Thanks Jen. I seem to have finally cracked breadmaking thanks to all the help here. Things have improved massively since I stopped weighing anything
I now put some water in the bowl add some Allinsons yeast and a pinch of sugar and leave to froth. I then pour in a thirdish, half or 2/3rds or more of a bag of flour, a couple of generous pinches of improver ie a few teaspoons and a generous pinch of salt and then start mixing. As it comes together I add water until it "looks" right and then let it knead, finishing it off by hand to make sure I "like" the texture. Rise knock back, rise and bake.
My gas BBQ seems to make an awesome bread oven, possibly due to the high humidity and the fact it's very hot
Dave
Curing is not an exact science... So it's not a sin to bin.
Great hams, from little acorns grow...