Bread Making

[saucisson]

I'm going to use the dry Allisons I have always used in the past to make it a fair comparison. Then some fresh.

Dave

[jenny_haddow]

Hope we will be getting some pictures Dave?

Jen

[saucisson]

If I test fresh yeast versus dry, no improver versus improver, and two different suppliers of improver you may get rather too many photos

I'll try and restrain myself in the first instance. 2 loaves, dry yeast, one with improver one without

Dave

[Paul Kribs]

If I test fresh yeast versus dry, no improver versus improver, and two different suppliers of improver you may get rather too many photos

Yes, and with a couple of fish, you would be able to feed the 5000..

Regards, Paul Kribs

[lemonD]

Doves

I have some Dove quick yeast, any good?

LD

[lemonD]

I'm going to use the dry Allisons I have always used in the past to make it a fair comparison. Then some fresh.

Dave

Is that the one you activate first?

LD

[saucisson]

Yes it is, and I'd better get started if I'm going to make some today

Dave

[saucisson]

I just made bread I'm proud of

I used 500g Sainsburys Strong Bread flour. Allisons dry yeast, activated in 350ml water and a touch of sugar, and 2 tablespoons soft bread improver.

I popped it into a 6 large muffin tin set to make mega buns.





This is without doubt the best bread I have ever made, the greyness is a photo artifact, this bread was perfect

The family just wanted to eat the bread with butter and weren't that bothered about the BBQ that I slaved over to go with it

Dave

[jenny_haddow]

That looks good Dave, well done. I'm glad the improver has worked for you as I'm feeling a bit responsible for everyone's results having introduced the idea of using it! It is good though, the birds here go short now as there is seldom any bread left to put out for them. The bread I made before was pretty good, I used the crushed vitamin C tablet method, but now it is definitely better.

LD, yes Doves is very good. You don't have to activate it, and because it isn't packed in silly sachet things you can measure it out easily. I've used it for years, Waitrose were the only supplier I could find, then Tesco started stocking it too.

I've just bought some small sample packs of different improvers to try, including sour dough and ciabatta. I'm going to make one of each this weekend. I'll post pictures.

Cheers

Jen

[georgebaker]

Hi
can you use Doves in a machine?

George

[jenny_haddow]

Absolutely George, I never use anything else.

Jen

[Gordon]

Just to put the cat amongst the pidgeons have a look at ths stuff on the BBC website BBC Real Bread-making

G

[Oddley]

Interesting article, but in my opinion, absolute bo**ocks. I've tried all that, time and time again. I've been baking bread for over 30 years, and I was making bread of a good standard. As the posts on here can attest to, I was seeking the next stage, near perfection, for my white loaf.

I think I am as near now as I'm going to get. What bought me to this point, was bread improver, using the same techniques as the fresh bakeries, I'm able to produce a better loaf than them, or so I have been told. This is not boasting, well yes, I suppose it is.. I'm just so happy with the results.

I've only tried bread improver, with white bread, but white bread is the test, because it is easily compared with bread from the bakery.

[saucisson]

I thought it interesting to read, but concluded it won't sway me from letting improvers help me make bread I am happy with.

Dave

[jenny_haddow]

Interesting reading. I can recommend the book in the bibliography, 'Making bread at home' by Tom Jaine.

Jen