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HELP! Bread recipe

Peanut
Peanut Posts: 75
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I was volunteered to bake 20 free-form loaves of bread and I don't bake bread! Haha. Can anyone assist me with a recipe?I have access to everything in a restaurant kitchen. It is a project my daughter is doing as a community service...gathering funds to donate.

Comments

  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    Erm... As a novice baker who is happy to get a single loaf of any form, I'd suggest... :ohmy: go to the market, get 20 loaves of pre-made, thaw, re-form into balls and bake. Maybe sprinkle a little flour on top for a more home made look.

    Or, if you have access to lots of CI or enamelware, a variation of the no-knead recipe.
  • Peanut
    Peanut Posts: 75
    I thought of that but my daughter was mortified! LOL. I am with you...great minds, think alike! Guess I will need to do a search on no-knead recipe. I have no idea how to bake bread but will learn quickly. hahaha Thanks.
  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    Some people are good with bread, or at least get good with it pretty quickly. I was not one of the fortunate. The recipe I use most often is a little like the no-knead. Fairly wet, not kneaded, but just stretched several times over a period of hours. Get decent results 3 out of 4 times.

    I'd try at least 1 preliminary bake of a few loaves. Then, if there is a problem, send the daughter out to get the pre-made. (I understand there are firms that sell pre-made to grocery bakeries so that the bread is "fresh" from the point of sale..
  • Peanut
    Peanut Posts: 75
    Thanks for the tips The no-knead recipe I found had some reviews...looks great but not much taste. I will keep looking. I don't want to spend a great deal of money on pre-fab. doughs but may have to.
  •  
    Hi Peanut, first of all good luck! 20 loaves of bread is a LOT of work. I hope your daughter is helping all the way.
    Do not be afraid if a recipe requires kneading, there is not that much to it. Bread is very basic and just about any recipe is going to need the same basic steps. The ingredients may vary but the basics are similar. Temperature is important! Do not expose yeast to anything exceeding the maximum recommended temp on the package before you bake it or you will kill it. Do not over kneed bread dough or your bread can become dense and almost tough, take it easy, even a cave man can do it.
    Here is an old favorite of mine, SHREDDED WHEAT BREAD just to give you an idea of what you are looking at if you do not opt for the ready made dough.
    No matter what you make I would bake it in the oven where temperatures should be more uniform and easier to control. That many loaves on the egg for your first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh attempt would be brutal. In a regular oven I used to fit three large loaves and I would shuffle their position once half way through the bake so they would brown evenly.
    HERE is a bread done by Julie (Mainegg) just recently that might be a good solution. There are videos on YouTube that give details on braiding bread, it's pretty simple.
    Where are you located? No one can offer local help if they don't know where you are.

    Again Good Luck,

    Blair

     
  • RogerT
    RogerT Posts: 53
    One thing to think about if you go the no knead route. The recipes that I am familiar with require the bread to be baked in a covered cast iron dutch oven or something comparable.

    This is the recipe that I use:

    6 cups AP flour
    3 cups water
    1 tsp fast rising yeast
    1 Tbsp coarse salt

    This yeilds 2 loaves about 10" in diameter and about 4" tall. Very crusty bread, very nice on the palate

    This bakes 1/2 hour covered in the DO and about 1/2 hour on the oven rack. At 450*

    I always mix mine on Saturday morning, and leave it sit on the counter until late Saturday evening, then pop in the fridge. This batch gets baked on the following Saturday. Of course you can bake anytime after about 12 hours or so, but better flavor develops the longer you can leave it.

    Looks to me like your in for a couple of long days in the kitchen.

    Roger
  • Peanut
    Peanut Posts: 75
    You have all been amazing. Your advise/tips have been most helpful. PattyO even emailed me her phone number and assisted with advise/recipes. I don't have to do this until the second week in November so I have time to play around and perfect. My daughter will be involved in this process since it is for her community service project where they will donate the proceeds to a charity. The weather here in Clear Lake city (outside of Houston) has been great so I expect good weather for baking day! Thanks everyone!