The Poultry Keeper

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1314 Location: Leicestershire

Homemade bread, without a machine

1 pint hand hot water with a splash of milk, & a sprinkle of sugar. I use Dried Active baking yeast, it comes in small tins and has a limited shelf life once it's opened. 1 heaped teaspoon sprinkled on top of liquid.

2lbs strong white flour

I like to put seeds in mine, so this has a dessertspoon each of - poppy, linseed, pumpkin, sunflower and millet, also a splash of olive oil and a scant dessertspoon of salt

After about 10 minutes the yeast mixture should look like this

Start to mix it all up with a fork and when it gets to this stage transfer it to a worktop and start kneading

To knead you use the heel of your hand and push away, scoop the mixture up with your fingers, give it a quarter turn to the right and push away again. The mixture shouldn't be to hard, if it is it needs more liquid adding, it shouldn't either be too sticky, if you are working it and it sticks to your fingers it needs flour on the worktop and work it in. The ideal consistency is for it to feel slightly tacky but be able to knead it without any flour

Knead it till it's nice and smooth, doesn't take too long

Put it in a bowl and cover with greased cling film. I was in a rush when I made this so I put it in the microwave for 50 secs on auto defrost and then for about 30 secs 10 minutes later. Normally I would leave it on the side and go and do something useful for half a day! You can make bread at night and put it to rise in the fridge overnight, it's then all ready for you to finish in the morning

When it's doubled in size, tip it out of the bowl and give it another kneading

Split the dough evenly in two and reknead each piece and put into greased loaf tins, cover with the greased cling film again and leave, this stage will not take long maybe half to one hour

Don't overproof at this stage as the bread will continue to rise in the oven and if it rises too much it will crumble when you slice it

Bake in quite a hot oven - about 45 minutes

Turn out to cool straight from the oven

Leave to cool slightly then do what comes naturally - eat, gorgeous still warm from the oven with the butter melting into it

mojo · Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 10:13 pm Post subject:

very clear instructions pictures just show a little red cross........me or you at fault??

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1314 Location: Leicestershire

Dunno Mojo - I can see them (but then I would wouldn't I?? Laughing

)

No I really don't know, they've come up okay for me just now, have to wait till someone who knows what they're doing comes along.

Itsybitsy

Worked out what was wrong and hopefully put it right - let me know if it's not

F