Thursday Thirteen - Bread Making Tips


13 notes on bread making dug out of grandma's old recipe file.
  1. Flour should always be stored in a very dry place.
  2. All ingredients and utensils should be at room temperature before beginning.
  3. All liquids should be scalded and then cooled before using and adding yeast. Whole milk adds a good full flavor and better appearance to your breads while potato water adds a characteristic flavor.
  4. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic.
  5. After each addition of flour to the liquid make certain that the batter is well beaten, and do not add the last cup of flour until absolutely certain you need it.
  6. For the first dough rising, place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with cheesecloth. Put in a draft FREE spot, but do not set on radiator or direct heat source. Let rise until double in bulk.
  7. For the second dough rising, punch down after the first rising and fold the sides into the center, turn it over and let rise again, but not too long.
  8. Cut your dough into the proper proportions for bread loaves and left to rest on the bread board, covered for 10 minutes before working with it.
  9. To shape loaves fold side edges under while pressing down on the dough in order to make it longer. Tops should be crease free. Place in a greased bread pan, cover with a damp cloth, put it in a warm place and allow dough to rise to double in bulk.
  10. Always bake bread in a moderate oven. Too hot will brown the bread before it has finished baking.
  11. Bread is done when it shrinks slightly from the sides of the pan, is evenly browned and makes a hollow sound when thumped.
  12. Cool bread on a cooling rack and do not cover if you want a crispy crust.
  13. Always store in a dry and well ventilated spot.
Stay tuned for the upcoming Bread Round-Up.


final blog signature.

9 comments:

marcia@joyismygoal said...

YUmm those are good tips i love making bread I think I will make some tonight

Unknown said...

Saving this for hubby, he is the big baker in the house.
Hope you'll drop by for my TTs
The Cafe at the END of the Universe
and
Mama Bear Reads

Forgetfulone said...

I haven't tried making my own bread since I was in junior high school 100 years ago (okay, not 100-more like 30)

Arlene said...

I do not bake much, but nothing is better then fresh baked bread. I really enjoyed your web site.

Kara said...

I just bookmarked these tips. They're very useful!

Kara said...

I just bookmarked these tips. They're very useful!

storyteller said...

Great tips ... though I don't bake much of anything any longer.
Hugs and blessings,

Joyce said...

That was a homey, nostalgic post. :) I'm not nearly so careful, but that sounds like a "craftsman", really quality kind of bread making. :)

ShannonW said...

Great tips! I love fresh baked bread.