Any Home Bakers Here?

[OneMountainAcres]

I make super simple bread. I use whole wheat flour though when I make it and since I don't own a dutch oven (yet) I use the ceramic insides of my crock pots with foil over the top. Works in a pinch;

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/11376-no-knead-bread

I love the no knead stuff since I tend to get issues in my wrists (carpal tunnel).

 

[pennyJo1960]

sorry to say I do it all in clear glass bread pans in the oven
I have arthritis in my hands bad had carpal tunnel in left repaired about
6 years ago tad weaker but no pain still fight to hand knead

 

[wyoDreamer]

I have carpel-tunnel also so I use my kitchen-aid stand mixer to do all the kneading for my bread. I start with the paddle and add the water, yeast, sugar and salt and wait until it starts to foam. Then I add 1 cup of flour and 1 tablespoon of wheat gluten and mix that for about 5 minutes. Then I change to the dough hook and add in the rest of the flour and let the mixer work on it for a minimum of 8 minutes. If your mixer is heating up too much, add a little water (I have a spray bottle of water that I use, it adds a 1/4 tsp of water per squirt). I typically need to add a bit more water ( about 1 1/2 tsp - 6 squirts), but I have found that a moister dough is a better bread (learned that on this thread).
The 1 hour bread is a softer dough, my loaves come out a bit squat also. But the texture is usually pretty good. A flatter loaf is acceptable if the alternative is no fresh bread, lol! We prefer a regular recipe bread if I remember with enough time to let it rise properly.

 

[Kusanar]

Well, this is what I have managed to make 2 times now...

 

[pennyJo1960]

afraid my mixer might need more than a spray it was made back in the 30's and just fighting giving it up now

 

[chickmom3941]

I have worked with sourdough off and on all my life but had let my die several years ago have retained all of @ronott1 notes after he sent me a recharge I feel comfortable guiding if they are not available right then

I'm sure once I get the starter going, I'm going to need some help from you guys. I've never worked with sourdough before, so have no idea how to do it. I have baked with regular yeast quite a bit, though, so at least have experience with that.

 

[chickmom3941]

I have carpel-tunnel also so I use my kitchen-aid stand mixer to do all the kneading for my bread. I start with the paddle and add the water, yeast, sugar and salt and wait until it starts to foam. Then I add 1 cup of flour and 1 tablespoon of wheat gluten and mix that for about 5 minutes. Then I change to the dough hook and add in the rest of the flour and let the mixer work on it for a minimum of 8 minutes. If your mixer is heating up too much, add a little water (I have a spray bottle of water that I use, it adds a 1/4 tsp of water per squirt). I typically need to add a bit more water ( about 1 1/2 tsp - 6 squirts), but I have found that a moister dough is a better bread (learned that on this thread).
The 1 hour bread is a softer dough, my loaves come out a bit squat also. But the texture is usually pretty good. A flatter loaf is acceptable if the alternative is no fresh bread, lol! We prefer a regular recipe bread if I remember with enough time to let it rise properly.

I use my mixer also. It's just too hard to hand-knead anymore with this arthritis. It's so nice having modern appliances. I can't imagine women back in the olden days with hand issues, but still have to use hands because they didn't have any modern equipment. Kneading bread, washing clothes by hand etc., etc. must have been a nightmare for someone with arthritis and/or carpel-tunnel. Poor ladies.

 

[sunflour]

do not feel bad first year we are doing it in tires and pots need more tires

We have never had luck in pots or buckets. We got our garden started too late this year and had too much rain to get much of anything....hoping for better luck next year

You can make the recipe in one day--It will note be as sour though.
What I do is make a sponge before bedtime and let the sponge sit on the table until morning. Then I follow the rest of the recipe.

I bake them in a clay dome baker. A good porcelain dutch oven will work too.

You do need to let either the clay lid or the dutch oven warm up first.

View attachment 1145125

comes out like:

View attachment 1145127

Beautiful - now you got me wanting a dome baker, but alas no room left in my cabinets to store anything else

sorry to say I do it all in clear glass bread pans in the oven
I have arthritis in my hands bad had carpal tunnel in left repaired about
6 years ago tad weaker but no pain still fight to hand knead

I'm the lazy one around here - still using a vintage bread maker to do the mixing and first rise, too easy to thing about a change

 

[Aria]

I have carpel-tunnel also so I use my kitchen-aid stand mixer to do all the kneading for my bread. I start with the paddle and add the water, yeast, sugar and salt and wait until it starts to foam. Then I add 1 cup of flour and 1 tablespoon of wheat gluten and mix that for about 5 minutes. Then I change to the dough hook and add in the rest of the flour and let the mixer work on it for a minimum of 8 minutes. If your mixer is heating up too much, add a little water (I have a spray bottle of water that I use, it adds a 1/4 tsp of water per squirt). I typically need to add a bit more water ( about 1 1/2 tsp - 6 squirts), but I have found that a moister dough is a better bread (learned that on this thread). The 1 hour bread is a softer dough, my loaves come out a bit squat also. But the texture is usually pretty good. A flatter loaf is acceptable if the alternative is no fresh bread, lol! We prefer a regular recipe bread if I remember with enough time to let it rise properly.

 

[Aria]

woDreamer.....I made your l hour Italian Bread and it came out FLAT. Then I made it again and placed it in a Tin. It is delicious and wonderful shape. I think I know when it is ready to go into the oven in the Tin...on the cookie sheet??? The bread seems to raise 30 minutes and is ready to be bakes. Perhaps I will try it again on the cookie sheet? Not sure because it came on GREAT in the tin. Has anyone used Vital Wheat Gluten. I was given a box and it claims to add protein and increase volume. Regards, Aria