Discussion
Hey, I'm Doug McLure, you may know me from some past threads where I claim I can cook a pizza in a frying pan and that using a breadmaker will make your sperm count go down, especially if you are a man.
Before we get into things let's roll back 25 years when Andy was working stacking bacon in Morrisons. In those days there was only one sort of margerine, it was called Stork and was used for baking or anal sex in French hotels. You wouldn't want to put that on a sandwich, no siree. The aisles were full of butter and lard and beef dripping and rendered down "I can't believe this is not reconstituted tripe". Roll on 25 years and it's all margerine, now with added water so they can call it LIGHTER and make more money. I have gone the whole hog and just spread water on my toast, not tap water though, no, mineral water. Think I'm cheap or something?
I am digressing ...
Flour. In the good old days mentioned above there was only two types of flour. Plain and ready salted. Sorry, self raising. Nowadays there are lots of flours and I have suddenly realised I am a bit lost. I'm a bit lost because I've started making bread in infernal contraptions and pizzas in a frying pan. I thought it was like this
self raising
plain
strong bread flour
sauce flour.
But it seems even this is not enough. I was looking for a bread recipe and it said you need a percentage semolina flour. Ok, so I can't find it in the supermarket. So I look at the internet and find out it is actually Durum wheat flour. Now I can't get that either but I can get some 00 flour from Sainsbury's that I have used before for pasta and pizza which has it in. Yippee. Right so add Durum and Semolina and 00 pasta flour to the mix.
So I go down Sainsbury's and get it. Then I see another flour. Canadian Extra Strong Bread Flour. Now I know bread flour should be strong but since the supermarkets have been selling it then it has become extra strong, and now a new marketing trick, not only extra strong, like Andrex, but Canadian to boot. Just imagine how many puppies could get wrapped up in extra strong Canadian Andrex.
Now I remember from my past that all bread flour was from Canada because it was better than UK stuff, so maybe this is the real deal. Or maybe the clever marketeers are so clever they know I know that due to my age, so I am being subjected to an attack because of the purchasing group I am in.
http://www.zen141854.zen.co.uk/flour.jpg
Anyhow so I am going to make some soft baguettes tonight, the semolina flour does that apparently, makes them soft, I need them soft because at my age my dentures and bowels appreciate it. Results to come. I'm using the breadmixer though to mix and rise the dough because quite frankly I have to use the Internet for talking to all you lot, far too busy to do it properly. Last time I used the breadmixer it almost took over the planet earth. My wife things are not looking too rosy already.
Oh the humanity, I can't talk any longer ladies and gentlemen....
Andy
Before we get into things let's roll back 25 years when Andy was working stacking bacon in Morrisons. In those days there was only one sort of margerine, it was called Stork and was used for baking or anal sex in French hotels. You wouldn't want to put that on a sandwich, no siree. The aisles were full of butter and lard and beef dripping and rendered down "I can't believe this is not reconstituted tripe". Roll on 25 years and it's all margerine, now with added water so they can call it LIGHTER and make more money. I have gone the whole hog and just spread water on my toast, not tap water though, no, mineral water. Think I'm cheap or something?
I am digressing ...
Flour. In the good old days mentioned above there was only two types of flour. Plain and ready salted. Sorry, self raising. Nowadays there are lots of flours and I have suddenly realised I am a bit lost. I'm a bit lost because I've started making bread in infernal contraptions and pizzas in a frying pan. I thought it was like this
self raising
plain
strong bread flour
sauce flour.
But it seems even this is not enough. I was looking for a bread recipe and it said you need a percentage semolina flour. Ok, so I can't find it in the supermarket. So I look at the internet and find out it is actually Durum wheat flour. Now I can't get that either but I can get some 00 flour from Sainsbury's that I have used before for pasta and pizza which has it in. Yippee. Right so add Durum and Semolina and 00 pasta flour to the mix.
So I go down Sainsbury's and get it. Then I see another flour. Canadian Extra Strong Bread Flour. Now I know bread flour should be strong but since the supermarkets have been selling it then it has become extra strong, and now a new marketing trick, not only extra strong, like Andrex, but Canadian to boot. Just imagine how many puppies could get wrapped up in extra strong Canadian Andrex.
Now I remember from my past that all bread flour was from Canada because it was better than UK stuff, so maybe this is the real deal. Or maybe the clever marketeers are so clever they know I know that due to my age, so I am being subjected to an attack because of the purchasing group I am in.
http://www.zen141854.zen.co.uk/flour.jpg
Anyhow so I am going to make some soft baguettes tonight, the semolina flour does that apparently, makes them soft, I need them soft because at my age my dentures and bowels appreciate it. Results to come. I'm using the breadmixer though to mix and rise the dough because quite frankly I have to use the Internet for talking to all you lot, far too busy to do it properly. Last time I used the breadmixer it almost took over the planet earth. My wife things are not looking too rosy already.
Oh the humanity, I can't talk any longer ladies and gentlemen....
Andy
- Beer was consumed in the making of this drama documentary.
Those pesky marketing men are segmenting the self-selling retail multiple sector again...
They can't help it. Instead of selling a sack of product for £1, they divide it into five different packs, each in a different colour with an 'easy-to-open' opening, put the word 'balanced' on the front and sell each pack for £1. 'Added value' you know, and a photo in the trade press if the PR agency is up to it.
NB You forgot cornflour
They can't help it. Instead of selling a sack of product for £1, they divide it into five different packs, each in a different colour with an 'easy-to-open' opening, put the word 'balanced' on the front and sell each pack for £1. 'Added value' you know, and a photo in the trade press if the PR agency is up to it.
NB You forgot cornflour
Made me smile (ad reminiss (sp?))!
For baguettes, simple measurements that scale up and down...
1000g strong plain flour
660g (yes weigh it) warm water
20g salt
20g fresh yeast (buy a block from the supermarket bakery)
Thats it. Anything else is not a baguette, it's bread.
Get the yeast going with a splash of the water, a pinch of flour and maybe even a tiny pinch of sugar(!!! not authentic). Let this bubble for an hour at 35 deg. C
Meanwhile warm the flour and salt mix in the oven to about 40 degrees. Add the water and yeast mix and kneed, then prove for a bit. Repeat 2 or three times. Let it rest and prove for a couple of hours. Knock back and shape. Prove again for a couple of hours.
Slash the loaves and bake at 230 C for 20-25 minutes. Put a tray of boiling water in the bottom of the oven for the first 15 minutes.
Fresh baguettes.
For baguettes, simple measurements that scale up and down...
1000g strong plain flour
660g (yes weigh it) warm water
20g salt
20g fresh yeast (buy a block from the supermarket bakery)
Thats it. Anything else is not a baguette, it's bread.
Get the yeast going with a splash of the water, a pinch of flour and maybe even a tiny pinch of sugar(!!! not authentic). Let this bubble for an hour at 35 deg. C
Meanwhile warm the flour and salt mix in the oven to about 40 degrees. Add the water and yeast mix and kneed, then prove for a bit. Repeat 2 or three times. Let it rest and prove for a couple of hours. Knock back and shape. Prove again for a couple of hours.
Slash the loaves and bake at 230 C for 20-25 minutes. Put a tray of boiling water in the bottom of the oven for the first 15 minutes.
Fresh baguettes.
Those look like excellent ratio's for the flour to water Tony. Has the food cookery competition ever just done a pure bread round? Perhaps a thought.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch
It's turning into a large blob. Has anyone seen Dark Star?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSgmYWaQbR8
where's me brush?
Andy
Meanwhile, back at the ranch
It's turning into a large blob. Has anyone seen Dark Star?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSgmYWaQbR8
where's me brush?
Andy
Have to say that after all the jovality, perhaps slightly beer induced, the end result was very good indeed.
Sometimes bread making machine loaves are a bit tasteless, even if they rise well. But this rose well and had a good taste, whether that is because I actually cooked it in a conventional oven rather than the breadmaking machine after it did all the manual work or whether the Canadian flour does make a difference I do not know.
The bread making was the starters, whether I can do a pizza base in this breadmaker is another step altogether. Perhaps the ultimate pizza dough for general use is the Cooks illustrated version which requires a 2 to 3 day cold ferment in the fridge to get it to rise. So I think I will start this off in my breadmaker and continue in the fridge for a Friday supper.
Andy
Sometimes bread making machine loaves are a bit tasteless, even if they rise well. But this rose well and had a good taste, whether that is because I actually cooked it in a conventional oven rather than the breadmaking machine after it did all the manual work or whether the Canadian flour does make a difference I do not know.
The bread making was the starters, whether I can do a pizza base in this breadmaker is another step altogether. Perhaps the ultimate pizza dough for general use is the Cooks illustrated version which requires a 2 to 3 day cold ferment in the fridge to get it to rise. So I think I will start this off in my breadmaker and continue in the fridge for a Friday supper.
Andy
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