Does Anyone Still Make Their Own Bread?

I still make my own bread once or twice a week. Usually it's just the usual white loaf (very breadist), once in awhile I'll bake up some no knead crusty bread, seed bread, biscuits, and so on and so forth.

One thing I CAN NOT get to work is a sourdough loaf. I just can't get that starter to...start...or stay...or love me back! So what I'm really looking for is someone who may be here who can give me their tips on perfecting this. I would say my baking skills are "advanced amateur". I can get 95% of recipes to work without a hitch.

I'll share my two basic go to bread recipes as collateral.

Grams Basic White Loaf

1/2 tsp sugar & 1 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup warm water
1 1/8 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm milk
1 tbsp melted butter (plus more for basting)
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup warm water
3 ish cups bread flour

1 - Proof yeast in 1/4 cup warm water with 1/2 tsp sugar. Let sit for 10 minutes. Should be frothy and bubbly.

2 - Add warm milk, 1tbsp melted butter, salt, 1/4 cup warm water and yeast mixture to bowl or stand mixer (I use the stand mixer 90% of the time). Add 1 cup flour and stir until smooth and has a slight stretch. Gradually add 11/4 cups more flour. At this point, your dough should leave the sides of the bowl in one lump; if not, add small amounts of flour until one ball is formed that stays together. (If you're using your stand mixer, don't turn it past about 2 for speed.). Once the dough comes together, knead for about 10 minutes until it's no longer sticky, and is a smooth elastic ball.

3 - Let sit somewhere warm in an oiled bowl covered with a tea towel until doubled in size. Takes almost an hour in my old drafts house, less in the summer.

4- Punch down and turn dough out onto floured surface. Let rest 10 minutes.

5 - Shape and place into a greased loaf pan. Let rise again, about an hour, until the dough is risen above sides of pan. (I have one or two higher sided loaf pans where this never occurs, just make sure it's doubled again.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F when you've got about 30 minutes of rise time left. Put the over rack to the second lowest position.

6 - When loaf is a a good size, brush top with melted butter, sprinkle with salt, and add anything else you'd like. I often add sesame seeds, poppy seeds, fine cornmeal, whatever I have on hand. You can also leave off the butter and brush with honey! Bake 25- 30 minutes. I always go for 30 because we like a browned crust, but keep an eye out those last 5 minutes.

7 - Remove your bread and turn out onto a wire rack. Brush top (and sides if you like really soft bread) with melted butter and allow to cool.

8- Eat!



Cheese Biscuits

1 cup Flour
1/2 tbsp Baking Powder
1/2 tbsp Sugar
1/2 tbsp Onion or Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 cup Melted Butter plus more for basting
1/2 cup Milk. I always use "homo" milk (Canada), but I think any dairy based milk would work. I use lactose free (Natrel brand), because...dairy is not a friend to us, but you could experiment with nut or soy or rice milks if you like experimenting.
1/2 cup Shredded Cheese. I usually use really old cheddar, which has a nice sharp taste, but feel free to experiment with any cheese that isn't too high moisture or low moisture.

1 - Crank your oven to 450 F and ready your oldest, most seasoned baking sheet. Alternately, use parchment paper or even a baking stone.

2 - Mix dry ingredients.

3 - Add milk and butter. Stir until all of the flour until JUST mixed. If you mix too much, you will end up with cheese rocks.

4 - Gently fold in cheese.

5 - Drop big spoonfuls onto your prepared baking sheet/stone. I use an ice cream scoop, and we always get 5 biscuits, so double, triple, whatever this recipe to suit your needs. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the biscuits are golden.

6 - Remove from oven and brush with melted butter (season your butter if you like with a little salt, some garlic, and some parsely to make them pretty, or don't, just butter is good). Enjoy warm for gooey cheesiness, or cold with some leftover ham or turkey for a nice little sandwich.



Again, if you have an amazing sourdough starter and bread recipe, please, PLEASE share with me! I can't find one online that works, and it's just not a regional bread here in Atlantic Canada.

a reply to: Atsbhct

I tried to make my own pizza bread recently, it turned out alright but I feel practice is important to create something relatively normal feeling..its not always that easy and i would suggest always measuring everything correctly with true measuring tools

a reply to: tony9802

Pizza dough is very easy, the hardest thing is to find a good recipe for your area. You also need a hot oven, and a good cooking surface like a baking stone or a really really well seasoned pan. I've even made pizza in a cast iron skillet, which was delicious!

We like our pizza dough "fermented" so it develops a more sour flavour. I usually make it 3 days in advance.

a reply to: Atsbhct

That is a damn good looking loaf of bread.

I made hush puppies to go with my batter-dipped Ling last night.

a reply to: butcherguy

That's one thing I've never made at home! Sounds good. What is "Ling"?

With bread there is no secret recipe thats the best, my grandad spend the entire war baking hitlers secret weapon as it was known...it was the crappiest but filling loaf you could make in the UK and pretty much the only thing you could bake under wartime rules.

The thing is with baking is that its a journey not a destination..theres an infinite possibility of loaves/baps etc and it's your job to find the one with just the right ingredients.

Yes, I make my own bread and rolls.

I have not bought shop baked bread - even from a bakery - for years. There is not a chance in hell that I would go back. Fresh bread is yummy and no addatives at all.

Amazingly, making a loaf, or rolls, is probaby more pricey than buying the guff from the super market so can you imagine the (low) quality of the ingredients they use.

Another factoid... Home made bread does not go mouldy. It goes stale, but not mouldy.

Anyone know a good potato doh recipe for pizza??

a reply to: paraphi

I find my homemade bread to be very comparable to store bought, price wise. Especially if I were to buy the more "artisanal" breads, which are essentially just flour, salt, water and yeast. Even the white bread with more ingredients works out to under 1$ (CDN) a loaf.

originally posted by: DrumsRfun
Anyone know a good potato doh recipe for pizza??

I've never made one, but it sounds interesting. Are you looking for gluten-free specifically, or wheat flour?

I haven't tried bread yet, it's on my list. Wow, those biscuits look yummy! Thanks for sharing your recipes!

a reply to: chiefsmom

These biscuits are a great starter recipe. You can't mess them up unless you really over mix them!

a reply to: Atsbhct

I am not gluten free but I have some friends who are so I try cooking gluten free if I cook a meal for them....hence the potato doh.

I tried a pizza with it and failed miserably.

a reply to: DrumsRfun

It seems like there are a few options. Would you prefer something yeast risen, or a more "mashed potato" crust?

I bake bread at least twice a week, our staple is a basic four ingredient bread that we use for sandwiches and toast, I've broken down the cost of ingredients per loaf and it costs me less than fifty cents to make, hardly comparable to store bought. I too have problems with the elusive sourdough starter, perhaps it is the colder climate of northern saskatchewan or I'm just doing something wrong.

originally posted by: Atsbhct
a reply to: butcherguy

That's one thing I've never made at home! Sounds good. What is "Ling"?

Salt water fish....white, firm, finer texture than cod.

Well, I'm sorry that I can't help with the sourdough, but as a consolation (and a thank you for those very yummy-looking recipes) I thought I'd share an easy, delicious recipe I have for bread that uses very few ingredients:

1 C Warm water
1 T Active dry yeast
2 T Honey
2 2/3 Cups flour
1 t salt
1 T Olive Oil

1. Quickly mix warm water, yeast, and 1 T honey. Allow to sit 5-10 mins.
2. Measure flour in separate bowl.
3. Add 1 T honey and olive oil to yeast.
4. Add flour 1/4 cup at a time.
5. Cover and let sit 10 mins.
6. Flour surface and knead.
7. Grease pan , add kneaded dough, and let sit 20-60 mins. (60 is preferable, but if you're short on time you can cut corners)
8. Cook at 350 degrees 20-25 mins.

Yummy!

I make my bread using virtually the same recipe and steps that you use.. Delicious and super easy

Im baking a Double chocolate Zucchini loaf as we speak:

Heres where I ripped the recipe if anyone is interested...

www.thekitchn.com...

a reply to: zosimov

Thank you! I love honeyed breads.

a reply to: Daavin

There must be a Canadian sourdough baker we can appeal to!