Bread
Making on Board
In February, two afternoons were given over to a practical class on =
this
topic, aboard yacht “Ariadne”. Each class had four participants=
- and
all had the opportunity to observe and practice the steps “neededR=
21;
(sorry!) to bake bread.
![](3D"B-BreadMaking.htm_files/image002.jpg")
As promised=
, all
the stages - measuring, mixing, kneading, standing, shaping and baking - we=
re
demonstrated. However, given the time constraints of the class, the
demonstration steps were not necessarily shown in the right order!
A loaf, pre-prepared and ready to bake, was put in “Ariadne=
217;s”
oven, and while it was baking, there was a demonstration of measuring and
mixing. There was lots of hands-on practice, with everyone having the
opportunity to measure and to mix the flour, yeast and water - learning by
experiment and observation.
![](3D"B-BreadMaking.htm_files/image004.jpg")
In addition=
, some
dough which had been prepared earlier and left standing for a couple of hou=
rs,
was used to demonstrate how to form various loaf shapes, including IainR=
17;s
“invention” - the Dolly Parton.
Over tea, the freshly baked bread was sampled, along with an example=
of “deli
bread” which Iain had baked the day before. All attendees left with their own d=
ough, ready
to bake in their own ovens.
Feedback has been very positive and some “Navigators” ha=
ve
been bitten by the baking bug. AND thanks
to all who attended, we raised €25 in donations for the Children̵=
7;s
Home!
Iain Buchanan
Note from Terry.
The notes which were handed out at the classes include three recipes
from “Ariadne’s” Recipe Book. Iain has agreed to make these avai=
lable
to all “Navigators”, and they are attached to this short
report. If you want to show y=
our
appreciation, just drop something extra in your “Coins for the
Kids” bottle, or leave it on “Ariadne” or
“Selene”! Many th=
anks
to Iain for the classes and the report!
Baking Bread on Board - Iain Buchanan, “Ariadne”.
This handou=
t is a
summary of the material covered in class, covering ingredients, equipment, =
the
basic steps in bread-making, some recipes and pointers to further material.=
Ingredients
Bread can b=
e made
simply from flour, yeast, water and usually salt. At home I would use strong
white bread flour and whole-meal bread flour, while in Portugal I use Farin=
ha
de Trigo (Tipo 65) for white and Farinha (de Trigo) Integral for whole-meal.
Pingo Doce, Intermarche and Modelo all stock flour, but do be careful to lo=
ok
for the above descriptions. Other white flours will probably not give as go=
od a
dough. You will also find whi=
te
flours com/sem fermento, where com fermento is self-raising. Thomas Green s=
ells
Allinsons flours - expensive but good quality. The Tipo 65 flour costs 40 t=
o 75
cents per kilogram, and the Integral 85 cents to €1.40 per 500g.
Yeast is ei=
ther
fresh - not found by me in Portugal - or dried. The dried yeast can either =
be
used straight from the packet, or may need to be mixed with water (and perh=
aps
a dash of flour) before use. The instructions will be on the packet. You sh=
ould
look for levaduro (de panaderia) in the supermarkets - it comes packaged as
four to six sachets, costing €1.20 to €1.40, and a sachet will
usually be sufficient for 250g or 500g of flour. Note that fermento is usua=
lly
baking powder. Again the supermarkets and Thomas Green stock the dried yeas=
t,
though you may have to hunt a bit. If you bring the 125g packets from UK -
costing about £1.25 - it is much more economical.
While on co=
sts, we
estimate that we use about 60 cents of cooking gas per day for all our need=
s,
so the bread - baked two or three times a week - is not costing very much in
fuel.
Equipment
In terms of=
tools,
we need to be able to measure weights and volumes, mix the ingredients and =
bake
the shaped dough. To measure, some subset of graduated containers, measuring
cups and scales will suffice. Ordinary mixing bowls are fine. To bake, I
normally use either a baking tray and silicone mat, or a loaf tin. The baki=
ng
tray should be as heavy as possible. Again, loaf tins should be of good
quality, but you can also get shaped silicone containers. Local supermarkets
carry these items, though Modelo has the most consistent stock and one of t=
heir
baking ranges is of good quality. None of these items are expensive and the=
y do
not wear out, though the silicone mats can deteriorate with use. Keep away =
from
sharp objects!
If you are =
keen -
and prepared to clean the oven afterwards - a baker’s peel allows you=
to
put bread into an oven with the plate already hot, and with no need for the
silicone mat.
Basic Steps
In a sense =
there is
one meta-recipe for bread with the steps being:- measure; mix; knead; raise; shape; bake.
Every bread=
recipe
is a refinement of this basic sequence, perhaps elaborating aspects of it, =
and
even on occasion omitting a step - such as knead! The two main issues in bread-makin=
g are
being familiar with your ingredients and with your oven. If you change a br=
and
of flour or use different makes of yeast, you may need to make some
adjustments, for example to the measures used, your mixing style, or the ti=
me
to let the dough rise. None of this is any different from our experiences in
cooking and other endeavours - it just takes observation and experience.
* Measuring=
is usually
straightforward, but remember that a recipe is an invitation to cook, and i=
t is
the evidence of your eyes, or hands, that determines how to proceed.
* Mixing may look a=
little
daunting to a newcomer, but observation and practice make it routine. Some
doughs are so wet they cannot be mixed on the work surface, and alternative
techniques have to be used.
* Kneadi=
ng
is what defines bread-making for many people, but some (very famous) bakers
have (re)invented recipes where the dough is not kneaded in the conventional
way, though sometimes it gets additional handling.
* Raisin=
g
the dough is straightforward. All the work is done by the yeast, and you are
free to do other things for the appropriate time. This step is also called
proving or standing.
* Shapin=
g
dough is the process of forming into a baton or a round loaf, or putting the
dough into a tin. Having got this far, you are of course able to make rolls=
and
pizza bases. It is just a different target shape.
* Baking=
is
all done for you by the oven. You need to keep an eye (and nose) open, almo=
st
certainly manipulate the oven temperature, and maybe handle the partly-baked
bread. Bread is normally baked in a “falling” oven.
A Basic Bread Recipe (after Elizabeth David)
Flour &=
nbsp; -
12 oz (350g) white and 8 oz (240g) whole-meal (or proportions to your likin=
g)
Water &=
nbsp; -
12 fl oz (350 ml)
Dried yeast=
- 1 teaspoo=
n (or
per instructions on the sachet)
Salt &=
nbsp; -
to taste
Combine the=
flours,
add yeast and salt and pour in most of the water. Mix, then knead, by hand
until appearance is uniform and dough is elastic - traditionally 10 minutes=
or
so. You may have to add some more water, or flour if you have over-watered,=
but
you will soon get a feel for how the dough is progressing. Put dough back in
mixing bowl, cover with a tea towel and stand, hopefully in a warm place, f=
or
about two hours. It should at least double in volume. Knock back gently, th=
en
shape as required in greased tins or free form. Stand covered for about 45
minutes. It will rise again. Pre-heat oven to 220º C, bake the loaf fo=
r 15
minutes, then 15 minutes each at 200º C then 180º C. Remove and c=
ool
on wire rack.
Other Ingredients
Health food=
shops
and the “biologic” sections in supermarkets will often have oth=
er
flours, including rye flour (Farinha de Centeio), and ingredients which can=
be
incorporated in your recipes - seeds, nuts, wheat germ … Remember that
bread-making is doing the best with what you have got … mashed potato=
es,
cooked rice, fried onions, milk, olive oil, yoghurt ….it’s up to
you!
Books
“Maki=
ng Bread
at Home” Tom Jaine. Very Good, with many straightforward recipes from
Europe and elsewhere.
“Engl=
ish
Bread and Yeast Cookery” Elizabeth David. A classic in the E David mo=
uld,
erudite and engaging, if you like her style.
“Sund= ay Times’ Book Of Real Bread”. I found this in a second-hand books= hop back home. You could try websites such as Abebooks and Amazon. The book was published some time ago as a reaction against the poor state of British bre= ad making. It is sort of celebrity style, but not in the contemporary manner.<= o:p>
“The =
Handmade
Loaf”, Dan Leppard. A classic by the baker’s baker. Leppard has
worked with the best London restaurants and inspired a generation of bakers=
. It
is more than a set of recipes - part travelogue, part social history, but
focusing on the inventiveness of European bakers and their need to make the
best of what they have.
Web Sites
I have not =
used any
systematically, but one which looks interesting (maybe a bit geeky) is
www.thefreshloaf.com
More Recipes<=
/b>
You can bak=
e a
variety of breads by working with the weights and volumes in the recipe abo=
ve,
but varying the flours - say 75% strong white and 25% rye - or adding a lit=
tle
olive oil (1-2 tablespoons) or some yoghurt instead of water …
Cumin and Poppy Seed Rolls (makes 12)=
225g (8oz) =
each of
white and wholemeal flour
1 teaspoon =
dried
yeast (or per instructions on sachet)
1 teaspoon =
honey
100ml (4 fl=
oz)
milk and 150ml (¼ pint) water
2 teaspoon =
cumin
seeds (cominho)
1½ t=
easpoons
salt
25g (1 oz) =
butter
2 tablespoo=
ns poppy
seeds (sementes de papoula)
Mix then kn=
ead all
the ingredients except the poppy seeds. Stand until doubled. Punch down then
divide into 12. Shape then place, covered, on baking tray for 30 minutes. B=
rush
with water, sprinkle with poppy seeds then bake 20 minutes at 200º C. =
Deli Bread (as per Dan Leppard)
1 small oni=
on,
thinly sliced
6 tablespoo=
ns
vegetable (or olive) oil
5 tablespoo=
ns
mashed potato
150ml (5 fl=
oz)
water
300g (10 oz=
) white
flour and 100g (3½ oz) rye flour
2½ teaspoon
caraway seeds (sementes de alcaravia)
yeast
salt
Fry onion i=
n oil
until golden brown then stand to cool.&nbs=
p;
Combine onion and oil with other ingredients, mix then knead. This w=
ill
feel different due to the oil and the potato. Stand until risen, knock back,
form loaf, then rest until risen again. Bake 35 minutes at 210º C then=
10
minutes at 180º C
Pitta (makes 8)
400g (14 oz=
) white
flour
230ml (8 fl=
oz)
water
1 tablespoo=
n olive
oil
2 teaspoon =
salt
Yeast
Mix ingredi=
ents and
knead thoroughly. Rest until doubled (c.1½ hours). Knock back, divide
into 8, form balls and rest 5 minutes. Roll out to ovals 5mm (¼̶=
0;)
thick. Cover and rest 20 minutes, then bake 6 minutes at 230º C.