Lloyd wants to make bread.

[Lloyd Smale]

anyone give me a step by step to making a loaf of white bread using white flour and yeast. Ive got all kinds of flour here for just in case to make bread but was thinking its pretty dumb not to have it and not know how to use it.

[DIRT Farmer]

Lloyd I would give you my recipie but I learned from my mother, I know I use a cup of sourdough starter and three cups of flour, a table spoon of bacon drippings and a splash of salt. I mix in water till the dough is right, then let it rise, Flour the board and kneed twice to make one loaf. Knowing when the mix is wet enough is the part I don't know how to explain.

[gbrown]

Just google up bread recipes. There will be plenty available. I have a 20 year old bread machine that makes it great. I also can make it from the recipe's of old Betty Crocker or Good HouseKeeping books I have. It's pretty simple, just takes time--liking making boolits. Fun and easy. My grandmother, on father's side, had 11 mouths to feed. She and her daughters would make bread on Monday morning (100 yrs ago) --about 10 loaves for the week--in wood fired stove. A good skill to know, and very satisfying to learn to make the "bread of life."

[Lloyd Smale]

well im pretty proud of myself! I made two today. First one was a bust and didnt rise right. I think i didnt let the yeast work enough before i added it. the second one came out about perfect. Isnt something id do every day but ive got alot of flour put up for just in case and figured id at least better know how to use it! thanks for the help! Pretty productive day. I canned 12 quarts of baked beans. 3 quarts of chicken and made bread. Fricking suzy homemaker!

[gbrown]

A lot of times recipes call for scalded or warmed milk. If you get the temp over like 103 (forgot the exact number), and add the yeast, it will kill the yeast so it won't rise. The more you make, the better you will become at it. "Experience is the best teacher and a fool will learn by no other." That pretty much sums up my educational experience. LOL

[.30/30 Guy]

FRENCH BREAD
2 c. hot water (from tap)
1 c. warm water
2 T. oil
2 T. yeast
2 T. sugar
8 c. flour (about)
1 T. salt
Dissolve yeast in the 1 cup warm water and set aside. Combine hot water, oil, sugar and salt. Stir in 4 cups of flour and beat very well. Add yeast mixture and other 4 cups flour (may need to adjust amount of flour) to be able to handle dough. Knead on floured surface 5-7 minutes. Place in well oiled bowl and let rise until double. Divide into two parts. Roll each part into rectangle. Roll up the long way and place seam down on greased cookie sheet. (Both loaves will fit on a large sheet). Let rise until double. Bake at 400 degrees 25-30 minutes.
Variations:
1. Sprinkle with grated cheese and cubed ham before rolling up.
2. Spread pizza sauce on dough before rolling up, may add pepperoni and grated cheese also.
3. Cut or roll with hands into strips and sprinkle with parmesan cheese, celery seed, onion or garlic salt and bake as bread sticks.

[Lloyd Smale]

now that im going to try! My favorite way to eat venision is to cut it thin with a razor knife and fry it in butter with onions mushrooms and peppers and put it on french bread smoothered in chease. I probably eat it that way twice a month. I bet it would be great on bread right out of the oven!! bread sticks are another favorite of mine and would be fun to fool with. One question though. Your list of ingrediants say 8 cups of flour and your instructions say to mix the ingrediants with 4 cups.
FRENCH BREAD
2 c. hot water (from tap) 1 c. warm water
2 T. oil 2 T. yeast
2 T. sugar 8 c. flour (about)
1 T. salt
Dissolve yeast in warm water and set aside. Combine hot water, oil, sugar and salt. Stir in 4 cups of flour and beat very well. Add yeast mixture and enough flour to be able to handle dough. Knead on floured surface 5-7 minutes. Place in well oiled bowl and let rise until double. Divide into two parts. Roll each part into rectangle. Roll up the long way and place seam down on greased cookie sheet. (Both loaves will fit on a large sheet). Let rise until double. Bake at 400 degrees 25-30 minutes.
Variations:
1. Sprinkle with grated cheese and cubed ham before rolling up.
2. Spread pizza sauce on dough before rolling up, may add pepperoni and grated cheese also.
3. Cut or roll with hands into strips and sprinkle with parmesan cheese, celery seed, onion or garlic salt and bake as bread sticks.

[hoosierlogger]

I made some dinner rolls last night. they were good, but not good enough that I wouldnt complain if I got them at a restaurant. I used all purpose flour as a replacement for bread flour. Evidently there is a difference. next time Ill let them rise a little longer.


If you really want to be ready for a SHTF situation, practice in a dutch oven.

[Nazgul]

I make my own sourdough once a week. Started my own starter 3 years ago. It takes 6 months or so for the starter to age or stabilize. I like a light sourdough with white flour. Much in demand with neighbors and at work. The smell is awesome, taste is even better when toasted in an iron skillet.

Don

[.30/30 Guy]

Lloyd:
I have revised the recipe above. I copied the wife's instructions without reading them.

I make sourdough each week.

2 cups sourdough starter
4 cups flour (I use bread flour for lighter texture bread)
1 cup warm milk
¼ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon yeast

Kneed the dough for about 5 minutes. Let rise until about double and kneed again. Put in large oiled mixing bowl and cover with a plate. Let rise until about double. Divide and put into greased bread pans. Makes 3 large or 6 small loaves. Let rise until doubles or triples in size.
Bake small loaves 22 minutes at 350 degrees.
Bake large loaves about 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees.

[TXGunNut]

I learned to bake bread using the Fanny Farmer Baking Book by Marion Cunningham. If you can follow a loading manual you can make great bread with this book. Reads like a textbook (loading manual) and each section starts with a very detailed "master recipe". I must admit, I started out doing the recipes by hand but now use a big KitchenAide mixer. Book is out of print but easy enough to find if you look.

[WRideout]

now that im going to try! My favorite way to eat venision is to cut it thin with a razor knife and fry it in butter with onions mushrooms and peppers and put it on french bread smoothered in chease. I probably eat it that way twice a month. I bet it would be great on bread right out of the oven!! bread sticks are another favorite of mine and would be fun to fool with. One question though. Your list of ingrediants say 8 cups of flour and your instructions say to mix the ingrediants with 4 cups.

Lloyd, I have been baking bread for about forty years, off and on. What I have found is that the actual amount of flour used is quite variable. It depends on things like the humidity that day. I don't even measure the flour when I make French bread, just go by feel. I start with the measured amount of liquid in the bowl, then add flour until I can't get any more in by stirring. After that I turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and work in as much as I can by hand. I keep kneading until the lump of dough is stretchy, and doesn't stick to my hands (about two songs on the radio). At that point it is ready for a first rising. Don't let it rise too much, or it will fall when baked.

Wayne

[selmerfan]

Follow what Wayne just said and you'll make great bread. A measuring cup is merely a scoop which transfers an undetermined amount of flour to the mixing bowl. Let your hands and/or eyes tell you when it's right.

[Moonie]

I make sourdough bread a couple of times a month and I use no commercial yeast, I also use bakers percentages and measure by weight not volume. I usually aim for between 62% and 65% final hydration..

[Lloyd Smale]

Made two loaves of french bread yesterday. Had it for supper with fried venison, onions, mushrooms and peppers and cheese on it. It turned out great

[pipehand]

I made some dinner rolls last night. they were good, but not good enough that I wouldnt complain if I got them at a restaurant. I used all purpose flour as a replacement for bread flour. Evidently there is a difference. next time Ill let them rise a little longer.


If you really want to be ready for a SHTF situation, practice in a dutch oven.

Made some no knead bread in the 14 inch Lodge last night. I do believe that bread flour is higher in gluten/protein than the AP.
As far as SHTF goes, I planted a patch (75 lbs of seed) of hard red winter wheat last fall. I'm gonna do the little red hen story- bread completely from dirt up. And whole wheat egg noodles made with eggs from our hens. The wheat is just beginning to form seed heads. Don't know how long it will be to harvest- this is my first time.
Like casting and handloading, baking is just another layer of self sufficiency for me. I get a charge out of the whole DIY experience that goes beyond economics.

[Hurricane]

Try biscuits for a starter. Always good and easy to make.

[Linstrum]

Lots of good ideas here! Like some of the other guys, I have been making my own bread for a long time. One thing I found out that helps a little with texture in plain white flour bread is to take any variety of good medium to large eatin' apple and grate it up with a cole slaw grater, skin and all, after cutting the core out. I add the grated apple to the yeast water and sugar while it is proofing up to help the yeast to work. I use one apple per loaf.

rl 1087

[Iowa Fox]

After we both reitred my wife started baking bread again. We have quit using flour from the grocery store. The wife started buying bulk flours from an Amish store that sells bulk products. Now I'm getting bread and bakery just like I remember my grandmother baking when I was a kid. Flour seems to make a big difference.