That is made my first edible bread π after uncountable failure attempts finally yesterday with the first day of my baking course I managed it π
At this point of time I am so happy that I can’t explain… he he. There are a few wrinkles on one but that can be improved later infact the other two are more or less wrinkle free
I specially like this one, though the shape is pretty simple this one is almost perfect
And here is the crumb shot
If I look back on what I was doing before and what I did yesterday in the class, I think I have two major learnings to take home
- The kneading : I was always kneading the flour no doubt but man never knew had to knead so much. I kneaded it for about 25 minutes yesterday slowly adding water to it all along. Basically the more you knead it and add moisture to it the softer the bread that comes out, aΒ good test is that take a small piece in your hand and it should be able to stretch to a thin very thin sheet without holes.
- Yeast : As I always always always suspected its the yeast, I worked with fresh yeast yesterday the first time in my life and here see my bread π and they sell fresh yeast too….
PS: I have not been able to reply to any of your comments in the past post, life feels like running on a fast track right now… will do it ASAP
Edited to Add: On popular demand as lots of you have asked me the recipe of this bread… here it is
Ingredients
- Maida – 500gms
- Salt – 10 gms (u can go easy here and add about 8 too)
- Sugar – 20 gms
- YeastΒ 15 gm (we used fresh yeast, bread has never worked for me with dry yeast, try at ur own risk)
- Water – 300 gm
- Fat – 20 gm (use ghee, olive oil or any other oil.Avoid using butter as it has too much moisture)
Method
- Mix yeast and sugar in 100 ml of water and keep seperately for about 10 mins
- Mix salt and flour together and then make a well in the centre.
- Pour the yeast solution and water in the centre of the well and make a dough out of it.
- Knead Knead and some more knead, when will one know when the dough is ready the typically the “WindowPane test” aka gluten test or membrane test. Basically when u take a piece in your hand and stretch it should not break. See this video for understanding what I mean.
src=”http://www.youtube.com/v/iyb86ECObTM&hl=en_GB&fs=1&” type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” allowscriptaccess=”always” allowfullscreen=”true” width=”480″ height=”385″>
The video says he is kneaded it for 10 minutes I think he is God if he has achieved that consistency in 10 minutes, in the last week the two times that I have kneaded the dough about 30 minutes atleast.
- Add the oil and knead a little more
- Cover the dough and keep aside for about 45 mins – 1 hour, a good test on when the fermentation is done is that when u slightly depress the dough it should NOT spring back
- After the dough is done with raising and fermentation, do a knockback on the dough i.e. remove all the air from the fermented dough. Basically tap the dough with your hand a couple of times.
- Divide the dough into equal parts and Roll the dough inwards keeping it smooth and wrinkle free (this will come only with pratice). U can roll it in any shapes. You tube is full of lovely videos of how to shape, here is one with basic shapes
src=”http://www.youtube.com/v/7MVHDdDtuRc&hl=en_GB&fs=1&” type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” allowscriptaccess=”always” allowfullscreen=”true” width=”480″ height=”385″>
and this one explains braiding
src=”http://www.youtube.com/v/92WEVn3iO14&hl=en_GB&fs=1&” type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” allowscriptaccess=”always” allowfullscreen=”true” width=”640″ height=”385″>
- Keep it for proving for about 30 minutes in a closed place, a kitchen drawer works perfect
- Brush with milk/egg and bake at 200 C for about 15 mins or till done
I really can’t believe myself that I am writing this post, there are so many number of times I have screwed up the bread and Mandy had to do a step by step post for me but still it didnt happen
And now finally I have done and it and posting it π
sraboneyghose said:
WOW!
monikamanchanda said:
π π
Shilpa said:
wow…. tats super cool….. π
monikamanchanda said:
thank u shilpa
Nimmy said:
Simply Wow Monika..I have ried many times,but never got a good result..You have prompted me to try again..The texture is too good ,i can see it from the sliced bread..And yes,the baking seems perfect,the colour is just perfect…
I have read on fresh yeast,but never saw in grocery..
Again,congrats..I too feel happy because I love to bake bread…
monikamanchanda said:
hey thanks i know what u mean because I have suffered the same fate so many times
Nimmy said:
I don’t feel like going from here..Your bread is really amazing..
monikamanchanda said:
awwww that is so sweet nimmy thanks
Nimmy said:
Can you sent me the recipe..please…..
monikamanchanda said:
yeah will type it out in the weekend and send it to u
Supmm said:
Wow Mon the breads look so yumm…I need to get started on this as my next project now π
monikamanchanda said:
he he all the best dear
Deepti said:
very nice..:))..its come out awsum..:)…1 dum bakery ke jaise..:)
monikamanchanda said:
thank u deepti so pahla test pass?
Booklover said:
Does look very inviting, especially in the morning π
Also, I noticed that you’ve written a lot of book reviews on your blog, and written it well too. I want to invite you to become part of the Book Reviews blog.
You can re-post all your reviews (including old ones) there and let booklovers know what you thought of books. Let me know if your interested and I’ll send you an invite to join us as a member of the blog.
You can write to me at bookreviews@bookrack.in
monikamanchanda said:
thanks for the info will send u a mail
Phoenixritu said:
Looks yummy! There is nothing like a fresh baked roll. Recipe please
monikamanchanda said:
absolutely… will send u the recipe
Prats said:
Mubarakan!! Badhai ho ji….The bread looks yummy
monikamanchanda said:
thank u ji thank u
myamusingmind said:
wow..looks yumm and beautiful as well π Where do you get fresh yeast ?
monikamanchanda said:
yeah thats a big problem I searched like mad before but didnt find it but now icblr sells it
Swaram said:
Wowww! I really really want to join this course π
Congrats Monika .. I ws waiting for ur updates since sday π
monikamanchanda said:
come swaram it will be so much fun together
masood said:
yummm. looks good π
masood said:
Surely you just walked into a good bakery and took snaps! π
monikamanchanda said:
ha ha ha
starsinmeyes said:
Awesome! Can almost smell that freshly baked aroma!
monikamanchanda said:
oh yes baking aroma wow
UmaS said:
Thats so awesome. Recipe please…Me to want to do it. π
monikamanchanda said:
yeah will post it
Aathira said:
The next thing I am planning on getting myself is a oven.. I love baking and I am unable to do anything in the present microwave that I have, which I use for reheating and cooking pasta π¦
monikamanchanda said:
yeah the oven is the best… go invest in it
its an excellent invenstement
Pal said:
OMG! That looks SOOOO GOOOD!!!! Absolutely delicious Mon. Oooh, I wanna bite :-(((((
monikamanchanda said:
come over pal we will have it together
Iya said:
good job girl.. this looks yum and i am sure it tasted yum too
monikamanchanda said:
yeah it did
Mamma Mia! Me a Mamma?!? said:
Wow oh wow, Mon! They look perfect! Congrats and yaay!
I’ve always, ALWAYS loved the smell of bread baking in an oven π
monikamanchanda said:
yeah its just heavenly
Deeps said:
Wow! Amazing, Monika!
monikamanchanda said:
thanks deeps
Shankari said:
Wow! Bread looks amazing! It is so gratifying if the end result looks so good π Happy eating!
monikamanchanda said:
oh yes it certainly does
Smitha said:
Wow, Monika! It has come out so well! Absolutely perfect! I feel like eating it right now! and I feel like baking right now! It
monikamanchanda said:
go ahead and bake one smitha
Trish said:
wowww woww Mons!Its amazing!Looks perfect and I love the crumb shot!
BTW,how is fresh yeast different from dried yeast mixture?
monikamanchanda said:
see this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baker%27s_yeast
there are pics of fresh yeast and dried yeast and explains the diff also
Trish said:
thanx,mon
monikamanchanda said:
any day sweety
monika said:
Looks perrfect π Well done girl!
monikamanchanda said:
thank u namesake
mystic margarita said:
Wow! And double wow!
monikamanchanda said:
thank u dear
shilpadesh said:
I hereby declare you the desi Martha Stewart! Amazing!
monikamanchanda said:
LOL I like that
Solilo said:
So proud of you, girl! when you told me that you are starting baking classes, I knew that you would excel in it.
It’s time to start a new blog dedicated to baking goodies. Lesser mortals like moi can drool and get tips.
monikamanchanda said:
na sols no additional blog I already have way more than I can handle on my plate
Goofy Mumma said:
Wow Monu! Superb. Well done girl. I am surely taking lessons from you, when I come…… The bread looks superb, and PROFESSIONAL. I mean it. Well done. You go girl, go!
monikamanchanda said:
thank u so much GM
Smita said:
Gosh! This is homemade??? Doesn’t look like!! It has such a professional look to it!!
Pat ur back dear π of course from my side π
monikamanchanda said:
he he done dear
Shruti said:
looks totally yummm… when r u calling us over??? π
monikamanchanda said:
anytime shruti
Pixie said:
Where did my previous comment go?
Anyways, will say it again – the bread looks delicious… π
monikamanchanda said:
which comment never got any even checked spam
Munchkin's Mom said:
awe-frikkin-some! that looks so good…i want to reach out and take a bite…great going Mom….cant wait to see all the other goodies you’ll be making π
monikamanchanda said:
coming up soon π
Sakshi said:
Homemade bread? sniff…sniff… I want my mommy π₯ she used to bake such awesome ones.
This is your first time π― and it came out so gorgeous? Taaliyaan
monikamanchanda said:
lets correct that sakshi this is my first edible one π
Niveditha said:
You baked that bread??? OMG! Did you learn it on tv from Rachel Allen’s bake?!
And wow! you really have some talent! Adopt me as your little big child and feed me to no end! π
Pragati said:
Good show!!! In these early dayz of matrimony, with the ever increasing desire to do newer cokking for hubby dear… The thot of making bread at home had crossed my mind just yesterday… guess i know to seek help from now :)…
Lovely it looks…way to go… absolutely tempting… and ya… hope they’ll b all wrinkle free in future… cheers!
Mandar said:
Super cool π
how do we know said:
Hey Congratulations! This is AWESOME
Reema said:
u have joined a baking course!! wow!
Meera said:
Hi Monika,
Yummy Bread. Can you suggest the right kind oven to buy and where to buy it in Bangalore?
Cheers,
Meera
mandira said:
good job,Mon!! i told you you cud do it.. it just take a couple of tries.. and lots of wasted maida before u can get it right!:)
Srishty said:
Hi Monika Di, I landed here from IHM. Loving it so far. π
Have you tried baking bread with wheat flour as well? Please share the link, if you have. π