers eat it as fast as it is made) and you will need to knead the dough a bit more (because of the way salt triggers gluten, so you have to work it harder to compensate), and probably will need to allow a lot longer for rising in the tin. Basically, the dough won't be as good at holding in the gas from the action of the yeast, so you need to compensate some other way (the recipe given for white bread in that link uses lots more yeast).
10g of salt in a 500g-of-flour mix probably wouldn't be noticed, unless you are VERY sensitive to the taste, but I think when I was making bread from ingredients (rather than a mix) I used 10ml (2 x 5ml level spoonful), which would be more like 5-6g.

[lindyloo]

still haven't tried the breadmaker! how accurate does the measuring of ingredients need to be? i am having to convert the recipe to pounds & ounces, from grams and millilitres.

[buzzingtalk]

If you don't want salt, the bread keeps less well (if it ever gets the chance, many home-bread makers eat it as fast as it is made) and you will need to knead the dough a bit more (because of the way salt triggers gluten, so you have to work it harder to compensate), and probably will need to allow a lot longer for rising in the tin. Basically, the dough won't be as good at holding in the gas from the action of the yeast, so you need to compensate some other way (the recipe given for white bread in that link uses lots more yeast).
10g of salt in a 500g-of-flour mix probably wouldn't be noticed, unless you are VERY sensitive to the taste, but I think when I was making bread from ingredients (rather than a mix) I used 10ml (2 x 5ml level spoonful), which would be more like 5-6g.

Thanks for the info

Yeah I'd definatley notice 10g of salt in a loaf, considering I eat a lot of bread too. Its one of my favourite things to eat yet I find myself enjoying it less becuase of all the salt in it. I have to really douse bread in jam or dip it in things, and even then my mouth is dry and 'salty' afterwards.

We didn't have salt in the house when I was young, and I bought a 500g thing of salt when I went to uni (2005 - mainly for other peoples use, same as I bought coffee and I really dont like coffee either) and I still have the same pot of salt. Its only gone down as my OH lives there now and he likes salt, if it was just me living with it it would still be full.

T_S thanks for the link! I've got some experimenting to do...

Also people, if you make some bread post some pics up! I think that will inspire us 'armchair bakers' to get on it. Theres some nice an simple recipes and video demos on river cottage bites, you can find it on 4od.

[Croila]

I began using olive oil and then experimented with different flavours of oil, chilli oil especially good. When you get confident with the machine, try using chopped up olives, dried mushrooms and dried onions for different breads.

Thanks Hamsterhead, I will do that. Well, olives, chilli and onions sound good. Mushrooms ... sound ... er ... a bit ... peculiar?!