Got my emergency bread

np307

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Since bread is apparently the magic food for emergencies, I figured I couldn't let all of it get away. Snagged some this morning.
3511730e736f112d6ef36f2588fbcff8.jpg


We haven't bought bread in over a year. The container behind the loaf is my sourdough starter.
 
This recipe makes a good bread: https://steamykitchen.com/168-no-knead-bread-revisited.html

It's a good one for beginners as it's less finicky in terms of the proofing process. It takes a bit of learning, but making bread isn't too hard. Her French bread recipe is really good too and has some suggestions for techniques to try when baking bread, such as putting a pan of water in the oven or throwing some on the oven bottom.

Also, don't over bake it. Most recipes I've seen call for almost double the required time. Ideally, use a probe and get it just right.
 
I rarely, if ever, knead my sandwich bread. Long proof breads are definitely the way to go. I can mix my dough while home for lunch. Then bake the next morning before work. Then it's cool when I get back. Half the loaf gets sliced and frozen and half the loaf stays out to be eaten over the next few days.

The biggest thing I would recommend to anyone who wants to start making bread is BUY A SCALE. I got by for a while with just volume measurements, but the consistency of results that you get by weighing stuff out can't be beaten.

It's also really satisfying to know that the bread we eat has just three ingredients: flour, water, and salt (and sometimes a little sugar).
 
The wife makes 95% of the bread we eat and has recently started making english muffins. Hard to beat it when it’s still warm.
 
This recipe makes a good bread: https://steamykitchen.com/168-no-knead-bread-revisited.html

It's a good one for beginners as it's less finicky in terms of the proofing process. It takes a bit of learning, but making bread isn't too hard. Her French bread recipe is really good too and has some suggestions for techniques to try when baking bread, such as putting a pan of water in the oven or throwing some on the oven bottom.

Also, don't over bake it. Most recipes I've seen call for almost double the required time. Ideally, use a probe and get it just right.
Could you use a couple of non covered loaf pans? I can't justify a covered Le Cruset dutch oven.
 
Could you use a couple of non covered loaf pans? I can't justify a covered Le Cruset dutch oven.
How about a Lodge dutch oven? Or Tramontina, if you want enameled? Both get good reviews, and can do a lot more than just bake bread. I wasn't interested in paying for the Le Creuset name, so we got a Lodge and we've been happy with it.
 
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Could you use a couple of non covered loaf pans? I can't justify a covered Le Cruset dutch oven.
There is no bread better than a country style loaf baked in a Dutch oven, but you can make really good bread in loaf pans.

As posted above, Lodge Dutch ovens are a great cost effective option. I use an enameled one when I make country loaves. But now that I have one, I use it for so much more than baking bread.
 
Both very justifiable options. I was just thinking of what I have on hand at the moment. I will look into the Tramontina.
 
Haven't tried making bread in my cast iron Lodge dutch oven, but sounds like a great idea. I use mine for everything else - beef stew and meat loaf, etc. Had it for years and now my wife has one too. But hers' is enameled. I also have a campfire model with legs and a flat top with an edge to hold hot coals on top. Also have a lot of cast iron frying pans in all sizes that I love. Some are older than me and that's OLD. I think somewhere on CFF or maybe it was the old forum there was a thread about cast iron cookware.
 
Since bread is apparently the magic food for emergencies, I figured I couldn't let all of it get away. Snagged some this morning.
3511730e736f112d6ef36f2588fbcff8.jpg


We haven't bought bread in over a year. The container behind the loaf is my sourdough starter.
I’m envious! I have never gotten past the sourdough starter. I somehow always mess it up. Any advice?
 
I’m envious! I have never gotten past the sourdough starter. I somehow always mess it up. Any advice?
Use only whole wheat flour for the first 4 days. I think the process I used went something like:

Mix equal parts (by weight) flour and water.
Leave for 24 hours.
Discard half and replace with equal parts flour and water.
Leave for 24 hours.
(By this point there's a little bit of aroma and some bubbling)
Discard half and replace
Leave for 24 hours
Discard half and replace
Leave for 24 hours
Now there should be plenty of yeast in the starter, so you have to manage it. Discard all but 50g of starter and add 200g water 160g white flour and 40g whole wheat flour.
Leave for a day and then come back to it. It should be very active and smell yeasty but not harsh. If it smells like ethanol, discard and replace all but 50g and give it another day. If it still smells harsh, reduce time between feedings. If it doesnt seem very active, give it more time between feedings.

You can store the sourdough starter in the fridge a couple hours after you feed it and it will easily keep a week without needing to be fed again.

I've also heard but never attempted that you can dry the starter out on parchment and rehydrate it later. If stored airtight it can be kept for over a year.

Hopefully that helps. If you really struggle getting it going, you can always get some from a bakery. They'll often give it away from what I hear (as long as it's just a small portion, which is all you would need).
 
Use only whole wheat flour for the first 4 days. I think the process I used went something like:

Mix equal parts (by weight) flour and water.
Leave for 24 hours.
Discard half and replace with equal parts flour and water.
Leave for 24 hours.
(By this point there's a little bit of aroma and some bubbling)
Discard half and replace
Leave for 24 hours
Discard half and replace
Leave for 24 hours
Now there should be plenty of yeast in the starter, so you have to manage it. Discard all but 50g of starter and add 200g water 160g white flour and 40g whole wheat flour.
Leave for a day and then come back to it. It should be very active and smell yeasty but not harsh. If it smells like ethanol, discard and replace all but 50g and give it another day. If it still smells harsh, reduce time between feedings. If it doesnt seem very active, give it more time between feedings.

You can store the sourdough starter in the fridge a couple hours after you feed it and it will easily keep a week without needing to be fed again.

I've also heard but never attempted that you can dry the starter out on parchment and rehydrate it later. If stored airtight it can be kept for over a year.

Hopefully that helps. If you really struggle getting it going, you can always get some from a bakery. They'll often give it away from what I hear (as long as it's just a small portion, which is all you would need).

Thank-you, I'll give it a try.
 
I made my these min round emergency breads today.

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I made one of these too.

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Since bread is apparently the magic food for emergencies, I figured I couldn't let all of it get away. Snagged some this morning.
3511730e736f112d6ef36f2588fbcff8.jpg


We haven't bought bread in over a year. The container behind the loaf is my sourdough starter.

Nice. The only breads I buy these days are the occasional set of hotdog buns and really thin sliced breads like Jewish Marble Rye. I wish the local Ingles would let me cut my bread on their bread slicer it would be so convenient. A good bread knife is essential IMHO. I use this one. Its super cheap and cuts more consistent slices than any of my other, often more expensive, bread knifes.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001TPA81...Qwqq60sgnxtOyg&slotNum=13&tag=se-equipment-20

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