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Re: bread

Postby scullion » Tue Mar 02, 2021 11:55 am

i hope you've all been listening to 'the story of bread', the book of the week on radio 4.

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Re: bread

Postby Stokey Sue » Mon Mar 08, 2021 7:23 pm

aero280 wrote:
You can freeze sliced bread, but I would get some of the Lakeland "Easy Leaves" which are just plastic sheets to put between slices before freezing to keep them separate and allow them to separate easily.


I had one of those rolls of baking parchment strip for lining the sides of cake tins, just the right width for putting between slices of bread, and you can cut across to slice size pieces or wind it iinbetween the slices in one piece, no plastic!

If I'm feeling efficient I open freeze slices, then they can be put into a bag without separators - they don't take long to freeze or to thaw

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Re: bread

Postby scullion » Sun Sep 26, 2021 3:13 pm

thought i'd put this in an old bread thread rather than starting a new one.
i came across the mention of a book called 'the tassajara bread book' (first printed in 1970) which was described by someone as producing 'brick-like' wholemeal bread. i wondered what they were doing wrong so had a hunt.
it has some interesting looking recipes (- from the hippy/buddhist era in california - 'the first zen buddhist monastery in the americas') - not just bread - very wholesome...

the book opens directly as a pdf and downloadable from here http://www.xedizioni.it/Numeri-due/Tassajara-bread-book-p.pdf

it was also under the misapprehension that one of the best way to store bread is in the fridge in a plastic bag.

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Re: bread

Postby Stokey Sue » Sun Sep 26, 2021 4:19 pm

That book looks kind of familiar, but it might just be a family resemblance to other books of the period

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Re: bread

Postby Earthmaiden » Sun Sep 26, 2021 4:20 pm

What lovely find! Takes me straight back to when I first got involved with the wholefood movement locally. Long enough ago to remember the excitement fondly. The bread did seem more brick-like after white Mother's Pride or whatever but was still delicious and became the norm for many. I'm afraid that I still think that bread keeps longer in a plastic bag in the fridge, even though it is only really good for toast once it has been kept that way.

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Re: bread

Postby scullion » Sun Sep 26, 2021 9:13 pm

there's a tassajara cookbook, too - which is downloadable from this site - https://b-ok.cc/book/1230336/9c1196 (up to five downloads in 24 hours without having to register) if you're interested.
there are some other bread books available there.

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Re: bread

Postby dennispc » Tue Oct 26, 2021 1:20 pm

My last couple of loaves have not turned out well - feels heavy and dense.

Heavy.jpg
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At the start of lockdown I had a couple of extra bags of flour than usual, and then I couldn't bake for a while.

The yeast is Allison's fast action from a fresh and in date tin.

The bread flour is out of date - white, Waitrose Essentials was BB February 21, the Dove's stone ground wholemeal was May this year.

The result is the same with the overnight method and two rise same day. I've tried increasing yeast from 7g to 10g, slight increase in water and ensuing rises are over an hour each time.

Your thoughts or advice, please.

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Re: bread

Postby scullion » Tue Oct 26, 2021 2:13 pm

i think the gluten in the flour starts to degenerate if the flour gets too old. if you want to keep using the flour try adding in some gluten powder to get a 'perkier' loaf?

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Re: bread

Postby dennispc » Tue Oct 26, 2021 3:00 pm

Thanks, if it’s the gluten then, sadly, I'll ditch it.

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Re: bread

Postby Kacey » Tue Oct 26, 2021 3:01 pm

I've had a similar problem with 'old' flour, though I didn't know why at the time, I just used 50/50 old and new, seemed to do the trick and was better than chucking the old.

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Re: bread

Postby aero280 » Tue Oct 26, 2021 3:32 pm

Is the yeast from the same source?

I had a similar thought about bread yesterday. I was given a packet of Allinson fast yeast by our DiL which they bought in March 2020 at the start of lockdown. It was never used up and I got the last four sachets. I also had an unopened packet of Sainsbury instant yeast, but that was a similar age.

I made a standard white loaf 10 days ago with the last of the Allinson's yeast and it rose very quickly and I had to keep an eye on it. I got a tall open loaf. Yesterday i made a similar loaf with the Sainsbury's yeast and it struggled to rise. It was almost as slow as the sourdough! I used the same Sainsbury yeast on the Chelsea buns last week and they were very slow too. The Sainsbury yeast has a BBE of November 2021. I don't know the age of the Allinson yeast, but it was different, a slightly finer grain.

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Re: bread

Postby Kacey » Tue Oct 26, 2021 4:52 pm

My loaves are slower to rise at the moment but that's down to the ambient temperature rather than anything else. I always buy the tins of Allinsons yeast rather than the packs of sachets. The best before date on the tin I recently opened is April 2023, which is a good thing as I ordered 2 in error - but then at 2 loaves/week on average, that's only 7 weeks worth per tin.

Out of interest, just checked the best before date on the normal yeast I have in the cupboard and that's October 2014! I know it worked well last Christmas, but I can't think that I've used it since. Needs chucking and replacing

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Re: bread

Postby dennispc » Tue Oct 26, 2021 5:28 pm

My Allinson's yeast is 2023 as well. For the photographed loaf used bread warmer setting and warm water initially, something I don’t usually do. Looks like it’s the lack of gluten. It’s edible, but not as nice as we’d like.

Thanks for all the comments.

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Re: bread

Postby aero280 » Tue Oct 26, 2021 5:49 pm

I had to chuck the last tin of Allinson's yeast that I had. I don't remember how old it was, but the bread dough I made with it never rose at all! :o

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Re: bread

Postby WWordsworth » Tue Oct 26, 2021 7:01 pm

I have had problems on occasion with Allison's yeast.
Currently using Aldi sachets.
At 59p for 8 you can't go wrong.

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Re: bread

Postby Badger's Mate » Tue Oct 26, 2021 11:42 pm

I find that dried yeast becomes much less active quite quickly, for this reason it's usually bought in sachets but if using a larger packet or tin it's kept in the freezer once opened. If the crumb is too heavy, I first reduce the proportion of wholemeal or increase the amount of yeast to lighten it rather than throw anything away.

I bought 3 x 6kg bags of flour from Redbournbury on our last visit, one each of malted wholegrain, wholemeal and white. The malted flour has all gone, but there's some left of the others, BBE September & October 2021 respectively. They will get used up within the next 2-3 weeks. We need to get out to the mill soonish.

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Re: bread

Postby Stokey Sue » Wed Oct 27, 2021 9:42 am

I’m still using the big bag of Fermipan active dried yeast bought in lockdown

It has been in Tupperware in the freezer since it was opened and it’s still very active, turbo charged dough

Like aero I notice it is exceptionally fine grained

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Re: bread

Postby dennispc » Wed Oct 27, 2021 11:53 am

BM, tried reducing wholemeal and increasing yeast. Will make a white loaf from in date flour to check it’s not yeast. Because of the amount of bread I used to bake, it was better to buy in tins. But it will now go in the freezer.

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Re: bread

Postby dennispc » Tue Nov 16, 2021 10:58 am

All is well again. :D Making loaves with fresh flour and now keeping dried yeast in the freezer. 50/50 white and wholemeal, using tap water and overnight method. Thanks again for all your help.

Bread.jpg
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Re: bread

Postby halfateabag » Tue Nov 16, 2021 11:31 am

Some nice looking loaves out there and some good tips - thanks

I have a plethora of SR flour at the moment and found this recipe https://www.recipetineats.com/sandwich- ... uick-easy/

Do any of you have anything similar you have tried or any advice ?

Remoska Mexican scones for brekkie... Mmm

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