I baked my very first loaf of bread tonight, just a simple whole wheat bread with flax and sesame seeds on top, and I have a feeling this is going to be a habit. Does anyone else bake bread at home, and if so, do you have any tips or recipes for a novice? What brand of flour do you recommend? Also, I've heard differing opinions on letting the bread rise for the first time - some people say less time in a warm area is better, and others swear by letting it rise overnight, covered, in the fridge. Thanks in advance.
I will ask my wife. She bakes bread all the time. She's got all kinds of books, websites marked, etc. A lot of it is really awesome.
We do in the bread machine and we use King Arthur Flour for machines. So much better than store bought bread.
You absolutely must purchase the book, The Village Baker. It's a cookbook that reads like a novel. It goes into the various ways of bread making (long rise, slow rise). Generally, the longer it takes to make the bread, the chewier and moister the crumb. It also lasts longer. I like the Old Dough addition versions, but also the ones that use a sponge (a soupy mixture left to rise overnight or several hours). I make several versions of the French breads in that book. I need to make some tomorrow, I think.
I never did purchase any books about baking, but here are a few things I've learned in the two months since I initially posted this... 1. You can substitute most liquids for the water in the initial proofing of the yeast. Three parts lowfat buttermilk to one part honey or molasses for a double loaf is the formula du jour in my household. 2. Dormant yeast, as a culture, is as tempermental as Barbara Streissand in its demands. If the conditions aren't just right for it to wake up, and you don't wait for it to get foamy, your dough won't rise as well, nor will the yeasted flavor in the bread be very developed. Lots of sugar, no salt, and a liquid temperature between 105 - 115 degrees farenheit seem to make it proof the best. (Screaming "WAKE UP YOU LITTLE @$&@*!" at a cold bowl with no sugar will not induce proofing. Trust me, I've tried.) 3. Gluten is a great leavening agent when you use very heavy flours, like rye or graham. 4. Don't wear black tee shirts you like a lot when working with white white white flour. 5. $300 for a professional grade Kitchenaid stand mixer was a great investment, though it doesn't work out the deltoids as well as kneading dough yourself. 6. A cold rise for a longer period of time is better than a warmer rise for a more brief period. 7. No matter what the recipe says, always check the bread 10 minutes before it's supposed to come out of the oven. Especially if you've egg washed it, or are making anything smaller than a standard 10" x 5" loaf.