On Aug 18, 9:25*pm, Rusty Hinge 2
wrote:
The message
from AriesVal contains these words:

I've stopped using my breadmaker. *I make my bread in a Kenwood mixer with a
dough hook. *I make two big loaves at a time using a mixture of strong
flours - this week it was a little organic white, organic wholewheat,
granary flour and some mixed seeded flour. *

The only reason I use a breadmaker is that I haven't got my (gas) cooker
connected yet.

I let the dough rise once, knock back and put into two 2 lb double skinned
loaf tins and let it rise again covered with unbleached non stick baking
paper (similar to greaseproof paper but not stick). *I then leave until well
risen in the tins, then place in a very hot oven for 10 mins, lower the heat
a little, and continue to bake for another 20 - 25 mins until cooked through
and the loaves sound hollow when tapped. *

If I wanted a fresh loaf every day I'd make barm, which, when mixed
really thoroughly into the dough, makes (exhibition-type) bread with
very fine bubbles, an no big holes.

The baker I learnt to make real bread from (though I've been making some
sort of bread since 1950) reckoned that the longer you kept strong flour
(and assuming you keep the moths, mealworms, mites out of it) the better
it became for breadmaking.

He said he never used flour for making exhibition/competition bread
until it was at least seven years old.

I'd have liked to have prised more info out of him, but unfortunately he
pickled himself to death.

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
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Rusty what is barm?

Judith

The message
from Judith in France contains these words:

Rusty what is barm?

Take a cup of strong white flour and scald it with boiling water,
stirring furiously so that it finishes as lumpless as possible, and the
consistency of white sauce.

Allow to cool, then bung in an ounce of live yeast (or a packet of dried
yeast.

Allow to work for a day, then make another pot of gruel and when cool,
seed it with a tablespoon of yesterday's brew.

From then on, just make tomorrow's barm by seeding with the previous
days, then use the remainder in the day's bread.

The improvement in flavour and texture is 'something else'.

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
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On Aug 19, 12:13*pm, Rusty Hinge 2
wrote:
The message
from Judith in France contains these words:

Rusty what is barm?

Take a cup of strong white flour and scald it with boiling water,
stirring furiously so that it finishes as lumpless as possible, and the
consistency of white sauce.

Allow to cool, then bung in an ounce of live yeast (or a packet of dried
yeast.

Allow to work for a day, then make another pot of gruel and when cool,
seed it with a tablespoon of yesterday's brew.

From then on, just make tomorrow's barm by seeding with the previous
days, then use the remainder in the day's bread.

The improvement in flavour and texture is 'something else'.

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
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Thank you Rusty, a bit like ginger pop then?

Judith

The message

from Judith in France contains these words:

/barm/

Thank you Rusty, a bit like ginger pop then?

Well, you'd have a job drinking it.

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
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Rusty Hinge 2 writes

Allow to work for a day, then make another pot of gruel and when cool,
seed it with a tablespoon of yesterday's brew.

That reminds me (though it's quite different) of sourdough bread, where
you make a dough and leave it on the windowsill for a few days to catch
whatever yeasts it can. Gives a very dense and interesting bread. Said
to be improved by chucking in a few veg or fruit that are past their
best - sound grim but the results are good (rather like making scones or
soda bread with sour milk - the lactic acid reacts with the soda and the
results are incredibly light and with no trace of sourness)


--
Kay