Making healthier bread at home.

Happyflowerlady

Happyflowerlady

Vagabond Flowerchild
Location
Northern Alabama
Recently, I found a good bread machine at the thrift store, and I intend to start making my own bread this way. I have made two loaves so far, and both turned out pretty well.
The second loaf, dropped when it started to bake, but that was probably because I opened the top of the bread machine to see how it was doing, because the next time I looked the top had caved in somewhat.
The bread that I made was whole wheat flour, almond meal, flax meal, and flax, chia and sunflower seeds.
It has a rich and slightly sweet taste, and I enjoy eating it.
Since it is made with all fresh ingredients and has no chemicals or preservatives like commercial bread, I have been keeping it stored in the refrigerator.
I intend to look through some more recipes for different kinds of bread, and expand out into some sweeter breakfast breads, with raisins and cranberries and such in them, once I get more proficient in making bread.
I also am reading about making a sourdough starter, and then making sourdough bread; but I read that it can almost explode in the bread machine of it gets too much sourdough, so I need to learn more before I try that. Maybe I can just use the dough setting, and then bake it in the oven where it wouldn’t be hard to clean up if it over-runs the bread pan.
Does anyone else make their own fresh bread at home, and if so; do you make it from scratch or do you use a bread machine ?
 

Funny you should mention that Happyflowerlady. I just made two loaves of bread today. These I made from scratch but cheated a little by using the dough hook on my mix master to knead it. Then baked in the oven. I make this kind when I have company because the bread machine makes such an unsightly hole in the bottom. My bread machine I use for my gluten free bread that I must eat because I have celiac disease. It is a pain to make because I have to combine so many different types of flours to make a loaf that is anything near regular bread. At least it is better than the store in taste and price and the bread machine is a big help.bread (800x600).jpg
 
Those are absolutely gorgeous loaves of bread, Ruth ! I definitely agree that the bread machine does leave an ugly hole in the bottom, so these would be much nicer to serve when you have company.
I have been trying to use more healthy ingredients in my diet, and making a bread that is high fiber, medium protein and lower in carbs is one of the goals that I have.
The almond flour is great for all of those things; but in order for bread to rise correctly, I have to use at least some wheat flour. I am using whole wheat and mixing it with the almond meal, and adding the flax and chia for fiber as well as a little more protein.
 

I love the bread machine and have learned to use the dough cycle then let it rise an hour in a bread pan covered with a towel. Then bake in the oven. Beats trying to pry it out of the machine when done and the loaf is shaped better.
 
I bake nearly all of the bread I eat. I do what hearlady does, use the bread machine (or stand mixer or food processor) on dough cycle to mix and first rise, then I shape the loaves and put them in bread pans for the final rise. I make buns and rolls too. The oven does a better job of baking than the bread machine.

Today was cracker-making day. I made five different kinds of crackers so I have a nice variety now.
 
Ruth, have you ever tried almond flour/meal for making bread that is gluten-free ? I make that in the microwave sometimes, and it is quick and easy when i just want a slice or two of low-carb, high protein bread.
It is just almond meal, egg, butter (I use coconut oil instead) and baking powder, mixed up and microwaved. I also add flax meal and chia seeds to mine, and sometimes sunflower seeds, and that gives it an even better flavor.
In about 2-3 minutes, I can have a slice or two of fresh bread to eat.
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I am like Hearlady and Smiling Jane. I always used the dough cycle because I did not like the square shape of the loaf. At the moment I do not have one but have been looking to buy anew one. I had one for many years (10-15 years) maybe longer. I used it a lot but after my husband died and kids left home it was just me. I did not use it much because it was too much bread for one. I would some times bake a loaf and split it with my next door neighbor. She loved it and was always happy to get it.
 
I make my own bread also. I mix it up in the bread machine, then take it out for final rise and bake in the oven. I don't like the weird shapes that come out of bread machines, and I don't like the hole in the bottom from the turning blade. If I'm making a lot of loaves (like for Christmas), I'll use my big mixer and the dough hook.
 
Making bread or anything that requires yeast and water is more art than science. The amount of water depends on the weather at hand. More wate in winter. I bake dinner rolls mostly.

Sometimes I get a nice rise and texture and other times I don't.
 

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I did have a machine but donated it because I did not like the hole at the bottom. So thinking after seeing the lovely pictures that maybe I should go back to the old fashioned way. I still have the original Fleishmans Yeast book with some wonderful recipes.

Seems like some of us have more time after retirement but we get lazy...that's my excuse and I am sticking to it.
 
This is funny when someone mentions bread machines.
You can always tell the fads that last for a little while and then go away.

Like bread machines. There are all kinds of them that have been donated at the thrift store.

Same with those hamburger cookers like the Foreman grill. And my slow cooker that I never use anymore.

I'm going to buy a bread machine. I have never tried one. But at a good price I might give it a try.

I bought a coffee maker and it's one of the best I have ever used. I bought it for parts but it turned out better than my Black and Decker original.

Of course the single coffee maker like the Keurig is all the rage now.

My friend has one. I thought the coffee was terrible. You can't adjust the strength.
 
I often make my own breads at home but I bake them in my gas oven. The thing many people forget, is that to make a great tasting bread requires time. In order to develop great taste we must develop the right bacteria. Yeast can make a bread rise quickly but bacteria takes much, much longer to develop.

There are many different kinds of "pre-ferments" and which one you chose depends upon the kind of bread you wish to make.
My formula for making a biga, which is often used in making Italian loaves is as follows.

1/4 cup water
1/8 tsp dry yeast
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1/4 cup of whole wheat flour (36 grams)
3/4 cup of unbleached bread flour (110 grams)
1/2 cup water (110 grams)

Mix the 1/4 cup of water with the 1/8th tsp of yeast and set aside.
Combine the 2 flours and the 1/2 cup of water. Beat well by hand for 2 minutes.
Take 1 tblsp of the yeasted water and add to the flour and water mix. Discard the remaining yeasted water.
Mix again by hand.
Put your pre-ferment into a 3-4 cup glass container and cover with plastic wrap.
Set out on counter overnight at room temp. Depending upon room temp this should almost triple in size in about 12 hours.
The top of the biga will be covered with hundreds of tiny bubbles and smell slightly of alcohol.
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When ready to make your bread, proceed as follows.

In mixing bowl combine 1/2 cup + 1 TBLSP of water (140 gram) with 1 tsp of dry yeast. Mix .
Add 1 3/4 cup of bread flour. (260 gram)
Add 1 tsp sugar
Add all of the biga. Knead in your stand mixer (using dough hook) on low speed for 7 minutes.

Add 1 1/2 tsp salt and knead for 1 minute.
Add 1 1/2 tsp olive oil and knead until oil is completely mixed in (another 2 minutes)

Your dough should now be tacky but not very sticky or too dry.
Transfer the dough to a large bowl, (slightly oiled) and "bulk ferment" until the dough has doubled in size. Again, depending upon room temp this should take aprox 2+ hours.
Dump out onto a lightly floured counter, de-gas the dough by gently punching down.
Proceed as per normal for the shape of loaf you wish to make.

This may sound like a lot of work, but actually the yeast and bacteria is doing almost all of the work.
Enjoy ! The taste is marvelous.:D

Note: the less yeast you use AND the more time you allow the biga and the dough to rise, the better taste (bacteria) you will develop.
 
Camper6 said:
This is funny when someone mentions bread machines.
You can always tell the fads that last for a little while and then go away.

Like bread machines. There are all kinds of them that have been donated at the thrift store.

Same with those hamburger cookers like the Foreman grill. And my slow cooker that I never use anymore.

I'm going to buy a bread machine. I have never tried one. But at a good price I might give it a try.

I bought a coffee maker and it's one of the best I have ever used. I bought it for parts but it turned out better than my Black and Decker original.

Of course the single coffee maker like the Keurig is all the rage now.

My friend has one. I thought the coffee was terrible. You can't adjust the strength.
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I think you'll enjoy the bread machine, Camper. Find one that makes a 2 pound loaf. They have stronger motors, even if you are only making a one pound loaf, and they knead better especially if you are using whole grain flours.

I let my machine go through the first rise, then take the bread out and shape in for the pans for the second rise and bake in the oven. One tip I learned, at least for my machine, is that you can't turn off the cycle after you take the bread out in mid-cycle, so I have to UNPLUG it from the wall or it will go on through its bake cycle.

And to find a good recipe/recipes that work for you for the machine you'll have to experiment around a bit; so don't get discouraged if your first loaf isn't wonderful and be prepared for a bit of a learning curve. I live at high altitude so I have to mess around with the yeast and liquid ratio to the other ingredients. There are lots of bread machine recipes online; some traditional recipes don't adapt well to the bread machine for some reason, and DO follow the directions for your machine about the order you are supposed to put things in to the machine. If you get one in a thrift shop without an instruction book, like I did, you can go to manualsonline and find one, or go to the manufacturer's website.
 
So basically what the bread machine is really good at is kneading the bread.

I do that by hand now.

When it comes to the first rise, I have to have the patience to let it rise no matter how long it takes.

Of course the temperature has a lot to do with it.

In the summer time I just let the sun through the window on the dough and it rises beautifully.

In the winter it's a little more difficult.
 
Mizzkitt said:
I have dough hooks on my electric mixer, I could use that. Any recommendations for Yeast, instant or otherwise?
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I have not found any difference between Fleischmann's Active Dry yeast and Fleischmann's instant (other than the fact that Active Dry must first be soaked in water before use).

The brand called Lesaffe "saf-instant" comes in two types, a white package, best for sweetened breads, and a red package best for unsweetened breads.

Unless you can talk your local bakery into parting with some fresh yeast, I'd steer clear of fresh. It can go bad quickly.
 
Camper6 said:
So basically what the bread machine is really good at is kneading the bread.

I do that by hand now.

When it comes to the first rise, I have to have the patience to let it rise no matter how long it takes.

Of course the temperature has a lot to do with it.

In the summer time I just let the sun through the window on the dough and it rises beautifully.

In the winter it's a little more difficult.
Click to expand...

My hands are not always strong enough now to mix and knead bread. My bread machine takes care of that for me, but I don't like to bake in it.

For rising in cold weather, I like to turn on my oven to the lowest temp, turn it off before it gets up to temp and use it to rise bread. For some recipes, I put a pan of hot water on a lower shelf than the dough. You don't want it so hot it kills the yeast, but unless you want to do a refrigerator rising method, they tend not to like cold temps.

I use SAF instant yeast that I store in the freezer. SAF gold for sweet doughs.
 
Smiling Jane said:
My hands are not always strong enough now to mix and knead bread. My bread machine takes care of that for me, but I don't like to bake in it.

For rising in cold weather, I like to turn on my oven to the lowest temp, turn it off before it gets up to temp and use it to rise bread. For some recipes, I put a pan of hot water on a lower shelf than the dough. You don't want it so hot it kills the yeast, but unless you want to do a refrigerator rising method, they tend not to like cold temps.

I use SAF instant yeast that I store in the freezer. SAF gold for sweet doughs.
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You see. It's more art than science.
 
Camper6 said:
You see. It's more art than science.
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Actually, and I don't mean to argue, the creation of good tasting bread is all science. The right flour, water, salt and yeast, mixed and kneaded in precisely the right way, at specific temps, and allowing the bacteria to develop, is all science. However, you are correct about the art portion. The art enters the picture when we handle the dough and shape it into the desired loaf. That is not too much of a problem when making bread in a loaf pan but handling the dough to create a decent baguette or batard, is an art form.
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Traveler that bread look amazing! I usually make mine in the loaf pan because the hubby likes it toasted in the morning. I might add that like Smiling Jane I also raise my bread in the oven. I put it on the lowest setting,turn the oven off and place the bread on a towel on the rack because I want to be sure the rack isn't to hot. I do the second raising that way also. I take the loaves out just before they have raised enough to bake. Usually by the time the oven has reached the proper baking temperature it is raised perfectly. I have also noticed bread can be raised to much on the second raising. Then when it bakes it rises even more and might deflate after it is baked while it is cooling. I always use bread flour and this time I tried Gold Metal bread flour which worked just as well as King Arthur the one I usually buy. Happy baking everyone.
 
This is just a suggestion. If people want to vastly improve the flavor of their bread, I suggest that they forgo any oven rising method.

Once the dough has been made, time is the most critical factor for increasing flavor. There are many good bacteria's, like in cheese, wine, yogurt and bread. Those bacteria are what gives us flavor. (that and proper oven baking). Unlike yeast, bacteria takes a very long time to fully develop. Don't worry about your dough rising too much (prior to shaping the loaf). If you think it has risen too much you can punch it down and let the dough rise again. Your guests will thank you. :D

P.S. the best temp for bulk fermentation is around 65-70 degrees F (18-21 C.)
 
Smiling Jane said:
My hands are not always strong enough now to mix and knead bread. My bread machine takes care of that for me, but I don't like to bake in it.

For rising in cold weather, I like to turn on my oven to the lowest temp, turn it off before it gets up to temp and use it to rise bread. For some recipes, I put a pan of hot water on a lower shelf than the dough. You don't want it so hot it kills the yeast, but unless you want to do a refrigerator rising method, they tend not to like cold temps.

I use SAF instant yeast that I store in the freezer. SAF gold for sweet doughs.
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The arthritis in my hands and wrists, particularly the right ones, makes it nearly impossible (and very painful) for me to knead bread anymore and that's why I use the machine, too; otherwise I'd have to quit baking bread.
 


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