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StrawberryJamrozy
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Penny Outskirts
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gil
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StrawberryJamrozy
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Nightwish
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boisdevie1
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Nightwish
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jamanda
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Midland Spinner
Joined: 13 Jan 2009
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 Posted: Tue Sep 07, 10 4:45 pm Post subject: |
 
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People often get confused by Strong vs Weak flours. I found this extract from "Bread Matters" by Andrew Whiteley helpful (the whole book is excellent and worth a read)
As far as the innate properties of the wheat are concerned, hard varieties, often associated with growing conditions in continental climates such as North America, Australia and Ukraine, generally produce 'strong' gluten, which holds together well as it stretches, but can be very elastic, with a marked tendency to shrink back. By contrast, the soft wheats of England and France tend to produce gluten that will stretch a long way but can rupture easily and has relatively little elasticity. Flours made from such wheats are often called 'weak'
In my experience, a good 'strong' (i.e. high protein) flour from British wheat will make good bread and also good pastry. I work atTuxford Windmill and we use the flour for both bread & cakes with excellent results - my boss makes the best cakes for miles around and people travel long distances to sample them and the bread she makes.
If you make bread with a weak flour (i.e. French) you may find it helpful to leave it to rise in a cloth lined basket as the Boulangeres do - the basket supports it while it's rising as the dough doesn't have the structure to stand up on it's own. When it's ready to go into the oven they deftly tip it out onto the peel and shoot it into the oven before it has time to collapse |
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StrawberryJamrozy
Joined: 19 May 2010
Posts: 1189
Location: Hampshire
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Jools
Joined: 28 Jul 2006
Posts: 1028
Location: South Wales
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| Posted: Tue Sep 07, 10 6:20 pm Post subject: |
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I make bread regularly and my basic recipe is this:
500g of bread flour (I mix white and wholemeal, about 40:60% respectively)
1 teaspoon of dried yeast (I use Doves in the orange packet)
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
About a tablespoon of olive oil
350mls of warm water. (I usually put 100mls of just boiled water in the jug, then top up with cold.)
Mix it all up in my mixer with the dough hook and leave it running for a bit, then put clingfilm over the top of the bowl. When the dough has risen to the top, I knock it back by sticking my fist into the middle and it sighs, then scrape it out and give it a quick knead and shaping and bung it into the loaf tin. Cut some slashes into the top, cover with a teatowel and let it rise again.
When it's about twice the size, bung it into a hot oven for 30ish minutes.
It's well worth making your own and contrary to popular belief, it doesn't take long. The time is spent on the rising, not the actual input from you.
Have fun! |
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StrawberryJamrozy
Joined: 19 May 2010
Posts: 1189
Location: Hampshire
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Penny Outskirts
Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 23385
Location: Planet, not on the....
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boisdevie1
Joined: 11 Aug 2006
Posts: 3897
Location: Lancaster
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