bread making

[marmite]

Been trying my hand at bread making over the past weeks. I  buy the flour at the local supermarket usually Aldi, I have been told the best bread flour is type 65 but as this is harder to get I have used type 55 with success (apparently this is the type baguettes are made of)

Anyway today I was given a lump of active yeast from the baker to try out, now this is where the problem starts I am used to the dried sachets, how much of this lump do I use, I know you can't see the size of the lump but is there a normal figure, say 20 gram etc per UK size loaf?

Also can this yeast be regenerated for further use, did read somewhere about adding a bit more flour and water to it and keeping it in the fridge.  Any info appreciated.

Cheers

[Clair]

Fresh yeast must be refrigerated and will become inactive quite rapidly -

about one to two weeks. It can be frozen and will keep

for up to three months.

When using fresh yeast, double the quantity specified for dried yeast: for 1 sachet of dried yeast (7g), use 14-15g of fresh yeast.

[Tancrède]

A good rule of thumb is about 2% fresh yeast by weight.   I.e.  20 g. of fresh yeast to a kilo of flour.

As regards future use, I used to buy it in a kilo block, and cut it down into cubes of roughly an ounce with a cheese-wire.  The cubes can then be wrapped in cling-film, frozen, and used as required.

If you find it disinclined to 'work', the tiniest smear of marmite will greatly encourage it  -  but I scarcely need tell you that.

[idun]

I was at my association evening in France and a friend came in. Said she had baked some bread and it was rock hard......too much yeast, says I, she had used a full cube for a kilo of flour.

I used to use almost half a cube from the boulangerie for 3.5 kilos of flour and make lovely light bread. I make less now and use about a quarter of cube for a couple of kilos.

 

So to the OP are you using a machine, as I know nothing about them at all. I do know about hand baked bread and I let the yeast do it's stuff very slowly. Takes hours to rise, but I know it'll take a long time and just accept it.

 

I cannot use dried yeast, I would kill my husband if I did. I have no idea what is in it, but it makes him very very ill.

[Patf]

I go by 2oz fresh yeast to 3lb bread flour. If you haven't gone metric.

Like Idun, I don't use a machine, but unlike her I have gone over to dried yeast, simply because to get fresh means a long journey.

But when it comes to bread flour I don't like french flour.

 The other alternative is sourdough, making your own rising agent, but I haven't got round to that yet.

[marmite]

Clair.

Thanks for the reply, quantities were just what I am looking for.

Gengulphus

Also thanks will try and up the quantities you suggested if I have to tweek the amount. You username suggests you may be at Saint-Gengoux-le-national, not too far from us. We usually try and go to the night market nice atmosphere there.

Idum

Used to do it with a bread maker but had too many door stops. Now I do it the old way, mixed with a Kenwood Chef, (blow kneading by hand) allowing it to rise naturally same as you. It makes good bread but have never been able to get it to rise to the level of shop purchased bread.

Patf.

Also thanks

Any more info on making more for future use

[idun]

Well try with a little yeast. Knead as usual and then just put it somewhere and leave it for about four hours. In the warm weather to stop it drying out, I put some oil in the bowl and roll the round of dough in the oil and then cover a big bowl with a very damp cloth. I have to add that I don't like dry dough, I like it to not feel sticky, but very yeilding and pliable.

I never expect home bread to be like bought. The second rise will take another couple or three hours and then in a hot oven and it should be fine.

Why don't you at least try my method once and see how it works out.

 

If you don't like it, well, try another method.  I have been doing it just like this for over 20 years although previously I did use dried yeast and more fresh yeast than I do now.

[Clair]

[quote user="marmite"]I do it the old way ... but have never been able to get it to rise to the level of shop purchased bread.[/quote]

Try this very easy recipe: Toasting Bread (pics HERE)

A word of caution:

in this hot weather, the dough will rise very quickly and I doubt you will need the full hour marked in the recipe.

I would suggest checking after 30mn, then every 10mn until the dough barely crowns the tin. It could overflow very quickly!

The dough is almost liquid and needs to be poured in the tin.

It produces a very light and airy bread.

[Clair]

On the matter of yeast:

I make bread several times a week and I prefer to buy yeast in a 500g pack which I keep it in the fridge or freezer, sealed with a clip.

I pay around 3.80€ for the pack at Gamm Vert, and that will last me about 12-14 months.

I use around 1 tsp for 500g of flour, but I never really measure it accurately enough to know how many grams that would be...

Forgot to say: I mix the yeast straight into the flour, with the salt, and have never diluted it in water beforehand.

[idun]

I have never frozen yeast and know that if ever I do, I will have to use more as it looses it vigour and that worries me. How much would I need to use and how would it affect my bread I don't know. So I buy fresh yeast when I need it. I make up a lot of bread and freeze that. I much prefer to cut my loaves into usable pieces as soon as they are cool........ and have 'fresh' bread  every meal. I don't like day old bread, that goes into bread crumbs or bread and butter pudding, so this system suits us very well.  

[Clair]

On the topic of using fresh yeast, have a look at this video and this video by Richard Bertinet.

If you want to look further into bread-making,I cannot recommend his book Dough enough. It's the perfect intro to bread-making for beginners.

[marmite]

[quote user="marmite"]

  It makes good bread but have never been able to get it to rise to the level of shop purchased bread. [/quote]

Thanks for the info everyone, think I may have misled some folks. I don't now have the problem of door stops since I stopped using the bread machine. In fact the dough keeps trying to escape from the tin. It is more the tins aren't high enough to get the same height as commercial loaves.

Will have a look at the bread-making book Claire, thanks.

[idun]

I enjoyed the video about basic bread. In fact the method used are not that dissimilar to mine. As I said I don't like dry dough, and for all it is never that sticky, it isn't that far off when I look at that video.

I had to smile, because the master breadmaker controlled the dough and the apprenti couldn't. And that is how it is. I don't know what happens or how the dough knows who the boss is, but I am she who will be obeyed and anyone I'm showing, often ends up with two boxing gloves as the dough seems to want to stick rather than be worked.

And watching those videos made me realise that I love baking bread by hand. It is a wonderful thing to do.

Marmite, I bought big loaf tins from my local quincaillerie. Cannot remember if they were called Moule a Pain or Moule a cake.