Making Bread W/O An Oven - Ideas?

prambo

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nortatoga said:
@prambo if you have not already thought of this, make sure you always keep a supply of yeast on hand. I've never made bread before so I thought I would give it a shot, flour was scarce but I did get some. But yeast was impossible to find until today I scored a one pound'er at BJ's this morning for only $4.99! That a lot of yeast I know!!
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Mrs. prambo is almost a compulsive baker. We always have yeast on hand and an unopened jar of Fleishman's. I scored a backup bottle over a month ago and now it's no where to be found.

She made an outstanding carrot cake with cream cheese frosting for my recent birthday. It was great, especially with a bottle of Founder's Dirty Bastard Scotch Style Ale.
 
BDinPutnam

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Any tips on getting my machine bread to come out a little less dense? It's very good and all but when I follow the recipes exactly it comes out nice and dense (which is good but sometimes you want something a little more airy)?
 
stokes

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BDinPutnam said:
Any tips on getting my machine bread to come out a little less dense? It's very good and all but when I follow the recipes exactly it comes out nice and dense (which is good but sometimes you want something a little more airy)?
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My wife has been baking bread all winter and has the same problem in the oven,no bread machine.Every loaf is dense like a bagel.Maybe the water?I dunno,I'm gonna have my son bring us some NYC water to test that theory.
 
nortatoga

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stokes said:
My wife has been baking bread all winter and has the same problem in the oven,no bread machine.Every loaf is dense like a bagel.Maybe the water?I dunno,I'm gonna have my son bring us some NYC water to test that theory.
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I really think you are right about the water. I moved from Long Island 20+ years ago to Saratoga County and the Bread is very lacking, I really miss a good egg sandwich on a true hard roll!!!!!!!!!!
 
prambo

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BDinPutnam said:
Any tips on getting my machine bread to come out a little less dense? It's very good and all but when I follow the recipes exactly it comes out nice and dense (which is good but sometimes you want something a little more airy)?
Click to expand...
stokes said:
My wife has been baking bread all winter and has the same problem in the oven,no bread machine.Every loaf is dense like a bagel.Maybe the water?I dunno,I'm gonna have my son bring us some NYC water to test that theory.
Click to expand...

Asked Mrs. prambo, and she said it may be the differences between "all-purpose flour" and "bread flour". Bread flour is higher in protein, and thus holds more water and makes a more airy, less dense loaf that rises a little higher.

Bob's Red Mill says the same thing - https://www.bobsredmill.com/blog/baking-101/breaking-difference-bread-flour-vs-purpose-flour/
 
S&W Fan

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Unfortunately water does have a lot to do with it. But, Make sure that its luke warm to approx. 110* to properly activate the yeast. Fresh , not old yeast is especially important for airy bread.Also as Mrs. @prambo said above good bread flour is important. We store our flour in the freezer and yeast in the fridge. I Have to wait for awhile for both to come to room temp. Before I start mixing the ingredients all together.
 
BDinPutnam

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Appreciate it, thanks gents.

I'm thinking I need a little bit more water and a bit more patience. I've been using fairly fresh bread flour and pretty fresh yeast but I tend to rush it with everything else going on in life so that water might be a little cold coming up and I'm pretty sure I have erred slightly on the less water side (by a smidge -which I know can be a lot in baking).

Going to try that same recipe tomorrow minus the cheese plus a little more water.
 
S&W Fan

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If you are making plain jane farmhouse white bread try dissolving a couple table spoons Of honey in the warm water. I use 4 tsp of raw honey in my farmhouse white bread.
 
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nortatoga said:
@prambo if you have not already thought of this, make sure you always keep a supply of yeast on hand. I've never made bread before so I thought I would give it a shot, flour was scarce but I did get some. But yeast was impossible to find until today I scored a one pound'er at BJ's this morning for only $4.99! That a lot of yeast I know!!
Click to expand...
How To Make Sourdough Starter from Scratch
Not all of us are so lucky to have a sourdough starter passed down to us from our bread-baking forefathers and foremothers. Thankfully, making a fresh batch of starter is as easy as stirring together some flour and water and letting it sit. That’s right!

No expensive heirloom starters, mashed-up grapes, or mysterious rituals required — just flour, water, and a little bit of patience. Here is how to make your own sourdough starter from scratch. Easy-peasy.
Before we had active-dry yeast or instant yeast, we had wild yeast. Actually, we still have wild yeast. It lives everywhere — in the air, in a bag of flour, on the surface of grapes. Domesticated commercial yeast replaced wild yeast for most baking because it’s easier for companies to mass produce, it’s easier for bakers to store and use, and it proofs our breads and pastries in a fraction of the time.
By contrast, wild yeast can be fussy and finicky. It needs a medium, a sourdough starter, in order to be useful to bakers. This medium has to be constantly maintained and monitored. Wild yeast also likes cooler temperatures, acidic environments, and works much more slowly to proof
www.thekitchn.com

How To Make Sourdough Starter from Scratch

A step-by-step guide for making a sourdough starter.
www.thekitchn.com www.thekitchn.com
 
S&W Fan

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BDinPutnam said:
@S&W Fan you are a hell of a cook.
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Thanks , but not really. Just have a lot of experience and practice. I had to learn how to prepare my own food out of necessity from a fairly young age. When my parents spit up I basically took care of my siblings for a few years . My old man Kept nothing but boxed garbage food for us to eat . Long sorted story but I vowed to Never eat boxed or prepared canned food again. When I decided to strike out on my own at around 16 yrs. old I taught myself how to prepare meals from what I had available to me at the time and took odd jobs in restaurants to learn how to cook better. You can learn a lot from taking menial jobs like sous chefs and short order cooks at diners and restaurants. Later on in life when I started having kids and reconnected with my parents I got a hold of a bunch of family recipes.
 
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BDinPutnam

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S&W Fan said:
Sorry , got a little heavy there. Not to mention that I just enjoy the hell out cooking and trying out different recipes
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Good stuff in my book!

I did add more water to my last loaf, came out a bit airy which was nice. Going to make another probably tomorrow; I have a turkey to roast tonight so thinking some nice herbs bread for sandwiches with the leftovers. ;)
 
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