h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I am a novice breadmaker using an AGA oven and real yeast from the local supermarket. I have used many and varied book recipies to make wholemeal breads; pesto, plain etc. Usually these are successful! However I cannot seem to get an airy (aerated)'softer' loaf. Usually they are 'dense' in texture (maybe this is the norm?). Whilst I appreciate there are many variables which could affect this, is there an obvious one ? An overview of my approach is given below.


I usually make a yeast 'slurry' first using 25g bakers yeast, 1/3 brown wholemeal flour (c200g) and using 'luke warm' water, 1 tbsp Olive Oil and 1 tbsp salt- leaving this to rise for c15mins before adding remaining flour and kneading. This is then left for 40mins (dough roughly doubles in size) then 'knocked back', ingredients (eg olives) added and baked for c40 mins at 180degC. Dressings then applied.

Hello MikeDragon

Sounds delicious and I can almost smell it

Real bread is always more dense than shop-bought stuff, because you don't use raising agents and added gluten that they add to their loaves

Your technique looks fine. I don't bother knocking back, as you'll have realised from the entry, but that's a personal thing. Oh, are you letting it rise again after knocking back? You need to let it get up to the top of the loaf tin. If you're not, that might explain the denseness

I do wonder whether if you add the ingredients at the start of the process, your slurry, it might help? I always add nuts, olives, sundried toms etc to the dry flour at the beginning. That way everything is the same temperature all through the rising process.

Also, I cook my bread at 200C or higher. For 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of loaf - shorter for smaller, longer for bigger

Let me know how it goes

Fb

Hello FrenchBean,
Many thanks for your kind response which was very informative. Your suggestions regarding the introduction of ingredients earlier in the bread making process is interesting. Whilst I have yet try this (pressure of work!), I shall be very soon. Just some points in passing:
Yes, I do allow the dough to rise after knocking back - around 30mins.
Yes, I can increase AGA oven heat to c220 (usually 180 ambient) - I'll remove partition/seperator plate in top oven next time.(higher temp - shorther time -smaller loaf!)
I'm wondering whether adding ingredients at 'slurry phase'will inhibit yeast reaction? Also, the temperature of water used for slurry is relatively 'luke warm' - could it be hotter? Finally, some books recommend puting the baked loaf back in the oven to 'brown'- will this 'harden' the exterior of the 'dense-ish' loaf.
Thanks for reading and providing comments. Beleive me, I am a novice at this! Will let you know ther outcome of 'MkII' using your suggested changes later this week.

Best regards,
MikeDragon

Hi MikeDragon

I love talking about food, so this is no problem at all!

Rising after knocking back But perhaps leave it a bit longer than 30 mins and see if that helps?

I used to be wary of putting ingredients in at the beginning, in case it inhibited the rise, but I honestly don't think it makes any difference at all to the yeast action

Personally, I use hot (bath temp) water to mix with flour, yeast etc. It gets everything moving quicker. And you really don't need to worry about hot water killing the yeast. I read somewhere recently that it isn't killed until it's at 120C, so even when it's in the oven, the middle of a loaf is still rising for quite a while.

As for putting the loaf back into the oven, after baking, without it's tin. I always do that, for five minutes. It crisps up the crust all around

Let me know how it goes

I'll be away until Sunday, but I'll pick up any posts from you then


Fb

Hi, this might sound a bit odd, but I've been making 75% of our weekly bread for years and the routine seems to work.

Forget recipes... Get a big bowl and throw in 1/2 a litre of boiling water mixed with 1/2 a litre of cold. Then handful by handful (and by hand!) mix in you flour, this is always a different quantity cos flour is! I mix a handful of rye flour with 1/3rd Hovis country brown and 2/3 extra stong white for a French style 'pain compagne'. When you feel its formed into a nice elastic dough, turn it onto a board and knead. The impotant thing is to 'reverse engineer', match the flour to the water, not try to add water to the flour! When you've got a dough, break off a fist size piece, put it in a bag and chuck it in the fridge (it'll keep for a couple of weeks). Next time you bake, mix this into the water before the flour to make a very European sour dough tasting loaf that will make toast that you would kill for! This is the key to the worlds best toasted sausage butties!

If you're new to making wholemeal, try using a 1/3rd extra strong white, ok, not purist, but makes a confidence boosting wonderful loaf that will have family and friends drooling. Trouble is... I now make twice as much in each batch we need cos friends now expect the 'gift' of a loaf, OK, I admit, I'm flattered!

Try it, work at it, get it right and you will have massive hero status as only someone that can produce something as sublime as only REAL bread can achieve! You know you can!

alan

PS Don't waste your time with the machine... keep it real!