Cooking with Jonny69: baking bread.
- Thread starter Jonny69
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seems a little to much water for 300g of flour, try 175ml and just add a little at a time if its too dry.
If your dough is sticky and wont stretch you didn't knead it for long enough, if your not sweating by the end of kneading your not working hard enough hahaha.
If your dough is sticky and wont stretch you didn't knead it for long enough, if your not sweating by the end of kneading your not working hard enough hahaha.
Got some mini loaf tins from Amazon and made these tonight. Lovely jubbly.
Just a basic white bread dough.
Just a basic white bread dough.
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I did figure it might be that yeast. I was unsure if it would be activated by the water you use anyway. Lesson learnt 
.
I did however finally do my first loaf from the OP!
You know when a game gets frustrating and you quit only to come back and try again later? I had to redeem my Pizza failure and I did.
Used the sachet yeast this time (emptied them all into a tiny airtight box so I could use what I wanted, silly 7g sachets, I want teaspoons). Followed the instructions in Jonny's post pretty much down to the letter. The only thing I may have failed at was the kneading, but I gave it my best shot and did get rather tired.
I probably went overboard with flour on the top (I was excited). But it actually came out looking like a loaf!
Sorry for phone pics.
I don't know if you can see, but the texture was slightly doughy, maybe what you say about it coming out like a sponge. Also the slices fall apart easily.
It's still nice but i'm going to make another today and hopefully improve on it.
I suppose my kneading technique needs work?
.I did however finally do my first loaf from the OP!
You know when a game gets frustrating and you quit only to come back and try again later? I had to redeem my Pizza failure and I did.
Used the sachet yeast this time (emptied them all into a tiny airtight box so I could use what I wanted, silly 7g sachets, I want teaspoons). Followed the instructions in Jonny's post pretty much down to the letter. The only thing I may have failed at was the kneading, but I gave it my best shot and did get rather tired.
I probably went overboard with flour on the top (I was excited). But it actually came out looking like a loaf!
Sorry for phone pics.
I don't know if you can see, but the texture was slightly doughy, maybe what you say about it coming out like a sponge. Also the slices fall apart easily.
It's still nice but i'm going to make another today and hopefully improve on it.
I suppose my kneading technique needs work?
More kneeding is wanted to improve the texture, let it rest for a couple of hours and go back at it for 5 mins, leave it for a couple of hours and give it another 5mins. Then shape it in to a loaf and drop it into your tin and leave to prove until its ready.
Doughy texture means to much water or not long enough in the oven, looking at your crust i would say it needs to go lower in the oven and as high as it will go temperature wise
Doughy texture means to much water or not long enough in the oven, looking at your crust i would say it needs to go lower in the oven and as high as it will go temperature wise
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More kneeding is wanted to improve the texture, let it rest for a couple of hours and go back at it for 5 mins, leave it for a couple of hours and give it another 5mins. Then shape it in to a loaf and drop it into your tin and leave to prove until its ready.
Doughy texture means to much water or not long enough in the oven, looking at your crust i would say it needs to go lower in the oven and as high as it will go temperature wise
Brilliant
I will try this out today. When following the recipe in the OP, Jonny recommends you knead for about 12 minutes then let it rise for about 40 minutes before letting it rise in the tin. So two rises.
So I should split the 12 minute kneading in half with a rest in-between?
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I suppose I can give that a go too 
. I have too much time right now.
So you just cut out the kneading part and leave it to rise longer?
I decided to make two loafs/loaves(?) today as yesterday's one is already gone, even though I took it out of the oven at 11:30pm!
What i've really wanted to make since first reading this thread is the cheese and onion loaf. Are those kind of loaves made by just putting your extra ingredients in late in the kneading process? Or in the mixing? Is it as simple as putting grated cheese in?
Cheers
. I have too much time right now.So you just cut out the kneading part and leave it to rise longer?
I decided to make two loafs/loaves(?) today as yesterday's one is already gone, even though I took it out of the oven at 11:30pm!
What i've really wanted to make since first reading this thread is the cheese and onion loaf. Are those kind of loaves made by just putting your extra ingredients in late in the kneading process? Or in the mixing? Is it as simple as putting grated cheese in?
Cheers
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Sounds like it equals a lot more hours on top of the original recipe! May try it with another loaf. Got one on the go now though, so I can see if it was my kneading
I think you're having trouble with your yeast too. I've got a feeling you've stumbled across the same yeast that I did and I just couldn't make it make decent bread no matter what I did.
I could not get this Allinson yeast to make decent bread no matter what I did. The yeast seemed to change the dough or something as I was kneading and it would go like chewing gum, incredibly sticky and it would not hold its shape. The dough would collapse on itself and rise outwards and just run into a puddle on the tray. Then the loaf would not pop up at all when it was baked. The finished bread was dry and dense. You couldn't slash the top of the loaf because it was so sticky, it would grab the knife and string out, yanking the shape out the loaf.
This Dove's yeast from Waitrose is exactly the same as the stuff in the sachets and works great. I tipped away the Allinson yeast and used the tin to store this stuff as it comes in a foil pack. If you bought the Allinson stuff, I recommend chucking it out and use this instead, or if you can't get it, stick with sachets.
On top of that, just make sure you knead your dough plenty
I could not get this Allinson yeast to make decent bread no matter what I did. The yeast seemed to change the dough or something as I was kneading and it would go like chewing gum, incredibly sticky and it would not hold its shape. The dough would collapse on itself and rise outwards and just run into a puddle on the tray. Then the loaf would not pop up at all when it was baked. The finished bread was dry and dense. You couldn't slash the top of the loaf because it was so sticky, it would grab the knife and string out, yanking the shape out the loaf.
This Dove's yeast from Waitrose is exactly the same as the stuff in the sachets and works great. I tipped away the Allinson yeast and used the tin to store this stuff as it comes in a foil pack. If you bought the Allinson stuff, I recommend chucking it out and use this instead, or if you can't get it, stick with sachets.
On top of that, just make sure you knead your dough plenty
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For the no kneed bread I dont kneed at all
Had to say this didn't i.......
Just did my normal recipe and it was a ultimate fail lol. Its like 2 inches high lol, its going to be some weird slices for the next few days lol.
Think ill try and whip up that Loaf recipe you gave me Johnny. How long do you normally think it takes to double in size?
Thanks!
In my kitchen in this weather, about 35-45 mins. It can take an hour if it's not as warm
In my kitchen in this weather, about 35-45 mins. It can take an hour if it's not as warm
Excellent, So what i need to do for your loaf is:
Mix ingredients.
Kneed for 10mins
Leave for 35-40mins to double
Knock Back and Shape.
Leave to double
Cook for 35mins
Yep?
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Ah yes Jonny!
I have that tin, but I also have the Allisons sachets of 7g, which I emptied into a container. I did use the tin version twice though and I guess that was the main problem but the 3 loaves I have done in the last day came out pretty well!
I did use Waitrose funnily enough and did notice the Doves Quick Yeast but for some reason didn't understand. I will make sure to only use the sachets or Doves when I get my hands on it
All in all the bread today was great. Last night's (first loaf ever) was all right, but doughy and broke in half easily. The two loaves I did today seemed fine and didn't break
David
I have that tin, but I also have the Allisons sachets of 7g, which I emptied into a container. I did use the tin version twice though and I guess that was the main problem but the 3 loaves I have done in the last day came out pretty well!
I did use Waitrose funnily enough and did notice the Doves Quick Yeast but for some reason didn't understand. I will make sure to only use the sachets or Doves when I get my hands on it
All in all the bread today was great. Last night's (first loaf ever) was all right, but doughy and broke in half easily. The two loaves I did today seemed fine and didn't break
David
Just leave it longer! Plus, if you slash the top with a very sharp knife (takes a bit of practice), it helps the loaf pop up in the oven
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Is it much harder to make brown bread? Need something new to try. Would also like to attempt rolls and adding other things into the bread....like cheese!
Regarding the yeast, I have had okay results with the Allisons easy bake sachets after realising the dried active yeast tin was not the right one to use. I found the sachets of Allisons easy bake yeast worked great but the only problem being it comes in sachets.. Until yesterday where I found it in the same tin as the dried yeast. This will make it much easier to get spoon measurements.... I had taken to emptying all the sachets into a little air tight box!
I will have to try Doves next time, wasn't able to get to Waitrose but a Tesco we were passing had the easy bake yeast in the tin.
Regarding the yeast, I have had okay results with the Allisons easy bake sachets after realising the dried active yeast tin was not the right one to use. I found the sachets of Allisons easy bake yeast worked great but the only problem being it comes in sachets.. Until yesterday where I found it in the same tin as the dried yeast. This will make it much easier to get spoon measurements.... I had taken to emptying all the sachets into a little air tight box!
I will have to try Doves next time, wasn't able to get to Waitrose but a Tesco we were passing had the easy bake yeast in the tin
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Wholemeal flour needs more water not much and it feels a little different.
For your first couple of attempts try doing 70/30 wholemeal to white as it can be a little tricky
I also sub the sugar with honey or golden syrup fot a better flavour.
For your first couple of attempts try doing 70/30 wholemeal to white as it can be a little tricky
I also sub the sugar with honey or golden syrup fot a better flavour.