I am going to take the plunge and figure out how to make bread--a couple of questions

[Horse with no Name]

I am starting out with a recommendation from another DU'er for peasant bread.

Here is the recipe:
Ingredients

* 1 1/2 cups water
* 1 tablespoon white sugar
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 3 1/2 cups bread flour
* 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Directions

1. Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select Light or Medium Crust cycle; press Start. For a crispier crust, use the French cycle or turn machine off after first rise and start the cycle over.



I bought Fleischman's Bread Machine Yeast. Can I use this?

Secondly, do I need bread flour or can I use regular flour? What is the difference?

Thanks in advance!

[housewolf]

1. Answers

Yes, you can use the Bread Machine Yeast, but reduce the qty to 2 tsp

While you can often substitute all purpose flour for bread flour in bread making, I'd be wary of doing so until you know your bread machine a bit better. There are two potential risks that I can see - the more minor one is that you'll have a loaf that is not as high-rising as one made from bread flour - that's simply because a/p flour doesn't have the gluten-forming potential that bread flour has. The second is that your machine _might_ over-develop an all-purpose dough, since the machines are designed to work with bread flour UNLESS your machine as a special all purpose flour setting.

Do you have the manual/instructions? Or a web site where there might be FAQs or Q&A? You might find something specific to this question there.

BTW, the order of ingredients is only important if you're setting a timer to start the dough some hours later. That's because you don't want the salt touching the yeast for very long, as salt inhibits yeast. Otherwise, if you want the machine to mix the dough right away, it makes no difference in what order you place the ingredients.

Good luck! Hope you'll let us know how it turned out!

[Denninmi]

2. Actually, the order does matter on some brands of bread makers.

I used to have one that HAD to have the flour in the bottom, because the way it was made, it didn't really seal well around the dough paddle. If you poured liquid ingredients in first, they dripped out into the bottom and made a mess. The instructions were very explicit -- dry ingredients on the bottom, wet ingredients on top.

I no longer have that one, and don't use a bread machine anymore, so I don't know if current models have this issue. This was back when bread makers first came onto the mass market -- I'm thinking late 1980's or early 1990's. It seems like a dumb design flaw, but that is how it was made.

[Warpy]

3. What do you mean by regular flour?

If you mean all purpose, yes, you can use that. In fact, the machine might have been designed for it.

However, those of us who have baked for a long time usually prefer unbleached bread flour.

As long as you're following the instructions, it should come out just fine. Fleischman's is OK. So is the Red Star you can get in bulk in health food stores.

The biggest thing you now need to learn is why you don't cut into fresh bread until it has cooled down: if you pierce the crust and release the steam, the interior won't finish cooking and will be gummy.

Just be aware that eating your own bread is addictive. There's a reason so many of us do it.

[GoCubsGo]

8. And, a reason why some of us DON'T do it...

At least not that often. You are absolutely correct about the addictive part. When it comes to home-baked bread, I have no self-control. I could eat half the loaf in a sitting. And, I have. My thighs are proof of that. :-)

[Warpy]

10. I tracked down a food allergy to wheat

so I don't have that problem any more. Mostly, I ate bread at breakfast, anyway.

Wheat free bread is the pits. I really don't bother, although I'll probably bake a loaf soon because I need bread crumbs.

[flamin lib]

4. Somebody please post a link to AIN5 bread.

It's really good, easy and you can mix up a week's worth of dough and make it small loaf at a time.

I lost my recipe and really really need it!

[cbayer]

5. I think this NYT's no knead recipe is better than any breadmaker:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/081mrex.html?_r=1

:hi:

[Callalily]

6. I've made this bread many

times and just love it. My plan is to make it this weekend . . . now I don't have to go look for the recipe, I'll just print out from your link! Thanks! ;-)

[flamin lib]

7. I found the Artisan Bread recipe.

Artisan Bread
• 1 1/2 tablespoons yeast
• 1 1/2 tablespoons salt coarse salt (kosher or sea salt)
• 3 cups water
• 6 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour, more for dusting
• Cornmeal
1. In a large bowl, mix yeast and salt into 3 cups warm water. Add flour, and stir to combine completely. Let dough rise in a warm place for at least two hours, until it rises and collapses (up to 5 hours – or even overnight won’t hurt it). The dough may be baked at this point, or refrigerated for later use.
2. Cover dough, but make sure it is not airtight – gases need to escape – and place in fridge. When you are ready to use it, throw a small fistful of flour on the surface and use a serrated knife to cut off a piece of the size you desire. (The authors recommend a 1 pound loaf – which means cutting off grapefruit-sized piece of dough). Turning the dough in your hands, stretch the surface of the dough and tuck in under. The surface will be smooth, and the bottom with be bunched.
3. Dust a pizza peel (or any flat surface – I use a rimless cookie sheet) with cornmeal. (This prevents sticking, and adds a nice, rustic crunch. You can use flour instead, but you’ll need to use a very generous dusting). Allow dough to rest in a warm place for 40 minutes – longer if you make a larger loaf.
4. Twenty minutes before baking, preheat oven to 450 degrees with baking stone (or overturned baking sheet) inside on the middle rack, plus a shallow pan on the top rack. Throw a small fistful of flour over the dough, slash it 2-4 times with a serrated knife (in a cross, a tic-tac-toe, or a fan), and slide it into the oven, onto the baking stone. Throw 1-2 cups of tap water into the shallow pan, and quickly shut the oven door to trap steam inside. Bake for 30 minutes, or until crust is well browned and bread sounds hollow when you knock on the bottom.

[hippywife]

16. Here is a demo video

to go along with the recipe:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFJZPm-_2-M

[Horse with no Name]

9. Thanks for the tips.

I have my very first loaf in right now. Wish me luck!

[housewolf]

11. Hope it turned out great

and that you love it!

As an aside, although "straight from the oven" bread is SOOOOOO tempting, it really is better to let a loaf cool before cutting into it. The flavors mellow a bit and it's MUCH easier to slice when cool.

[Horse with no Name]

12. It was a disaster

Not sure what I did wrong.

I'm waiting for it to cool so I can clean up the mess.

The dough ran over out of the pan and got into the burners.

Had to turn it off before I burned the house down!

:)

Will try again, though.

[hippywife]

13. Really, the best thing to do

is to ditch the machine and use one of the no-knead recipes posted upthread. Either the Ain5 or the NYTimes recipe. You may never use the machine again, they're just that easy.

If you want a sandwich loaf style, this one is very easy and delicious, too:

http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/01/light-wheat-bread/


If we had a boat, my machine would now be its anchor. LOL

:hi:

[GoCubsGo]

14. "The Joy of Cooking" has a really easy, good French bread recipe.

No kneading involved. http://www.reciperascal.com/simple.html

[housewolf]

15. Hmmmmm...

What brand of machine do you have? Do you have the manuals that come with it?

It kinda sounds like either a capacity issue or a too-much-yeast (over-rising) problem, or a too-much-water problem.

Did you get it new? If not, where did it come from and what information about it did you get?

I'm sorry! But don't worry, you'll get there even if it takes a few tries.

[Horse with no Name]

17. It is a Breadman

I downloaded the manual online.

I just made a loaf of French Bread using one of the recipes out of the manual instead of another recipe.

It is in the oven baking right now--will let you know how it turns out!

[housewolf]

18. OH good, I'm looking forward to hearing how this loaf comes out

A lot of bread-baking is about experimenting, but keep at it and you'll be baking some great home-made bread. Yum!!!