My bread is done! My bread is done!

[changeling]

So yesterday I began on the Finnish Rye Bread as posted by wittgensteinian. This is the first bread recipe I've ever tried. I had a bit of trouble, needing to use 450mL instead of 300, though this may be because I stubbornly refused to use white flour and used wholemeal instead. I'm also not sure that I've used the right sort of flour. The only flour I could find in Macro that was listed as "bread flour" was the flour mixes, and seeing as slow food is what gets my juices flowing (salivatory, that is), I decided to grab the rye flour they had there that they claimed could be used for bread among other things, and use the wholemeal plain flour I already had. I also couldn't find muscovado sugar in Coles, and though I found it in a nearby foreign-food deli, it cost $4 and I just didn't have much money on me, so I decided to stick with plain dark-brown sugar for this time.

Bread goes against all my creative impulses. I like to throw myself into something for hours at a time, not surfacing, until finished. Instead I had to put the dough together, then I let it rest overnight. Doing things in sections like this isn't the way I work. It also put down my idea of getting it done in time for Liam and Hedda coming over last night. Still, they, Dave (who came over later) and my sweetheart were all introduced to my not-yet loaf, which made me pleased (I also introduced Dave to my bike. I don't know, I'm odd like this). This morning I squished it down, had most of the loaf stick to my hands and had to cover said hands with spray-on canola oil in order to knead it and then attempt to shape it, before putting it aside for more resting. I thought it would rise more than it did; it just seemed to grow everyway at once, so it's a bit of a discus-shaped thing. I don't mind, though, so long as it's edible.

I also don't know if I kneaded it for long enough yesterday. I have a piece taken out of one of my fingers on the knuckle, so I had to do what I could while avoiding using that finger. I'm pretty sure I didn't knead it for fifteen minutes, as I have since seen a recipe call for. I can only hope.

Anyway, it's baked (only took 45 minutes, which isn't much when you're doing other things) and now it's cooking on a baking rack. It looks very exciting, if not quite as neat as I would like. I can't wait until Steph comes home, and then we shall TRY IT OUT, ideally with some beetroot chutney, which I am not allowing myself to make unless I have got all my chores done, so I had better dash off.

... the beetroot chutney will also be an experiment. I want it to taste something like The Chilli Factory's beetroot chutney, but as I've never made any sort of chutney before, let alone beetroot chutney, and I can't find a recipe I like, I shall have to make it up. There will be no apple, though, but I might put in carrot as TCF does.

Comments

[pensivebrooding.livejournal.com]

My parents don't believe in buying bread in the states here, as we're from the Czech Republic, so I was put on bread-making duty a lot growing up.

The tips that I can give about making a true loaf of bread (as opposed to more cake-like/sweet/eggy breads) is that you have to knead at it for at least 15 minutes - and if after those fifteen minutes it still sticks to your hands, you sprinkle on some more flour and knead for another five minutes until it stops sticking. If it's too dry after the first 15 minutes, you add a *tiny* amount of water and knead some more. And then check again and again adding what you need - you're done when it stops sticking to your hands.

If it all pancakes-out in the oven when you were trying to bake it, and from the sounds of it sticking to your hands after you tried to touch it after it rose, that means it had too much water. Try using a bit less water next time, and kneading a bit more (kneading helps work the glutens in the flour, so that the loaf sticks together on itself more, and rises upwards when baking). And that's what makes the difference with bread flour/other flours: the glutens.

To be long about it: "A variety of flours can be used to make bread. As you will often see, some recipes may call for the use of "Bakers Flour or Bread Flour". This flour is recommended because of it's higher protein content - approx. 11-12%, versus ordinary plain flour or all purpose flour, which will have a lower protein content, usually below 10%.

The amount of gluten, often referred to, as the "protein in flour" is crucial in bread making. When combined with other key ingredients such as yeast or a liquid, the gluten structure in flour plays a pivotal role in influencing the shape, structure, and texture of your baked bread.

Therefore, for optimum results in bread making, Bakers Flour or Bread Flour is recommended."

From this site: clicky (http://www.kitchencollection.com.au/home_faqs.htm).

[delirieuse.livejournal.com]

Brilliant. This is the sort of talking-to I needed, someone telling me what the bread will feel like when it's going right. It's definitely good to know What I Did Wrong (I suspected that was too much water) for next time. I hope this loaf turns out palatable, but the next one will definitely be better!

Also, next time I will knead it for longer. I'm sure my knuckle will have healed by then.

wittgensteinian did tell me that bread flour has more protein/gluten in it. I might see if I can find a baker's supply shop (there was one my dad used to frequent, but I don't know if it sells bread flour or just bread mixes) otherwise I might try the guar gum (I think it was the guar gum) they were selling as a gluten-replacer for baking to see if I can cheat a bit and use the flour I have to hand.

[wittgensteinian.livejournal.com]

Don't worry about slavishly sticking to muscovado sugar. Just approximate. If it says muscovado, use raw or soft brown sugar (the point is the molasses-ish flavour it imparts).

And white flour (unbleached) can be okay when mixed with rye. And I sometimes use the bread mix flour stuff - it's fine.

Good on you for hand kneading. You're a braver man than I.

[delirieuse.livejournal.com]

I gathered as much when glancing at a muscovado sugar packet.

But I don't like white flour! I like wholemeal. *sulks*

*nods* And when this knuckle heals, I'll be making another go of it.

[daharja.livejournal.com]

I hope you don't mind, but I created a feed for Reynards Feast for LJ :-) Makes it easier to follow, as I read LJ every day, and tat way I don't miss the yumminess!

Hmmm...maybe you should have called it Yumminess Ensues? Or Gastronomie Ensues? Just a thought.

Anyway, it looks like I'm not the only one interested in reading Reynard. There are 3 subscribers already - I don't know who they are.

[delirieuse.livejournal.com]

Nope, don't mind at all! I just wanted to keep it nice and separate, so anyone can read my foodblog without reading my personal blog. Means I can have a link to my foodblog on the website that is (was? I don't remember) on my resume.

Pity you can't read the subscribers' list. I'd be interested to see who was on it!

[daharja.livejournal.com]

Well, I did some hunting around and asking (and a bit of advertising!) and I'm on it, as are winikoff, dragon_winikoff and burningskyfire, but I don't know who else. But the more people you get subscribing, the higher up the popularity lists it will go, and the more subscribers you'll get etc.

I I can have your permission to advertise the LJ link (and the blog itself), I'll do so for you!

[delirieuse.livejournal.com]

Feel free! It's there to share the delights of vegan cookery, so the more the merrier!

[daharja.livejournal.com]

Shall do then :-)