/ck/ - Food & Cooking

I only make bread in a breadmaker. I can't be bothered with baking. The only thing I will make by hand is short crust pastry for quiche or some good old cheese pin wheel scones.

@15200537
Just go to a better store

@15200556
>Just go to a better store
Yeah, like a bakery...

>>15200556
>>15200564

>>15200537
I did it once. Put too many yeast and sugar in it, so my bread went absolute badshit. But it was pretty light tho.

>>15200537
I work as a baker but I haven't got myself an oven, so I only bake whatever I have to there. Or had to, because I was laid off due to the pandemic.
For me, nothing beats the experience at the workplace; doing the same doughs everyday lets you learn more about the ideal texture, the temperatures, what each ingedient does, etc. Even then, this is not rocket science, so as long as you have the will, bake breads at home.
>How would I get into bread making? What do I need?
Get yourself a small oven, a small rolling pin and a plain surface you can easily clean, like a table with no marks or bumps in it. Look over the net or in your library about baking books where you can find the basics for ingredients, look out videos on YT to get the technique down and find baking threads over here; there's at least one per week and most anons can help you with recipes or tips if you're doing something wrong.
Some rules of thumb would be:
-Learn about baker's percentage.
-Get yourself a scale: measuring things by cups is not recommended.
-Preheat your oven, especially for smaller ones, because they lose a lot of heat when opened. Turn it on around 20 to 30 minutes before putting the bread in at a higher temperature than the recipe tells you, and then decrease to the proper temperature.
-Try not to open your oven to check the bread, especially on the first 15 to 20 minutes. Remember that bigger loaves take more time to bake at a lower temperature.
-Never mix yeast with salt. Always check if the yeast works by mixing it with warm water and waiting for bubbles to for over the surface.
-Start with small batches and do them by hand. A mixer is very useful, especially with cakes, but it's better to get used to the dough's texture.
-Don't feel bad if you mess up a bread. Ingredients are cheap for most of them, so do it again and take it slowly.

>>15200615
Thanks so much anon! I copied your whole comment and will start learning.
What's your opinion of sourdough bread... worth learning how to bake it or should I stick to using dry yeast?

>>15200537
I troll nearly every /ck/ thread, but baking threads are off limit for me even though I despise baking. Good luck.

>>15200629
You're baking at home, so you can take your time making bread. Making a sourdough improves the bread's flavor and texture, so it's a good experience for you, especially if you're making lean doughs like french baguette or focaccia that don't use any more than the basic ingredients (flour, water, yeast and salt) and maybe olive oil. Nevertheless, try to keep yeast at home if you feel it takes too long or you want to make bread on the same day.
If you're buying yeast, try to get dry over fresh; you have to activate it with warm water, but it will last longer than a pound of fresh yeast that will go bad in a month.
Again, just take things slowly and try things one at a time.

>>15200680
Also, always keep in mind what type of yeast the recipe asks for. You need less dry than fresh (about a half) in comparison and never go overboard with it to"make the bread rise faster", because it will taste more bitter than usual. Just let it rise (covered with a wet towel ina bowl), punch it and you'll see the bread will proof faster, be softer and get a better smell and flavor when it rises again.

>>15200698
thanks so much anon!

Rather than killing a thread I hade a question involving cinnamon roll filling. Is it better to use dark brown sugar over light brown?

>>15200769
It doesn't matter

>>15200556
>>15200564
>doesn't know how to double greentext a post
ngmi

>>15200537
How do you get such a wide open crumb like that? I've been baking bread for about 6 months and the only thing that seems to move it in that direction is 80%+ hydration + 10% oil + overnight ferment in the fridge, still though it never gets near to having holes the size of pic related.
My bread tastes good though, I'm just obsessed with getting that massive open crumb and ca't seem to get it, any advice bros?
Have a pic of my most recent rye bread too.

>>15200775
in terms of what?

>>15200816
>rye
anon, you can only call it rye bread if it's 100% rye

About the crumb, high hydration, enough gluten, proper shaping and rise are what you need. Skip the oil, you don't need it. Also you score too deep and straight.

>>15200816
>open crumb
86% hydration.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f07TNR056eE

>>15200826
Fair points, it's 50% rye, 50%SWBF. I'm going to try a 100% rye loaf today actually. And yes I cut it a bit too enthusiastically. Was great with soup though. Thanks for the advice.