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idun
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We have loads of sliced bread here now, but not the flour. I have read that the problem is the packaging and a priority is getting flour to the bakeries, which is fair enough.

I have not even looked for fresh yeast recently, doesn't seem much point.

Has sliced bread in France changed? It was rarely that I could get it that I liked, far too sweet usually, as it was Harry's American Bread and that is always too sweet for me.

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Back to using flour with levure incorporee. It is not SR flour and now I've tried it . The result was just as good as using active dried yeast in the normal way in a machine. Couldn't be easier, just the flower and water. Ne extra salt or sugar or oil. OH found the flour in Nettos, but I've never noticed it before. Of course using a machine no needing kneaded!
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Yes, you said you had found a packet of bread mix and yes, it would have the 'levante' dedans.[:D] In fact I think it is good that these packets are available.

I have heard that people like these and they make good bread, but I cannot use anything with dried yeast in it.  It makes my husband very very seriously ill, so I stick with fresh yeast, which does not affect him at all, and old fashioned bread making.

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GG,[:-))] your post is one of those that I stand back in amazement.

I was always told to put a tray with boiling water in the bottom of the oven to get a better crust, and I spray my choux pastry with water just as I am putting it in, to get them crispy.

I seem to think that doing what I do works, and I do get crusty loaves if I want them.

If you want softer bread, what about making bread buns, quicker to bake and as soon as they 'knock' on the top I turn them gently and cook a few more minutes for them to 'knock' on the bottom too. Also you can make the buns as to the size you want. I make them in various sizes.

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I am a least a happy chappy on the bread front. 500 grams of dried yeast delivered yesterday, ordered it from the UK at end of March. Just used the last packet of French shop bought too. Should last till the "nouvel ordre".

Should anyone else be short, don't hesitate to pop round for a few grams ;)
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Good for you, I am struggling to get fresh yeast or flour at the moment and now you have 500grams of dried yeast.

I don't need to bake bread, but would like to make up some brioche, fruited buns and pizza, which is a pity that I cannot.

I was wondering how much dried yeast you use for say 1kg of flour?

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[quote user="idun"]

I was wondering how much dried yeast you use for say 1kg of flour?

[/quote]

Yes, I would like to know that too.  And can someone remind me if dry bread yeast is called Levure du pain or something like that?  In the U.S. there is dry fast rising yeast and dry regular rise yeast.  I always used the fast rise for pizza dough.  The regular for bread.

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Another question is also, if you double the dough, what do you do about the dried yeast. Just increase a little as you would with fresh, I cannot remember how it worked.

Last time I used it was in 1979 and it made my husband very very  seriously ill. No wonder I cannot remember how I used it, that was over FORTY years ago![:-))]

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I’ve never made bread in France, despite having spent about 6 months there each year for the past 12 or so years - our small kitchen plus having about 18 bakeries in our small town, about 3 of which I generally use.

Today’s bread has now cooled, spelt flour as usual, with a baking tray of water underneath and it's crust s just right, not crusty, just how we like it.
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Have you tried asking for a small quantity of yeast at a boulangerie or a supermarket bread counter? I remember getting some live yeast from a block for free that way a long time ago.

I've just looked at my local supermarket online and they sell packs containing 3/6 7g sachets of levure du boulanger (dried yeast) for 0.86/1.39€ A sachet is enough for 500g flour.
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The recipe I use for our breadmaker (yes I know some may find it heretical, but it works consistently):

Good dollop of olive oil poured over the paddles

Heaped teaspoon of salt

350 ml water

540 grams of multi grain flour (normally Francine)

couple of table spoonfuls of wheatgerm

same of sesame seeds

10 gms of dried yeast. This ensures the bread (which is "heavier" than just plain white bread) rises to fill completely the breadmaker.

Atmospheric conditions do affect the dryness of the mix, so keep an eye on it and add more water if needed.

At the moment I am making up the same weight of flour with anything I can get in the bread flour line.

This gives a 1Kg "sandwich" loaf which keeps well for at least 5 days. As there are now three of us in the flat, that

means the machine is on twice a week. Lidl's finest, bought for the princely sum of 26€ on special just after Christmas.

Got the yeast off Amazon.fr
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I was just wondering about yeast consumption, but you are restricted with the bread baking machine as to how much you do.

Me, I am restricted with my bowl size and years ago bought one that would take half a stone of flour and also big enough for it to prove in it............ heavy thing it is. That was when de dietrich did a wonderful cooker,  and I could bake my loaves all at once.

Bread lasting five days. Well in that I can but say, not for me. I HATE day old home made bread, and always cut up the loaves and freeze in quantities that we would use each time. And will get out 'fresh' for every meal.

It is a bug bear of mine and when I give bread away, I always say freeze and people never do and assure me that it is still great the next day or day after, to which my thought is mon oeil, because I know what it tastes like when left. And IMO it suffers from keeping.

I do have an exception though, if making a fondue savoyarde, I will leave it to harden, as soft bread just a no no and flops off the skewer and into the cheese.

Everyone to their own, and as I can only use fresh yeast because of OH, a bread maker is probably not for me.

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The science is with you on this, Idun. Fresh bread degrades rapidly, in terms of both taste and structure, especially once the first slice has been cut.

So if you want it at its best, use the day it is baked; thereafter, in our household at least, it is toast - literally.
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Went shopping at that supermarket that says (every bit helps) ambled over to the bread area to get our supply, happened to ask one of the bakers do you by any chance have a spare bit of fresh yeast. He popped off for a few minutes and came back with some to make a loaf. After we made the bread there was a bit left over, am looking at a way we can make this live again. There are plenty of ideas on t'internet on how to make your yeast from scratch but none on how to keep the little bit you managed to keep. It seems the bakers get it in big slabs that they use as needed, suppose I am looking at a way to do the same but all the Utube ones tend to look different. Any one got any clues.

Oh by the way I wasn't charged for the yeast.
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