Can we talk about bread making?

[savingdogs]

Okay, so I have been working on making my own bread and rolls. I've never really done this much but have been enjoying the results. I've been using an artisan bread recipe and altering it here and there, since it has been working out!

However, the price of yeast was not particularly low and I was wondering about making sourdough and whether I would purchase less yeast that way? How do you get started with sourdough? I remember making an Amish friendship bread once with some nasty stuff you save up each time, is that basicaly the trick? How can I start some of that?

And what about alternative flours? I would like to have some wheatless bread for my diet, although not all our bread needs to be that way. However, the price of those types of flours was
No can do. Does yeast work the same way with other types of flour? I'm really a bread newbie here....I've really never been home long enough to have time for things like making bread!

I know that is several questions, but I guess I wanted to start an "all about making easy and cheap bread at home" type thread because that is a skill I'd like to hone.

I'd also like to learn to make biscuits such as the ones made by Barred Buff's Granny in a recent picture he posted! My "bisquick" biscuits are not cutting it.

 

[Marianne]

I buy yeast in a 2 pound bag for around $5 in my little country market. Waaay cheaper that way. I keep it in a zipper bag in the freezer and just use what I need for whatever I'm baking.
You can save a ball of dough from one bread making batch to use as the yeast starter on your next batch of bread. Just make sure to plan on a much longer rising time. Then keep a ball of that bread dough for your next baking day. Just keep in the frig for a couple days, or in the freezer. Let it thaw in the frig before you use it.

I didn't have good luck with sourdough. My batch captured some yeast and all went as planned, but boy howdy, was it strong. No one in the house would eat it as they all thought I was trying to poison them. LOL The area of the country that you live in makes a difference in the flavor of your sourdough starter.

I love the Amish Friendship starter. I don't add a cup, a cup, etc. as I don't plan on finding people to give starts to. If someone wants a start, then I add 1/2 cup of milk, flour and sugar to my batch and then give them one cup of starter. You only have to add a little sugar every three days to keep it alive, and probably once a week I would add 1/4 cup of milk, flour and sugar. When I got tired of it, I'd put it in the freezer and then bring it out a month later. There are tons of variations, too...I thought the chocolate was naaasty. I guess I was expecting cake, but it's definately bread. It was okay after I slathered it with butter, but I could probably eat a cow patty if it had enough butter on it!

With whole wheat breads (no white flour in the recipe I have), I have to let it rise longer as it has a lower gluten level. (is that right, gals?)

It's been forever since I made rye bread. And the other flours? I know just enough to be stupid about them.

I didn't like the artisan bread recipe I tried...break out the butter.

But this is absolutely the best oatmeal bread I ever had!:

http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2006/11/oatmeal-toasting-bread-baking.html

 

[savingdogs]

I buy yeast in a 2 pound bag for around $5 in my little country market. Waaay cheaper that way. I keep it in a zipper bag in the freezer and just use what I need for whatever I'm baking.
You can save a ball of dough from one bread making batch to use as the yeast starter on your next batch of bread. Just make sure to plan on a much longer rising time. Then keep a ball of that bread dough for your next baking day. Just keep in the frig for a couple days, or in the freezer. Let it thaw in the frig before you use it.

I didn't have good luck with sourdough. My batch captured some yeast and all went as planned, but boy howdy, was it strong. No one in the house would eat it as they all thought I was trying to poison them. LOL The area of the country that you live in makes a difference in the flavor of your sourdough starter.

I love the Amish Friendship starter. I don't add a cup, a cup, etc. as I don't plan on finding people to give starts to. If someone wants a start, then I add 1/2 cup of milk, flour and sugar to my batch and then give them one cup of starter. You only have to add a little sugar every three days to keep it alive, and probably once a week I would add 1/4 cup of milk, flour and sugar. When I got tired of it, I'd put it in the freezer and then bring it out a month later. There are tons of variations, too...I thought the chocolate was naaasty. I guess I was expecting cake, but it's definately bread. It was okay after I slathered it with butter, but I could probably eat a cow patty if it had enough butter on it!

With whole wheat breads (no white flour in the recipe I have), I have to let it rise longer as it has a lower gluten level. (is that right, gals?)

It's been forever since I made rye bread. And the other flours? I know just enough to be stupid about them.

I didn't like the artisan bread recipe I tried...break out the butter.

But this is absolutely the best oatmeal bread I ever had!:

http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2006/11/oatmeal-toasting-bread-baking.html

Oh, I loved that link! I bookmarked several recipe from there. I love oatmeal bread, that is exactly the kind of thing I was looking for.

So you can buy yeast in huge bags, huh? Okey dokey, thanks, we will look around! My husband paid 8 dollars for this jar we currently have!

By longer rising time, how much longer do you mean? That wouldn't be such a hardship. And how big of a ball of dough, like a walnut, a peach, or an orange, a baseball?

We love the flavor of sourdough, but not if it was too strong.

Do you use a bread machine, Marianne? My only complaint about breadmaking is all the flour all over the kitchen!

 

[patandchickens]

whether I would purchase less yeast that way? How do you get started with sourdough? I remember making an Amish friendship bread once with some nasty stuff you save up each time, is that basicaly the trick? How can I start some of that?

You can try making your own starter, but not everyone has a lot of favorable wild yeast types floating around and some have a lot of trouble getting a usable (edible!) culture going.

Your best be therefore would be to get a known good-tasting sourdough culture from someone. Try asking around?

You do have to use it pretty regularly (or at least "pretend to use it", i.e. remove some and feed the rest) or it deteriorates and eventually dies. Some will tell you you can freeze it for less-frequent use. Well, you sort of can (some cultures deal better with repeated freeze-thaw than others) but it will peter out prematurely and after a while you will have to get a fresh new culture to start over.

And what about alternative flours? I would like to have some wheatless bread for my diet, although not all our bread needs to be that way. However, the price of those types of flours was
No can do. Does yeast work the same way with other types of flour? I'm really a bread newbie here....I've really never been home long enough to have time for things like making bread!

You're not going to get a "normal" result out of wheatless yeast breads (not that I've ever seen or heard of, anyhow) -- even just 1/3 to 1/2 non-wheat flour will *significantly* change the texture of most breads. The reason is that you need all the gluten from the wheat to "capture" the CO2 that the yeast is producing, to make it rise and produce a breadlike crumb. Flours with little or no gluten are like a balloon made of something non-stretchy -- the yeast can't inflate it.

That said, I expect there are non-wheat breads I don't know about, *concievably* even some yeast-leavened ones I suppose, that may be perfectly edible in their own way, just different.

I'd also like to learn to make biscuits such as the ones made by Barred Buff's Granny in a recent picture he posted! My "bisquick" biscuits are not cutting it.

Biscuits are easy, just take some manual labor (depending which kind you're making) and, basically, practice. Make enough of 'em and you will be a *goooood* biscuit-maker

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[kimnkell]

I usually get my yeast in bulk from a seller on ebay. I can't remember the name of the seller right off but it's so much cheaper than buying it in those jars at the store.
As for biscuits..... practice makes perfect... it took me years and years to get them just right and now it seems so simple. Just keep practicing...

 

[Wannabefree]

I can't advise much on the bread. I have my own recipe catered to the taste buds of my family. Biscuits though, are SUPER easy. I don't have a specific measured recipe for those either but what you do is....

about 2 cups flour
about 1/4 cup solid fat Ex. butter, lard, or shortening cut into the dry flour very well with a fork
about 3/4 cup milk or buttermilk
enough water to get the right consistency for the dough ball to pull away from the sides of the bowl

You can make drop biscuits, cut biscuits, or just toss in the oven in one big lump to make one big biscuit(actually DD's preferrence). I have just done drop biscuits in a greased muffin pan...I like how it browns the bottom and sides evenly I'm a little weird though

 

[savingdogs]

I'd like to try that one, that sounds pretty easy. I suppose lard would work fine. Hm......

 

[ORChick]

Our local healthfood store has bulk yeast in a gallon jar in the 'fridge - just scoop out what you want. I think it is about $5/lb. I keep it in a glass jar with a tight lid in the freezer.
I'm all for experimenting when cooking, but it is important to know the basic steps before you branch out IMO. Start with a basic bread recipe, and once you have that figured out, and know what things look/feel/smell like at the various stages, then you can start changing things, or trying different recipes.
Wheat and, to lesser extent, rye are the main flours used with yeast, as they have the gluten that Pat mentioned. Sourdough is just another type of yeast culture, so you will still need the gluten flours. You can mix in other flours, as long as you use predominantly wheat/rye, and you will need to expect a heavier loaf. Even rye needs, IMO, some wheat flour to make a nice loaf.
I don't use a bread machine, but often I do let the Kitchenaid help with the mixing.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

hey baby!

i have a link here:
http://adventuresinthegoodland.blogspot.com/2010/03/how-to-make-savings-i-mean-bread.html

for where to buy yeast on the cheap online. but call around to bulk stores or health food stores. i pay about $3.00. i've had the same bag for over a YEAR! and i make a lot of bread.

i also make my argument for how cheap it is... i think 2 loaves of my bread are about $0.50

and i second M's recommendation about the oatmeal bread.

i dont use a bread maker and i dont think they are the greatest (i had one before). i used to just use a big bowl and a spoon but now i use my kitchenade for the mixing/initial kneading.

you'll love it once you think of it as just part of the day and not a big ordeal.

 

[savingdogs]

I should have known there would be a full tutorial on OFG's blog! Wow, that is a lot more fancy bread than I've been making! I'll have to try adding some of those techniques to make mine come out better.

I totally need to find the right place to buy yeast!