Bread basics

I'll start off with something I know fairly well, having been raised with baking bread as a regular event. I have many memories of helping my Mum make 3 dozen bread rolls, daily, to feed our perpetually hungry family (yes, a large family of 9 children). I was with her and Dad when they decided to invest in their own flour mill. How exciting! That mill is still going strong, working away in our house now. The mill we use is from Retsel and it has the attachment to grind manually.

Sourcing organic wheat grain hadn't been a real issue until recently. With drought and economy pressures, the closest supplier I could find was through The Green Line. I must thank a good friend for her recommendation to ask at that company. We weren't having any success in our local vicinity.

Once a week is baking day, either Monday or Wednesday depending on our schedule. We mill our flour fresh, freezing any excess to use in muffins, pancakes, etc.

Before we had been graciously given this mill from my parents, I used to buy wholemeal flour, but it's lost a lot of it's sweet taste and nutritional value.

There are many bread recipes out there and it's fun experimenting with your preferences. I found a 'no knead' recipe which works really well, so I stick with this now.

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Basic Bread -
 

5 cups whole wheat flour

2 1/2 tsp bread improver

1 tsp salt

600ml warm water

1 tsp honey

3 tsp dry yeast

1 tsp cold pressed oil (we use olive or safflower)

Mix the flour, bread improver and salt together in a large bowl.

In another bowl, or jug, stir the honey, yeast and oil into the water.

Pour liquid over the flour and leave a couple of mins. to react.

Stir through. I cheat now and use the dough hook attachments on my Sunbeam mixer. This means it does get kneaded, but it still turns out well.

Cover with a damp teatowel and let sit to double in size. I found this can take around 30 - 45 mins. I put the bowl into a slightly warm oven, door closed to avoid drafts and then set the timer.

Come back and punch down the dough. Give it another quick 'knead' with the mixer, or turn out and work it a little by hand. Shape into bread rolls (I get 16 from this recipe), or a loaf. Place on trays or into loaf tin.

Leave it to rise again, around 30 mins.

Bake at 180degC for 30 mins. You can check it's cooked when you turn it out. Tap it on the bottom; it should sound hollow inside.

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We use this recipe for pizza bases also. Yummm!

If you want to make a lighter loaf, substitute half of the flour for unbleached white. Sometimes we also use part rye or corn (polenta), or add herbs and sunflower seeds ... just HAVE FUN!