Reply to: AtW has the right idea

[Lucifer Box]

As long as you bring some of the butternut squash soup, you're in. Maybe we should have a CUK dinner party?

Try getting hold of the last jerusalem artichokes of the season - they make sublime cream soup.

I've never tried using a starter dough, that sounds like a great idea. In fact, I may go the whole hog and try some sourdough bread soon.

I made some foccacia bread this evening (in fact it's rising now). Lots of lovely fresh rosemary from the garden and will be brushing it liberally with rosemary infused olive oil shortly and a good sprinkle of sea salt.

[hyperD]

I'm coming over to yours I think - food sounds great!

No great secrets on the French bread - nice and light. Using a starter dough mix gives a crustier outside but I cheated and just used the basics and let it rise for a few hours. Like you - hot oven, none of that spraying although oil on the outside of the bread (especially focaccia) makes it crunchy.

Leaving it in the oven and accidently forgetting about it for half an hour gives rise to a brown, rock hard crust that can defeat most dentures! Doh! (or should that be Dough!?!)

Like the potato water tip.

[Lucifer Box]

Thanks! I am actually! Just making some bread this afternoon - quick 10 min coffee break earlier - flour, yeast, salt, water and olive oil - into a baguette shape for now - nice french bread for tonight with the homemade butternut squash soup! Mmmmmm! Brownie points awarded by Mrs hyperD hopefully so I can get a few cheeky online games of Unreal Tournament with some mates this weekend!

How did the French bread turn out, hyperD? Do you have any fancy oven techniques to get that authentic French crust?

Tonight it was homemade cream of courgette soup (which Mrs Lucifer wasn't too fond of) accompanied by spelt bread - spelt flour, yeast, sea salt, water, honey and olive oil. Followed by baked trout with capers (which Mrs Lucifer wasn't too fond of either). Never mind, I enjoyed them all thoroughly and until she became Mrs Lucifer she was a lifelong TV dinner eater, so I'm working on it.

LB's bread making tip for today: save the water after you have boiled potatoes and use it when making white bread. Makes the bread wonderfully light.

[hyperD]

Nice loaves there, hyperD - well done. You are clearly a frustrated artist!

Thanks! I am actually! Just making some bread this afternoon - quick 10 min coffee break earlier - flour, yeast, salt, water and olive oil - into a baguette shape for now - nice french bread for tonight with the homemade butternut squash soup! Mmmmmm! Brownie points awarded by Mrs hyperD hopefully so I can get a few cheeky online games of Unreal Tournament with some mates this weekend!

[Lucifer Box]

Agreed on that LB - I even use their pasta flour which is good.

I do like to make fancy shapes for my bread though so probably wont buy a bread maker.

Nice loaves there, hyperD - well done. You are clearly a frustrated artist!

[hyperD]

hyperD: As mentioned earlier, a machine can take the drudgery out of the kneading stage. There again kneading is really good for cleaning your nails.

LOL! That's true threaded, but there's something quite therapeutic about fondling bread while thinking about the "test please delete" thread...

[sasguru]

Cheers guys. Looking forward to it.

[scotspine]

Welcome to the world of home baked bread that actually tastes of something other than salt, hydrogenated fats and fungicide spray!

Don't skimp by buying crappy flour - you will taste the difference. I can highly recommend the Dove's Farm range.

me too. a recipe i have evolved is 25% organic wholemeal, 25% organic spelt, 50% organic strong white. with all the above, viz pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, olive oil etc. all organic, no sugar or milk powder.

[threaded]

hyperD: As mentioned earlier, a machine can take the drudgery out of the kneading stage. There again kneading is really good for cleaning your nails.

[hyperD]

Agreed on that LB - I even use their pasta flour which is good.

I do like to make fancy shapes for my bread though so probably wont buy a bread maker.

[Lucifer Box]

Have just placed an order ....

Welcome to the world of home baked bread that actually tastes of something other than salt, hydrogenated fats and fungicide spray!

Don't skimp by buying crappy flour - you will taste the difference. I can highly recommend the Dove's Farm range.

[sasguru]

Sounds like a real breakthrough in bread machine technology. That is high praise indeed.

Have just placed an order ....

[Lucifer Box]

made my own off & on for 20 years or so and tried a few machines along the way. up until i tried the panasonic, i'd have agreed with you lb, but now it's a no-brainer. mr panasonic makes exceedingly good loaves.

Sounds like a real breakthrough in bread machine technology. That is high praise indeed.

[scotspine]

Nowt wrong with those to get you started, but doing it yourself isn't hard or time consuming, and it tastes even better. A good compromise is to let the bread machine knead the dough for you (which is what it does well) and when it's done that take it out and bake it in the oven yourself (which is the bit the bread machines do poorly).

And no matter what the machine manufacturer tells you, you don't need to add any sugar (although sometimes a little honey can give a nice flavour if you are using spelt flour). Try to avoid the extra fast yeast as well, that contains a lot of chemical nasties. Stick to the old fashioned dried or fresh yeast (and contrary to all advice, you don't need to activate fresh yeast with water and sugar - just bung it in with the flour).

made my own off & on for 20 years or so and tried a few machines along the way. up until i tried the panasonic, i'd have agreed with you lb, but now it's a no-brainer. mr panasonic makes exceedingly good loaves.

[Lucifer Box]

Yep - I did the same I think using Abel & Cole - mixed results. Ended up doing my own like you.

What I was thinking is once you've got your potential customer into the bread taste then you have to make sure you can supply it to him. Tricky unless you look into partnership delivery options like Abel & Cole etc

You're absolutely right. The delivery or retailing partnership is the key to becoming successful fast. That's how the home made puddings woman did it (Liz Dove Puddings) after nearly giving up.

The key to making life easy is to identify that high perceived value but easy to make in volume product and offer combination deals (e.g. home made rolls). Oh and of course, pray you don't poison someone and get your arse sued off.