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Posted at 11:02AM, 23 October 2008 by Emily Boyce - Sub-editor, bbcgoodfood.com

It's often been suggested that I'm old before my time, and this weekend I seem to have strengthened the case against me - my Sunday was spent not in a hungover haze, but sporting a floral Cath Kidston apron, wielding a wooden spoon and baking my own bread.

What felt like an inspired activity to pass a rainy day turns out to be part of a bit of a zeitgeist. Let's not mention the dreaded C-word, but it seems the economic situation has caused many of us to turn to more wholesome pursuits, with sales of bread flour and baking utensils soaring .

It might not make much actual difference to our shopping bills - bread prices may have risen sharply, but it's still not exactly the most extravagant item weighing down our shopping baskets. And when you factor in how long it takes to make your own bread, time being money and all, it doesn't necessarily make a lot of sense. But, for many of us, being holed up in the kitchen with a ball of dough is becoming a substitute for retail therapy.

I know kneading is meant to be good for 'letting it all out', but after about 30 seconds, I've nothing left to give.

Becks, Good Food's cookery assistant, insists on handmaking her bread the old-fashioned way - and very yummy it is too. I, on the other hand, had never been tempted to produce a repeat of the leaden brick that was the result of my first attempt at breadmaking in my school years. I know kneading is meant to be good for 'letting it all out', but after about 30 seconds, I've nothing left to give.

So I was helped along by my shiny new Kenwood Chef, whose dough hook magically put in the elbow grease on my behalf. The result? 12 doll's house-sized cottage rolls (I had hoped they might 'prove' a little more than they did!). Still, the texture was pretty good, crusty on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and they certainly proved very tasty, especially when still warm from the oven.

Now I'm planning to whip up Chelsea buns, soda bread, perhaps a focaccia... Have you been tempted to bake your own bread?

Comments

Girl Flower

23 October 2008, 1:04PM
Girl Flower

Im really tempted to bake my own bread. I have been and got the loaf tin and the recipes (from this site, having also collected rather optimistically the Focaccia recipes too!) and my next shopping trip will be for bread baking ingredients. I do however have one question.. what does to 'prove' mean?

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JANET

23 October 2008, 1:25PM
JANET

I've been making my own bread for a long time. Used to use a bread machine but as I found it difficult to adapt recipes I now use my KitchenAid for the kneading. I make everything from baguettes to fruit loaf to plain white to walnut. I still get excited about going to the bowl and seeing the "magic" of the dough doubling in size. Girl Flower - to prove means leaving the dough in a warm place until it has grown. To be honest I don't worry too much nowadays about finding a warm place, it rises just as well at normal or even cool room temperature, just takes longer. You can even leave it overnight which can save time too. Good luck.

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betterinfood.com

23 October 2008, 4:48PM
betterinfood.com

Itâ��s a tempting idea to bake premium bread. I got lot of recipes for loaf. I know everything from baguettes to fruit loaf to plain white bread. Baking is something I feel passionate about. There is so much stuff available to cook and enjoy.

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Belit

23 October 2008, 7:30PM
Belit

I make all of our bread myself. Well, my husband certainly does his part too. It's cheaper, healthier, tastier, and stays fresh a bit longer. A good idea is to make a mixture of rough, including a variety of seeds, with salt and honey, pour over boiling water to cover, and let stand for a couple of hours. Then make bread in your normal way including this mixture, and you'll find your bread turns out moister, tastier and very good for you indeed!

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AdrianB

24 October 2008, 7:20AM
AdrianB

I think it was last week's business trip to Munich that has seen me try and perfect the home-baked pretzel technique over the last few nights. I've tried boiling the dough before baking as I thought this might give it the nutty brown sheen that you get on a good bagel... but the results are very touch and go so far. Maldon Sea Salt on the top works brilliantly... dipping in Dijon works too, but it's still too "doughy"... the quest continues.

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Mrs B

25 October 2008, 10:44PM
Mrs B

Baking bread is a part of our weekly routine we use our bread maker set to dough and then finish the kneeding and shaping by hand and bake it in the oven as this gives a much better result than baking it in the maker itself, 90% of our meals are prepared from scratch I buy what we need for the week but always have some standbys in the freezer birds eye fish fingers, some frozen veg, a lot of food prices have shot up but if you plan ahead and put some thought into your shopping list it doesn't have to cost the earth

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Mrs Chutney

27 October 2008, 7:36AM
Mrs Chutney

I have always made brown rolls using half brown & half strong white flours. Easy to do and taste wonderful. The last batch which I made was from flour still warm from grinding as our local mill had a rare open day. They freeze well and can easily be softened in the microwave, that is if there are any left.

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Juno

29 October 2008, 2:36PM
Juno

I have always baked my own bread but I'm afraid I don't have the patience for waiting for yeast dough to prove so I make Irish soda bread instead. It can be made and out of the oven in less than an hour and fills the house with the nicest aroma.

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Mrs Chutney

31 October 2008, 7:31AM
Mrs Chutney

Receipe for Brown Rolls 1 teaspoon brown sugar 1/4pt boiling water 1/4 pt very cold water 2 teaspoon dried yeast. 1/2lb Brown Flour 1/2lb Strong white flour 1 teaspn salt 2 tablespn. Oil of choice Oven Reg 7 Put boiling water onto sugar, stir to dissolve. Add cold water, then stir in yeast. Leave to bubble & froth. (I find this never fails and if the yeast is old/damp etc you find out quickly without spoiling the flour) Mix flours & salt with oil. Once yeast mix is frothy add that to dry ingredients. Mix till dough leaves sides of bowl clean (you may need to add water or flour to achieve this) Take a small handfull of dough, roll into balls & place on greased baking tray. Leave in a warm place to rise. (I find the top of a double oven whilst it is reaching temperature ideal.) Pop in oven and wait till well risen and crusty. Enjoy!

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Pip-a-doodle

8 November 2008, 10:53PM
Pip-a-doodle

I was brought up with my mother making bread every Tuesday morning. I make my own now that I have left home, but work gets in the way, so unable to keep the Tuesday Tradition.

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Cassandra Amy Rose

19 December 2009, 12:16PM
Cassandra Amy Rose

I do sometimes make bread, the Kenwood chef certainly is great 4 kneading. BTW, I'm 12, so if anyones getting old b4 there time its me!

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