I Thought I'd Bake Some Bread Today

[Andy M.]

Did you measure the internal temperature to determine doneness?

 

[CWS4322]

No--I don't seem to have a thermometer here, yet. I did thump it. Inside, it is done, it just didn't brown very much. It could be the oven. I'm still struggling to get used to the new to me oven. Also, I had to use muffin pans for the water because I haven't moved the pan I usually use...sorta like camping <g>.

 

[Andy M.]

I used a CI skillet for the water.

 

[CWS4322]

I usually use CI but I only have my Le Creuset here at the house since I'm going back and forth between here and the farm. I left all the CI out there...so had to improvise. I didn't want to put any of my Le Creuset skillets in at 450...I suppose I could've gone downstairs and taken one out of the box of Le Creuset I'm storing for my brother!

 

[bakechef]

I always use my stand mixer for bread doughs, unless it's the "no knead" variety. I like the results and it makes making bread nearly effortless.

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

I like the feeling of hand kneading bread. It gives me a kinetic sense of accomplishment. Of the breads I've made (I'm really not much more than a barely intermediate bread baker) I haven't found that the breads I've made need all that much kneading. I've wondered if recipes I follow haven't exaggerated the need to knead. The breads I've made came out fine with not all that much kneading.

I wonder if we've become needy of gourmetism that we need to knead far more often than the real need to knead.

Particularly when we buy machines to knead for us. I've never had one of them, I never kneaded it.

 

[CWS4322]

Way back when, before I had problems with my hands, I always kneaded my bread dough. Well, I only made a few varieties. My grandmother taught me to make bread when I was 9 years old. I remember her teaching me how to know when the dough had been kneaded enough (when spanked, it sounded as if hitting a baby's butt is how she explained it) and how to tell the right texture/elasticity. I miss kneading bread, but my hands can't take it anymore.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Way back when, before I had problems with my hands, I always kneaded my bread dough. Well, I only made a few varieties. My grandmother taught me to make bread when I was 9 years old. I remember her teaching me how to know when the dough had been kneaded enough (when spanked, it sounded as if hitting a baby's butt is how she explained it) and how to tell the right texture/elasticity. I miss kneading bread, but my hands can't take it anymore.

If I want my signature to be illegible for a week I can knead bread. But, I can't handle the pain, so it's best to let a machine do it for me.

 

[Andy M.]

If I want my signature to be illegible for a week I can knead bread. But, I can't handle the pain, so it's best to let a machine do it for me.

I'm in the same boat. I broke my wrist a few years ago and since then, kneading by hand is painful. Not to mention I'm too lazy to do it manually.

 

[CWS4322]

I'm in the same boat. I broke my wrist a few years ago and since then, kneading by hand is painful. Not to mention I'm too lazy to do it manually.

I suffer from De Quervain syndrome (De Quervain syndrome - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia), which has flared up again thanks to Rocky's attack on my arm. I have had to use a bread machine for years for the mixing (didn't like the baked bread). Now, however, I have decided that my stand mixer does a nice job. I have to say, my grandma made bread until she died at 78, kneaded it, and never complained. Makes me wonder how painful it was for her to make those "to die for" cinnamon rolls and cinnamon bread she always had waiting for my family when we arrived...

 

[CharlieD]

Now that I am proud owner of the book, I see he doesn't say to use water, he says "if you use water" I am new t bread baking. Kind of trying to expand my cooking abilyties. What is determening factor of using or not using water when baking a bread?

 

[CWS4322]

Now that I am proud owner of the book, I see he doesn't say to use water, he says "if you use water" I am new t bread baking. Kind of trying to expand my cooking abilyties. What is determening factor of using or not using water when baking a bread?

CharlieD--by no means am I an expert breadmaker, but there has to be some form of liquid in the bread--you can't just take flour, salt, and yeast and make bread. The baguette recipe had 60% liquid, I used water. With my bread machine, I will add an egg, some molasses, some oil/butter, sometimes use milk, other times water, other times water and powdered milk. I will make this recipe again and may before starting to play with it (oops--I did play with it, I subbed 8 oz whole wheat flour for all purpose). I am puzzled as to why there wasn't any sugar in the baguette recipe. I thought yeast needed sugar...AndyM, can you explain that? I want the book...I am waiting until my next trip to MN so I can have it delivered there. I liked weighing the ingredients...and could have weighed the yeast and salt, I have a scale that I use to weigh powdered dyes, so I can weigh 1 gram...not that I've ever done that.

 

[CharlieD]

I'm sorry, I meant water in the oven, the autor says something about "if you putting water into the oven, use a CI pot".

 

[Andy M.]

I'm sorry, I meant water in the oven, the autor says something about "if you putting water into the oven, use a CI pot".

The book talks about putting a cup of water into a cast iron skillet when you put the bread in to bake. A moist environment in the oven will give you a crustier bread than if you don't add water.

 

[CharlieD]

aha, I see, thanks.

 

[kadesma]

aha, I see, thanks.

Charlie.
when I want a crust on my bread I use a spray bottle and every 10 min for the first 1/2 hour I spritz the oven and the top of the bread. A light spritz is all and it works well for me.
kades

 

[CharlieD]

Thank you.

 

[Addie]

Charlie.
when I want a crust on my bread I use a spray bottle and every 10 min for the first 1/2 hour I spritz the oven and the top of the bread. A light spritz is all and it works well for me.
kades

Professinal bakeries that bake a couple of hundred loaves a day have ovens with a built in spritzer. Every so often it gives off a spritz while the bread is baking. And then there are the bakeries that use wood fire to bake their bread. For me, that is the best bread.

I use my KA sometimes to start the kneading. But there is something about kneading it by hand if possible.The feel of the dough is very calming.

 

[kadesma]

Professinal bakeries that bake a couple of hundred loaves a day have ovens with a built in spritzer. Every so often it gives off a spritz while the bread is baking. And then there are the bakeries that use wood fire to bake their bread. For me, that is the best bread.

I use my KA sometimes to start the kneading. But there is something about kneading it by hand if possible.The feel of the dough is very calming.

I love kneading my bread and am glad I can now do it again. I use to really beat the hack out of the dough when I was a girl it gave me so much pleasure to beat up on someone who got my goat
kades

 

[Addie]

My son's first wife watched me make dough one day. She had never made it. She had never even seen it made. I didn't start it in a bowl. Just the dry ingredients of the table and then little by little added the liquid. Of course as you start, the dough loves to stick to your hands. She was amazed when she saw it all come together and stopped sticking to my hands. It was nice and smooth. I set the round on the table with a bowl over it. She kept picking the bowl up so she could see it rise and kept touching the dough. After it had risen, I was going to deflate it and give it the second kneading. But I let her do it instead. She wouldn't stop when I told her it was enough. She fell in love with the feel of the dough and the fact that it was alive. I made the dough for fried dough with sugar and cinnamo. When that batch was gone, she haunted me to let her make more. I never told her you could mix and knead it in my KA. I had created a bread maker.