Help with Leaven Bread

Don35 · Heavy Crude Joined: Feb 07, 2006 Posts: 114

We have 3 grain bins on the farm. One is filled with 4000 bushels of wheat. I'm grinding it with my grain mill, but I haven't made self rising flour yet. I've found recipes for adding baking powder or soda or whatever. We have tried sourdough and I have found a thread here on yeast. Would you share your experiences with bread making, leavening agents, recipes, etc. What have you mixed large quantities in? I've thought about a plastic concrete mixer to mix enough self rising flour to barter with. If TSHTF are we stuck with unleaven or sourdough bread? Thanks!
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RonMN · Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2008 6:40 am Post subject: Re: Help with Leaven Bread

I know nothing about leavening bread...but HEY...If TSHTF then tortillas will do Smile

Tortillas work with darn near everything.
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ivanillich · Tar Sands Joined: May 27, 2007 Posts: 32

Even if TSHTF, we're not stuck with unleavened bread. Yeast is everywhere. It's on the outside of fruits--e.g. the white stuff on grape skin. You sit a bowl of flour and water loosely covered on the counter and in two or three days, enough yeast will have colonized it to start it bubbling. And, since yeast produces alcohol as a waste product, it tends to out compete anything else that might get in there. Check out books on artisan bread making, e.g. Bread Alone.

I've always found bread risen with baking soda or powder to be far inferior to those risen with yeast. In other words, I think the flour itself is your best bet, no need to add a leavening agent.

taizee · Tar Sands Joined: Jun 22, 2008 Posts: 52

I like sour dough bread. Smile

I also like unleavened.

I grew up with Irish Soda bread, using bread soda and sour milk. The problem with soda bread is that once you mix all the ingredients it has to be baked immediately because that is when you are getting the chemical reaction. So these breads are generally done in small batches. traditionally done every day by hand. In old times they were put over the open fire in a cast iron griddle.

Yeast breads I used to do quite a bit with both fresh and dried yeast. Recipes...... I'll have to get back to you on that. I never did very large quantities so can't help there. What I do remember is that it was best to experiment on small batches, then you weren't left with too many inedible bricks. I also seem to remember the whole thing about "strong" flour with yeast baking. So perhaps your wheat may not be suitable for yeast, or may not get the perfect results.

good luck !
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alokin · Intermediate Crude Joined: Aug 24, 2007 Posts: 692

Bread making is the easiest thing of the world, much easier than any cake. You have not to weigh out anything.
I guess you know how to make a yeast dough (like any pizza dough, and you replace the white flour with whole flour), what I know it won't work with rye however you can add a bit of rye or other grains.

For the sourdough which is said to be healthier:
(It does not work that well in soaring heat)
A jar
A handfull of flour add water and stirr (consistency like pancake dough).
Add some flour (maybe 3 Tbs) each day with water stir vigorously.
The jar must be covered that flies stay out and air can go in.
After perhaps 4 days the dough should have bubbles and smell sour.

Then you make your bread dough adding more flour. Before adding salt and other grains take a handful of sourdough away to start the next batch. Then make as if for a normal yeast dough.
You use always a rye sourdough for rye bread, a wheat for wheat bread.

If not in use place the sourdough in the fridge.

allenwrench · Intermediate Crude Joined: Apr 23, 2008 Posts: 719

Wow that is 240,000 pounds of wheat. You win for having the most wheat!

I stock leavening agents unmixed and only mix enough self rising flour to last a few months at a time. My use is for pancakes and not bread. Too much chemicals and sodium for me - I prefer yeast in bread.

These chemicals are moisture sensitive, and can pick up moisture in the air over long periods of time and deteriorate some in their leavening abilities. Baking soda lasts the longest, but it requires some acid for use.

Eggs if you got them also help with rising. But they toughen the bread some. Milk give some nutrition but it darkens the crust.

My bread is either 100% whole wheat or a 50% mix with unbleached flour. Yeast, some sugar for rising and very little salt. Sometimes all water, other times it may have a couple of eggs in it.

If I get fancy I make Bavarian sourdough rye with sunflower seeds or cinnamon walnut raisin bread.