Cooking with Jonny69: baking bread.
- Thread starter Jonny69
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I just do mine on a well floured tray to be honest. A 300g flour loaf should pop up nicely in a super-hot oven 
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Hi Jonny
I have read your threads and drooled since I first joined OCUK but never really bothered to try them out.
I've been trying to use the kitchen more recently and think I now have the confidence to give it a go (I know it's not hard but you know, the getting up and actually bothering is the first step).
I'll let you know how it goes as my confidence makes me think it can't be that easy and there will be a few hiccups I may need to ask about.
Edit: Is it hard for a newbie to knead? I see some people use an electric or hand mixer for dough? (I'm a guy who can't even whisk no matter how much I work my wrists
). And, do you need to use a bread tin? Haven't currently got one and wondering if you can just use a baking tray? (Sorry I am a total newbie to this 
, would get a tin once I know I'm going to use it ).
David
I have read your threads and drooled since I first joined OCUK but never really bothered to try them out.
I've been trying to use the kitchen more recently and think I now have the confidence to give it a go (I know it's not hard but you know, the getting up and actually bothering is the first step).
I'll let you know how it goes as my confidence makes me think it can't be that easy and there will be a few hiccups I may need to ask about.
Edit: Is it hard for a newbie to knead? I see some people use an electric or hand mixer for dough? (I'm a guy who can't even whisk no matter how much I work my wrists
). And, do you need to use a bread tin? Haven't currently got one and wondering if you can just use a baking tray? (Sorry I am a total newbie to this , would get a tin once I know I'm going to use it ).David
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Welcome to the world of gastronomy!
As for your problems, ask away thats what we are all here for, as a shared experience life is so much more fun
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Welcome to the world of gastronomy!
As for your problems, ask away thats what we are all here for, as a shared experience life is so much more fun
Cheers! Check out the edit to my above post, I pondered some questions.
Also I've now properly browsed this thread now and my god. So many awesome looking things. Theres just too many I want to try NOW.
I had noted the ingredients needed for the muffins and the bread in the OP. But now I really want to try a pizza base for pizza or calzone (Got some mushrooms that need to be used
), the cheese and onion loaf (Was there a recipe for that? Didn't see one, unless you just chuck the ingredients into a normal loaf?). The Strobali just looks awesome.. Which to try first?! I suppose I could do a few as a pizza base doesn't need hours in an oven.
Hello David, good to hear we've lured you into the kitchen
I use a hand mixer with dough hooks, which takes about 5 minutes. Kneading by hand takes around double that, but it's worth looking on youtube to show you how to do it properly because you can cut the time down by doing it efficiently. I'm doing most of my loaves on a floured tray at the moment. Rise once in the bowl, shape into a loaf, dust with flour, allow to rise again uncovered, slash the top a few times and bake at top temperature for 30-35 minutes. Here is last night's oneEdit: Is it hard for a newbie to knead? I see some people use an electric or hand mixer for dough? (I'm a guy who can't even whisk no matter how much I work my wrists
Hello David, good to hear we've lured you into the kitchen
I use a hand mixer with dough hooks, which takes about 5 minutes. Kneading by hand takes around double that, but it's worth looking on youtube to show you how to do it properly because you can cut the time down by doing it efficiently. I'm doing most of my loaves on a floured tray at the moment. Rise once in the bowl, shape into a loaf, dust with flour, allow to rise again uncovered, slash the top a few times and bake at top temperature for 30-35 minutes. Here is last night's one
Johnny,
Can I ask for the loaf what was the recipe? Looks lush
That one was 450g flour, 300ml warm water, 1.5 tsp salt, 1.5 tsp instant yeast. As above, rise once in the bowl, shape into a loaf, dust with flour, allow to rise again on a floured baking tray uncovered, slash the top a few times and bake at top temperature for 30-35 minutes. No water or ice added to the oven, just full whack
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I've got a ton of ingredients now, for bread (OP recipe), Muffins and Pizza dough. Found this in a thread about pizza bases, one of Jonny's!, I assume I can use this with the Calzone instructions on this thread? Pizza base is a pizza base?
Anyway I started on the muffins, as a complete newbie I didn't use flour on my hands and got stuck, had to wait for my girlfriend to get back in to rescue me! But its sitting to double right now! Really need one of those scoop/slicey plastic spatulas people use to move and cut dough!
David
Anyway I started on the muffins, as a complete newbie I didn't use flour on my hands and got stuck, had to wait for my girlfriend to get back in to rescue me! But its sitting to double right now! Really need one of those scoop/slicey plastic spatulas people use to move and cut dough!
David
Oh yeah, forgot to mention it sticks like hell
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Well, apart from the sticking and general mess The muffins went alright! Difficult to make exactly 9 and get the sizes right, so ended up with many odd shaped muffins
Used a standard frying pan, sadly haven't got a decent heavy one, what difference does this make?
Reicpe was surprisingly easy. I looked up some others after to find most use milk and a saucepan, odd! Not sure if this would be better?
I don't think I left the dough to rise long enough. I sat the bowl next to a heated oven, would this be enough if done for long enough?
Also I found it hard to know when they were cooked. Are they supposed to be quite doughy in the middle when done? I found they browned and nearly burnt but still had an odd texture in the middle. Do they generally get finished off when you toast them?
A lot more questions than I expected.
Tomorrow I am going to try two Calzone's. Could someone give me an idea of the amounts that would be enough for this? Strong white bread flour is good?
Might post some pics of my odd muffins next time.
Thanks!
The muffins went alright! Difficult to make exactly 9 and get the sizes right, so ended up with many odd shaped muffins Used a standard frying pan, sadly haven't got a decent heavy one, what difference does this make?
Reicpe was surprisingly easy. I looked up some others after to find most use milk and a saucepan, odd! Not sure if this would be better?
I don't think I left the dough to rise long enough. I sat the bowl next to a heated oven, would this be enough if done for long enough?
Also I found it hard to know when they were cooked. Are they supposed to be quite doughy in the middle when done? I found they browned and nearly burnt but still had an odd texture in the middle. Do they generally get finished off when you toast them?
A lot more questions than I expected.
Tomorrow I am going to try two Calzone's. Could someone give me an idea of the amounts that would be enough for this? Strong white bread flour is good?
Might post some pics of my odd muffins next time.
Thanks!
A heavy pan will give you a more balanced heat and there for cook more evenly.Well, apart from the sticking and general mess
Used a standard frying pan, sadly haven't got a decent heavy one, what difference does this make?
When I make them they get two proves, first in the bowl for roughly 3hrs or until doubled in size. I then knock the dough back and cut them out by weight (if you know your total dough weight just divide it by the number of muffins you want) the prove again until doubled, covering the muffins with cling film makes a big difference as to how fast they prove.
Sounds like you pan was to hot, this is another problem with thin frying pans, cooler pan longer to cook but better result, The best way to think about baking is don't rush anything the longer you spend doing it the better the end result will be!
Strong white is good (as its a very fine flour) but you can also try the pizza flour mixes that most supermarkets sell (Sainsbury's do one that is very nice and will give you two decent sized pizzas)
Just remember there is never a rush with bakery, the dough will let you know when its ready (sounds odd but you will be able to see the difference in it) If by some stroke of bad luck it over proves a little just knock it back and prove again, I'm sure you have seen in this thread the more its knocked back and proved the better the loaf will become.
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300g flour / 200ml water / 1tsp each of yeast and salt should do you two decent size calzones. Give them a sprinkle of olive oil just before you put them in the oven. Use semolina underneath instead of flour and it gives them a nice crunch.
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Thanks so much Jonny, infact I just trusted you an email a second before I saw this post!
Could someone explain what the difference between the little can/tin of Dried Active Yeast and the sachets of 7g easy baking yeast are? Which should be used for what things? Both are Allison's. I find it confusing having to break into a sachet just for a teaspoon and I don't have scales sensitive enough to measure tiny amounts of grams. (Apologies for my kitchen newbieness).
Thanks again!
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I love this forum, I love this thread!
Yes we're childish and ambitious with my massive calzone but the result was fantastic regardless of the look.
Again, got into a tiff with the sticky dough. Probably lost a lot of it that way.
Find it confusing how much flour you use to stop it from sticking to surfaces and hands.. Seems I used so much!
Might have overdone the semolina..
They were very crispy, the edges almost reminding me of pastry.
But regardless, amazing!
Thanks to all in this thread for inspiring and motivating!
Next time bread!
Yes we're childish and ambitious with my massive calzone but the result was fantastic regardless of the look
.
Again, got into a tiff with the sticky dough. Probably lost a lot of it that way.
Find it confusing how much flour you use to stop it from sticking to surfaces and hands.. Seems I used so much!
Might have overdone the semolina..
They were very crispy, the edges almost reminding me of pastry.
But regardless, amazing!
Thanks to all in this thread for inspiring and motivating!
Next time bread!
Haha, awesome
Sorry another quick question.
I made some no kneed dough yesterday at 3pm, thinking that today I should be able to cook it 24 hours later like normal, however a meeting has come up
.
Would I be ok knocking the dough back this afternoon, then letting it rise again over night and cooking in the morning?
Cheers!
I made some no kneed dough yesterday at 3pm, thinking that today I should be able to cook it 24 hours later like normal, however a meeting has come up
.Would I be ok knocking the dough back this afternoon, then letting it rise again over night and cooking in the morning?
Cheers!