2010 Cooking Club Week 2: Brown Bread

CombatCow

Here's my attempt, I cheated and used a stand mixer :pac:







Tasted awesome too, cheers OP

CC

Mr Magnolia

I cooked it for about 50/55 minutes and am very happy with the result. I'd add a little more salt the next time (there will be a next time), really enjoying it.

Jammy

Mmmm these all look so lovely!

I know I'm going to mess it up, I've never baked bread before!

Got all the ingrediants today, just need to wait til I'm home to bake them!

I've also organised a bread bake off with a friend for next week :pac:

The Black Oil

Oh, excellent. Sometimes they can be a little on the moist side, but not too much these days. The time for cooking does seem to vary a bit. We were having problems for ages until we realised one of the oven's elements (I think) was gone, but once it was replaced we were motoring. Sometimes the taste can be bit average, but most of the time it's very fresh.

TechnoPool, looking good.

janeybabe, interesting re reducing the plain flour, have often wondered about that..might give it a go. Definitely good with soup.

CC, no bother, although I may have had to use Google to find out what a stand mixer is..

MM, texture looks good...love the seeds.

Jammy, I've never tried raisins other than the golden ones being blitzed with pumpkin seeds, etc, but flaxseed has been known to make an appearance.

TechnoPool

Jammy wrote: »

Mmmm these all look so lovely!

I know I'm going to mess it up, I've never baked bread before!

Got all the ingrediants today, just need to wait til I'm home to bake them!

I've also organised a bread bake off with a friend for next week :pac:

haha first thing i ever baked was the flap jacks last week

Khannie

Mr Magnolia wrote: »

I cooked it for about 50/55 minutes and am very happy with the result. I'd add a little more salt the next time (there will be a next time), really enjoying it.

Why more salt next time? I always wondered why some recipes call for salt (like pancakes....what???).

BaZmO*

Khannie wrote: »

Why more salt next time? I always wondered why some recipes call for salt (like pancakes....what???).

FYI

I'd say more than anything else it increases the flavour of the other ingredients.

I've seen Chefs add a pinch of salt to melted chocolate to enhance the flavour.

Mr Magnolia

Khannie wrote: »

Why more salt next time? I always wondered why some recipes call for salt (like pancakes....what???).

The link that BaZmO* provide explains my reasoning especially the 'It also potentiates the flavor of other ingredients' comment. I'd add salt to the bread (or any dish/soup/sauce etc..) based on taste.

nice1franko

Made this last night but it didn't turn out well: when I was making it I thought 3/4 cup of oil sounded excessive but then I thought 'ah sure I'll just stick to the recipe'... anyway, it just tastes like oil to me. Maybe I messed up somewhere.

TalkingGoose

Just wondering can you use margerine or butter instead of the oil, going to try this tonight after the flapjacks. Going all out tonight!

the beer revolu

CombatCow wrote: »

Here's my attempt, I cheated and used a stand mixer :pac:



CC

Can't think why you'd use a mixer - soda bread doesn't require kneading and is only mixed such that the ingredients come together.

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the beer revolu wrote: »

Can't think why you'd use a mixer - soda bread doesn't require kneading and is only mixed such that the ingredients come together.

Heh, the reason I use a mixer is to keep my hands clean. I hate cleaning mixed flour off my hands.

I'm going to make this this evening, I got some sunflower and some pumpkin seeds to throw into it.

the beer revolu

Des wrote: »

Heh, the reason I use a mixer is to keep my hands clean. I hate cleaning mixed flour off my hands.

I'm going to make this this evening, I got some sunflower and some pumpkin seeds to throw into it.

Just use a spoon.
Apparently, it's not good to over mix a soda bread mix.

_blank_

well, it's in the oven now.

I'll post pics later, when it's done and I've had my dinner.

CombatCow

the beer revolu wrote: »

Can't think why you'd use a mixer - soda bread doesn't require kneading and is only mixed such that the ingredients come together.

Yeah as Des says, just to keep the place clean...plus I bought it so I may aswell use it :pac:

monkeyfudge

Here's mine... (I need a deeper baking tray!)



I added cherries... eh.. just because I had cherries...

Oh and say hi to my cat, Mrs. Chips. She helped!

susanroth

Mr Magnolia wrote: »

I cooked it for about 50/55 minutes and am very happy with the result. I'd add a little more salt the next time (there will be a next time), really enjoying it.

Looks great! Is that pumpkin seeds you used and how much did you put in?

did anyone try sunflower seeds? want t use em, but have to wait for the weekend as i can't get them in the shops around here!!

John Mason

OMG - des just made this, it is beautiful

thanks

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susanroth wrote: »

did anyone try sunflower seeds? want t use em, but have to wait for the weekend as i can't get them in the shops around here!!

I used pumpkin and sunflower seeds. I blitzed 80g of them and threw them in with the flour. then threw some on top as well.

Oh my god, my bread came out absolutely perfectly, and it's de-bloody-licious





Just had it with some butter and jam after my dinner.

NYOMMERS

Oh, I only baked one loaf as I hadn't enough brown flour, but I'll be making this again and again and again!

susanroth

That loaf looks divine:D I want mine to look like this!

Mr Magnolia

susanroth wrote: »

Looks great! Is that pumpkin seeds you used and how much did you put in?

Yes. I used the seeds instead of the bran and ground them with a pestle and mortar retaining a few to scatter on top. They were lovely through the bread.

The smell of the buttermilk brought me right back to my grannys kitchen, rest her. Used to help her bake as a child it was nice to have my daughter 'help' me with this, she's 2.

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susanroth wrote: »

That loaf looks divine:

Thanks, I'm actually quite proud of it.

I made bread to day in your honour Black oil.
Haven't done this since I was a kid.

My mam always taught us to test to see if was fully cooked.
When you put a knife down through it, and it comes up clean.
Your bread is cooked inside.

monkeyfudge

I used linseeds... it's all they had in Dunnes yesterday.

Over all my bread doesn't look great and is far to short to actually serve as bread in a practical sense... but it does actually taste nice...

Will bring it in to work tomorrow and get people to taste it.

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monkeyfudge wrote: »

I used linseeds... it's all they had in Dunnes yesterday. .

They hadn't got them in my Dunnes

monkeyfudge wrote: »

Over all my bread doesn't look great and is far to short to actually serve as bread in a practical sense...

I'm sorry to say this, but I think you're right there.

monkeyfudge wrote: »

Ibut it does actually taste nice...

That's the main thing I suppose.

Toto Wolfcastle

monkeyfudge wrote: »

I used linseeds... it's all they had in Dunnes yesterday.

Over all my bread doesn't look great and is far to short to actually serve as bread in a practical sense... but it does actually taste nice...

Will bring it in to work tomorrow and get people to taste it.

Cut it into squares maybe and then cut each square like you would cut a scone. Lash on some butter and NYOM!

monkeyfudge

I've been cutting it into fingers... the cherries help is seem more like a cake.

I'll have to get a taller baking tray though... or make bread on a night that the taps are actually working and I can properly wash my hands and actually knead the dough.

EDIT: Also... I may have been drinking at the time...

The Black Oil

Keep them coming!

Re linseeds, do they need to be soaked overnight before use? We have them here somewhere.

monkeyfudge

That seems to be a suggestion here alright:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2007/mar/06/healthandwellbeing.health1

MissMotivated

Made this last night, will put up pics Monday. It's quite tasty!! used less white flour and more wholmeal. Maybe this is a stupid question but could you use all wholemeal and no white? or oat flour instead of white? I don't know much about baking to know if it would work