idun Posted April 5, 2020 Author Share Posted April 5, 2020 Yes, GG your husband kneading, rather than you.As I said, I never do that first knead as well as any man who has been in the house and I have got bread making. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted April 5, 2020 Author Share Posted April 5, 2020 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kong Posted April 5, 2020 Share Posted April 5, 2020 For sliced bread in our local baker they simply slice a loaf and put it in a bag. Harry's American sandwich bread is sweetened, fermented polystyrene. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Zoff Posted April 5, 2020 Share Posted April 5, 2020 Are you implying men are more kneady, Idun? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted April 5, 2020 Author Share Posted April 5, 2020 Ah Alan, men are always more kneady! It is a known fact, amongst women at least[Www] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kong Posted April 7, 2020 Share Posted April 7, 2020 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! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted April 7, 2020 Author Share Posted April 7, 2020 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judith-aka-Judith Posted April 8, 2020 Share Posted April 8, 2020 Yes, Idun, Harry's american .. it's awful, I agree, but it is all he will eat. But sliced bread has improved, I buy a Harrys which has added grains and cereals, and it is acceptable and I find useful for sandwiches. I love french bread, but these days, my teeth don't! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Zoff Posted April 8, 2020 Share Posted April 8, 2020 My wife avoids most French bread and will only eat my bread if I keep the crust reasonably soft. Sharp crust wreaks havoc with her gums so her dentist has instructed her to avoid it at all cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardengirl Posted April 8, 2020 Share Posted April 8, 2020 I find that putting a baking tray in the bottom of the oven when I put the bread in to bake helps to keep the crust softer. I’ve been told that spraying the crust of the bread just before before putting it in to bake also helps to keep it soft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted April 8, 2020 Author Share Posted April 8, 2020 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Zoff Posted April 8, 2020 Share Posted April 8, 2020 That's exactly what I do, Idun. Tray of water in bottom of oven to make crusty bread for me and soft rolls baked separately for Mrs Z. She's spoilt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lehaut Posted April 11, 2020 Share Posted April 11, 2020 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 ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted April 11, 2020 Author Share Posted April 11, 2020 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? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted April 11, 2020 Share Posted April 11, 2020 [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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted April 11, 2020 Author Share Posted April 11, 2020 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![:-))] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardengirl Posted April 11, 2020 Share Posted April 11, 2020 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Zoff Posted April 11, 2020 Share Posted April 11, 2020 I have given up trying to find bread yeast for sale at a price I am prepared to pay so I am going to have a go at making my own yeast starter. Lots of tips on the internet but not expecting a quick result. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pomme Posted April 11, 2020 Share Posted April 11, 2020 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Zoff Posted April 11, 2020 Share Posted April 11, 2020 Thanks Pomme but I am stuck in England until travel restrictions lifted. UK supermarket websites all saying "Product not available" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lehaut Posted April 12, 2020 Share Posted April 12, 2020 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 paddlesHeaped teaspoon of salt350 ml water540 grams of multi grain flour (normally Francine)couple of table spoonfuls of wheatgermsame of sesame seeds10 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, thatmeans 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted April 12, 2020 Author Share Posted April 12, 2020 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Zoff Posted April 13, 2020 Share Posted April 13, 2020 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted April 13, 2020 Author Share Posted April 13, 2020 Yes, maybe, along with me being a fussy article[blink]. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Department71 Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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