Breads

[Laffitupfzbl]

Time to call my Dad, aka Betty Cracker, and have him bake me up a few batches of good, old fashioned white bread. Nothing like some refined flower to do ya good....

[JrGtr42]

I'm using a snow day off from work to make some spent-grain bread, using leftover malted barley from my homebrewing.place smells great and it hasn;t even gotten into the oven yet.

[ShrimpCot_1]

For those of you who make breads, avoid using all purpose flour, it has a higher gluten content than bread flour and makes your bread more doughy and less light than it should be. Keep your yeast stored in the freezer--now I buy the bottled yeast -Red Star or Fleischmann's because what is in the packets usually are NOT enough for the bread you're making. As for bread flour, I have used in the past either Hodgsen Mill, or Gold Medal flour for bread making. King Arthur is also okay, but it is over priced and sometimes you're just better off with the other two.

[Dreamline]

Anyone a fan of flatbreads?

Garlic Flatbread

Ingredients:

200g strong white bread flour
15g block margarine
1 sachet of yeast
150ml warm water
Olive oil
1 crushed clove of garlic

Method:

Rub together the flour and the margarine until there are no lumps.
In a measuring jug, mix together the yeast and the water. Pour into the flour mixture.
Knead in the bowl until it reaches a dough form. If it is too sticky add more flour or vice versa.
Leave to rise for 15 minutes. Cover the bowl with a tea towel.
Roll out the dough on a floured surface to about ½ a cm thick. Score with a knife, drizzle olive oil on top and then scatter the garlic on.
Cook for 15 minutes in an oven preheated at 180 degrees C.
Serve warm or cold: it is equally as nice.

Great to serve with pasta dishes, or similar dishes.

[Trishkits]

I like the looks of that recipe, Dreamline. Not too complicated at all.
Here's one that my dad taught me how to make, since I've been craving a Cajun fix.

Cajun Flatbread

Serving Size: About 14

Ingredients:
3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (100 degrees F - 115 degrees F)
2 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon tub-style safflower margarine
2 teaspoons olive oil
black pepper
white pepper
cayenne pepper
paprika

Dissolve yeast in the cup of warm water. In a bowl, combine flour and salt; add dissolved yeast. Knead by hand or by machine until smooth.
Place dough in a bowl greased with safflower margarine, turning once to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place 1 1/2 hours or until double in size.
Punch dough down. Put back in bowl and let rise again until double in size, about 1 hour. Punch down again. Roll dough out to 1/2-inch thickness.
Transfer to nonstick pizza pan. Drizzle olive oil over pizza. Sprinkle lightly with seasonings (about 1/8 teaspoon of each). Spread oil and seasonings with hands to coat evenly.
Bake in a 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, or until crust is cooked. (Bake on a pizza stone if available). Slice into wedges.

If you like a little spice, this is a great one to try.

[Dreamline]

Thanks, yours looks good too. I really like paprika so I'll probably have a go at it.

[NWoBHM]

I will be having a Naan Bread tonight with my curry......

[2Beers]

Homemade Pretzels.... these are not a crisp/crunchy type more like a quick bread.



1 1/2 Cups warm Water
1 package of Dry Yeast
1/2 tsp. Sugar
4 1/2 to 5 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
extra flour for rolling in

1 Egg- beaten with 2 TBSP of Water
Coarse Salt (like Kosher)

In a large bowl mix the yeast, sugar and warm water. Let it stand for 20 minutes or so until the yeast is active and bubbly and has the sour/yeasty smell. Add in the flour up until the 4 1/2 cup measure and knead the dough, if it's sticky then add in more flour until it holds it shape and is kinda smooth in texture. Allow the dough to rest for 1 hour.

Turn the oven on to 475 degrees and wrap some tin foil on baking sheets and lightly grease them.

While the oven comes to temp, pinch off golf ball size pieces of the dough and roll into a 15 inch length rope using some of the extra flour.
Place the dough onto the baking sheets making a preztel shape. Make a loop by crossing end of left strip over right, then right over left forming a twist in the center.

When the baking sheet is full with a bit of room between each pretzel then lightly brush them with the egg/water wash and sprinkle on the salt( to taste). Bake for 10 - 20 minutes until golden brown. Serve hot with butter,chili, spagetti sauce, cheese sauce.... what ever you desire.

They don't do so well as leftovers so best to make and eat the same day.

[nettiesaur]

Thanks 2Beers!

[RN-PRN]

I posted a pretzel recipe similar to this somewhere!