Ready to take the bread plunge and need help/support/instructions.

[cbayer]

I need to start making my own bread. It is one of the things I just can't keep fresh on the boat and we like our bread.

So I have some yeast packets. And I have both whole wheat and white flour.

I do not have a stove with a pilot light. I have a very small freezer that doesn't really maintain a constant temp, so things that are frozen sometimes become only partially frozen.

And I don't have a lot of work space.

One of my main interests would be in making pizzas (though my oven doesn't go much over 450 degrees, and I thought this might be a problem), because I am always looking for ways to use the "bits" of things that are around (meats, cheese, veggies).

And DH likes toast of all kinds.

There are just two of us,.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I promise to give feedback and not be a fussy pupil.

Thanks in advance.

:hi:

[flamin lib]

1. There are a lot of threads here about AIN5 breads.

Artisan breads in 5 minutes. It's a no-knead bread that can be made ahead as dough and you break pieces off and bake as needed. I've made it and If I can do it anybody can.

Having posted this I'm sure others will link to threads for you.

What kinda' boat? Living aboard sounds so idyllic but it's like living in a walk in closet. Best not to get in a big tiff--there's no place to walk it off or even get out of sight of each other.

[Warpy]

3. I'm guessing a boat with an undercounter fridge

with very little room in it. A in 5 is fine for those of us with standard fridges but might not be ideal on a boat.

The NYT recipe might be a bit better if the kitchen equipment stretches to a covered Dutch oven or similar oven safe pot with a lid. It can be baked in pans, but I don't think the results are as good as they are in the Dutch oven.

Bread will rise in a cool room, it will just do so more slowly. My NYT bread manages to do its thing in about 18 hours in a 50 degree kitchen plus about 2 hours for the second rise.

The beauty of the no knead recipes is their sheer laziness and foolproof bread quality. They also require less room to work, just a cupboard or shelf where the bowl can sit while the contents do their thing, no kneading board needed.

NYT lazy person's bread: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/081mrex.html

[cbayer]

8. I like the NYT recipe and will try it. One thing I wondered is how the constant moving

of the boat might impact the whole rising process.

I remember as a kid having to tiptoe around the kitchen and carefully open cabinets when mom's bread was rising. I think I will try wedging it into a relatively tight space in the oven during rising. The oven is gimbled, so there will less overall movement. We shall see!

I have a dutch oven. It has a plastic grab handle on the lid, but I can remove it.


Thanks!

:hi:

[Warpy]

21. Actually, the slammed door was more likely to deflate

cakes leavened with eggs and baking powder and don't even think of putting your heels on the floor if there's a souffle in the oven.

Gentle rocking in a marina should have absolutely no effect on rising dough.

[cbayer]

22. Now that I think of it, I think it was about cakes!

OK. Going to make the dough today and put it in the oven to rise this evening.

:hi:

[cbayer]

7. A sailboat that is just big enough for two, even when we squabble. And, as Warpy

notes, an undercounter fridge that has some pretty wide variations in temperature due to fluctuating power sources.

I will look at the AIN bread recipe. Thanks!

:hi:

[grasswire]

2. yeah I wonder about the heat factor...

....when it comes to the no-knead doughs.

[cbayer]

12. Do you mean that it won't be warm enough for them to rise?

I wonder about that too. Even where I am, it gets pretty cold on the water at night and we have no heat. I think I will put it in the oven during the night. It really shouldn't get too cold in there.

:hi:

[kentauros]

4. You can make pizza on pitas.

A Mediterranean cafe I frequent does this and they're wonderful, individual-sized pizzas :9
Just put your ingredients on the flat pita and bake. I've also cut them in half for thinner crusts, baking at around 300F for 10-15 minutes. Or just watch and figure out your best times :)

If you want to make your own pita, here's my recipe. Also, the addition of honey to the mix, instead of granulated sugar, will help the bread keep longer. Honey is hygroscopic, meaning it draws moisture in from the surrounding air, helping it remain moist longer and not stale. If you can freeze what you don't eat, that extends its life even more.

[cbayer]

9. My oven will never get hot enough for your pita recipe. I do buy pita and making

pizza from them is a great idea.

:hi:

[kentauros]

28. Well then, there ya go!

Happy baking! :hi:

[Tesha]

5. A couple of tips always help

~ let it rise - don't rush it. If you find that to double on the first rise it takes all day, then start it the night before and just leave it.
~ every kitchen is different. If a recipe doesn't work for you, it's not you - either adapt the recipe or try another.
~ no-knead is great if ... you either like short bread or have a heavy baking pan to contain it and make it taller.
~ regular bread does not need kneading. If you have a strong food processor let it kneed the dough for you, 40 seconds and voila!

I haven't bought bread since we first started talking about Ain5, and it's been great.

Have fun!

[cbayer]

10. I am going to try the NYT no knead bread with the 20 hour rising time. That should

teach me some rising patience!

No food processor - too big and too power hungry. So if I go for any breads that require kneading, it will be all me!

Thanks for the advice!

:hi:

[Tesha]

29. You'll do great!

and if you don't... you'll have fun! ;)

and isn't that the point anyway!

[Warpy]

32. The Danish whisk

which has been described all over the place here, is a great way to mix bread dough. I use mine for Irish soda bread, a quick bread that doesn't do well in a stand mixer because it tends to toughen.

Remember, we all lived many years without kitchen appliances.

http://breadtopia.com/store/danish-dough-whisk.html

[cbayer]

33. Cool! I used a wooden spoon, but I can see a lot of uses for this and I love handheld

kitchen implements of all sorts. Will look next time I am near a cooking store.

:hi:

[Arkansas Granny]

6. This website might be of help to you. It lists a lot of common problems with breadmaking

and their solutions.

http://www.baking911.com/bread/problems.htm

[cbayer]

11. Thanks so much. I suspect I will be referencing this frequently during my trial and

error phase.

:hi:

[Arkansas Granny]

16. Go into it with a good attitude and you'll do fine. Even the ones that don't look

so good are perfectly edible, in most cases. With a little experience, you can tell when the dough just feels right.

[cbayer]

18. I am looking forward to it. My husband said, "Oh, that sounds great!

Are you going to make a nice French bread? I love the kind that has that wonderful crispy crust and soft inside!".

I am going to have to prepare him for the learning process just as soon as he finishes his coffee.

:rofl:

[EFerrari]

14. Hey! That's a great page!

I just started breadmaking again for the first time in years and am having a ball. But I'm sure there are new and exciting catastrophes ahead of me. lol :)

[Arkansas Granny]

17. I bookmarked it. It looks like it could supply a wealth of information

on troubleshooting and technique as well as recipes.

[EFerrari]

13. I just tried this recipe with good results:

French Bread
Classic Four Ingredient Bread Recipe

French Bread

* 2 packages dry yeast
* 2-1/2 cups warm water
* 1 tsp. sugar
* 6 cups all purpose flour
* 1-1/2 tsp. salt


http://bakingdesserts.suite101.com/article.cfm/frenchbreadrecipe

French bread might work for crust until you jigger a different way. :)

Two things that helped my bread making a lot: Taking my time to get the water temp right so the yeast can work best &, when it comes time to knead in most of the rest of the flour, ignoring how much flour is "called for" and only kneading in enough for the dough to feel right in my hands. When the dough is right it is elastic and silky. It feels a lot like folding a silk nightie, lol. So, even if a recipe calls for 6 cups of flour, I don't worry about having flour left over if the dough feels right. :hi:

[Tesha]

15. and on the water...

the dough might need a little more flour because of the humidity!

right, good note!

[hippywife]

19. You can do it!

It's going to be a bit of a challenge for you but I've no doubt you've overcome bigger ones to live as you choose.

How's that for support, eh? LOL

:hi:

[cbayer]

20. Coming from you, that's amazing support!

I think the specific challenges are what has kept me from trying so far. But as the weather begins to cool, the thought of fresh hot bread beckons me!

:hi:

[hippywife]

23. You do know that

you can make only a half batch of the Ain5 bread, right? Is there room in your fridge for one of those plastic pitchers?

[cbayer]

24. I haven't located the recipe yet. My fridge is large but temperature is not steady.

So I thought I would start with the slow rise NYT recipe above and just bake what I make.

:hi:

[hippywife]

26. Here ya go:

From Mother Earth News. The recipe is about 3-4 pages in:
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/Artisan-Bread-In-Five-Minutes-A-Day.aspx

Now this article contains the same publishing errors that are in the book, so here is the error correction page from the Ain5 website:

http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/?page_id=73

And, finally, a video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMxJgIpe38Q&feature=related

I play around with mine alot, using a mix of bread flour, white whole wheat, and semolina. It's pretty darn flexible.

[cbayer]

27. Thanks!

Is the baking stone essential? I am not sure my oven will get to and hold 450 degrees and I only have one shelf, so I am going to have to think about how to make that work.

:freak:

[hippywife]

31. You can try it without.

I have a broken stone and just throw it in the bottom of the oven. I put the dough on parchment paper in a round cake pan. It probably isn't the same texture but it tastes good and is crispy enough, just not super crispy.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

25. Housewolf is our resident baker.

Hopefully she'll see this thread.

She walked me through my first biga loaf & it was to die for.

[cbayer]

30. OK, i have started the NYT recipe.

I only had regular yeast, so I mixed it with some warmish water first and let it sit for 5 minutes before adding.

The dough did seem to be the consistency described.

As to the plastic wrap, it wouldn't stick around the edges of the bowl, so it is sitting on top of the dough. Not tight, but on top of it. Is that OK?

I put it in the oven, because it is not 70 degrees anywhere else except in the sunlight. Hopefully I can make dinner without the oven tonight.

I don't think I will even look at it until tomorrow.

:scared:

[Warpy]

34. You didn't have to proof the yeast, at all

I use dried yeast bought in bulk at the food co-op, just a pinch, even less than the NYT calls for.

The plastic wrap will stick to the sponge, but that's OK. Just scrape it off as best you can with floured hands tomorrow.

You can shape the dough over the bowl with your hands, just keep folding it under until it feels like your earlobe. Flour your hands as needed. The more you shape it, the finer the crumb will be. Just don't treat it roughly or you'll deflate all those lovely bubbles completely.

A lot of us have had success plopping the dough into a bowl lined with parchment paper and transferring the whole business to the hot Dutch oven. I usually line a shallow bowl with a Silpat and use that to dump the dough into the oven after the second rise. You do need to corral it in something, even a frypan would be OK.

Your boat is going to smell like heaven.

[cbayer]

35. It is in the oven and smells incredible.

It came off the plastic fine this morning, but I don't think I folded it enough, as it stuck badly to the cloth when I went to put it in the dutch oven. It also had not risen very much at all.

I am taking the top off the dutch oven in about 10 minutes.

:scared:

[Warpy]

36. Even if you get a bread cookie

slice it thin and toast it. It will be ambrosial.

[cbayer]

37. Top off and it looked pretty good and smells even better.

Managed to only burn myself a little (Dutch Oven is a very, very tight fit in my little oven). Five more minutes and I take it out. I am going to a slice with butter no matter what it looks like.

:woohoo:

[Warpy]

39. If you don't want a gummy center, let it rest for at least an hour

The stuff cooks from the outside in and no matter how gorgeous that first slice looks, the middle will not look so gorgeous and cutting into it will release the heat it needs to continue cooking thoroughly.

[cbayer]

41. Oops, too late and you are right.

I just couldn't help myself!! I had to have a slice, but it was still cooking from the inside and is a little gummy in there.

That's ok. Those first slices were worth it and I will know better next time.

DH is eating it up and loves the crust, so he is cutting off pieces from the edges.

:hi:

[supernova]

40. So, how's it taste?!?

:bounce:

[cbayer]

42. Wonderful, just wonderful!

I did cut into it to soon. I tried to wait, but I just couldn't.

But it didn't rise as much as it should, so there are lots of crusty, delicious pieces and not as much center as there might be. And what is in the center is FULL of air little air holes!

:bounce:

[cbayer]

38. OMG, Y'all!! It came out great!

It is crunchy on the outside, soft and chew on the inside and absolutely delicious.

It's a little dense and I don't know how it will be when it cools off completely, but I am soooooo happy.

Thanks so much to everyone for their help and support. I couldn't have done it without you.

:woohoo: :bounce: :woohoo: