WHAT DID WE HAVE FOR TEA?

[Stanley]

Two poached eggs on toast for dinner, bowl of lamb stew out of the freezer for tea.

[Stanley]

I had a loaf that needed finishing so I treated myself to two good slices of ham from what used to be Harry Muff's shop in the square. So, simple ham butties X 2 for dinner and tea yesterday.

[Stanley]

Last crust of the old loaf toasted, grilled cheese on top and finished off with a small tin of Sild.... Bowl of lamb stew for tea.... Plenty of fruit for pudding.

[Stanley]

Made lamb pies yesterday.... Pie and peas is on the menu.

[hartley353]

Last night I made a spanish omelette for tea, probably 40 years since I last had one in the works canteen. It won't be another 40 till I try it again, very nice.

[Stanley]

Much to be said for home made meat pies....

[Stanley]

Meat pie and peas X 2 yesterday....

[hartley353]

Lovely piece of steak from a Stockport market stall, with home cut chips and mixed veg, we have totally given up on supermarket meat, it is all without flavour.

[Stanley]

Poached egg on toast for dinner and meat pie and peas for tea.
Must have a look at my bread-maker this morning. It gets well used and for a few weeks now has not been performing as it should. My loaves aren't rising properly. First IA will be to clean it out!

[LizG]

I buy my bread flour in 5kg bags and I find that I have to work out the water ratio again for each new bag. The liquid requirments can vary depending on the batch of wheat; another effect is the amount of gluten in the grain and therefore how well the loaf rises. (or so they tell me)

If there's nothing wrong with the bread maker try making the loaf on a shorter cycle.

[Stanley]

Liz, it's a bit of a puzzle because I always use the same flour and yeast and the same proportions of other ingredients. Normally everything is fine but of late all my loaves have sunken tops. I've given it a good clean out and to show how serious the situation is, I'm now reading the trouble-shooting section of the instructions! I can't see any reason why my normal recipe has failed but will try strict adherence the the maker's yeast and liquid quantities.

[PanBiker]

One thing you have to bear in mind is that a bread making machine does not really bake the bread like you do in the oven. It's more of a poaching procedure. The liquid quantities are adjusted compared to hand baking to cater for this. I know you produce regularly so out of date ingredients are not likely to be the cause. Any failures I have ever had in bread making have always been with the machine never the old fashioned way in the oven which is why I prefer that method. I could be the timing cycle - too long between final rise and bake, something like that. Can you try a different program setting? that might give an indication of whether it's the machine.

[LizG]

I had the same problem with sunken tops for a while and went to talk to our local professionals. Sunken top means too much water, rough top means not enough water. This led to the discussion about the flour that I buy from them. They recommended using the rapid bake cycle for all loaves.

I also find it easier to make a 600g flour loaf than a 500g flour loaf in my machine. For some reason it holds the final rise better.

Ian is correct about the hand versus machine methods, much more control by hand, but not nearly as easy as pushing the button and walking away!

The good thing is that although it might look NQR it still tastes good.

[Stanley]

I shall wait and see how the next loaf turns out.... I have an idea it is the machine, it's worked hard and was secondhand when I bought it off Heather when she moved to the boat.
Cheese and tomato toasted sandwich for dinner and the last of the meat pie with peas for tea.

[Stanley]

Vegetarian day yesterday. Deep fried parsnips made a butty for dinner and added to mashed potatoes and peas for tea. I have some chicken thighs in the even and will cook them long enough to ensure that the bugs are dead!

[Stanley]

Found a parcel of chicken thighs in the freezer, part of the wrap-up I got from Stewart. Roasted them down, stripped the meat and using the left over mashed potatoes together with the tomato relish and frozen peas I made what is almost a Shepherd's Pie. Had it for tea and there are two helpings left.
I have put a loaf in. Used the same ingredients but measured the salt instead of chucking it in, cut back on yeast and liquid slightly. We'll see how it turns out.....
09:15. Have had a peek in the machine with 30 minutes to go and at the moment I have a perfect rise. So far so good!

[PanBiker]

Stanley, you have adjusted three of the main building blocks for the chemical reaction when baking bread. If it fixes the problem how will you know which one was at fault? Nothing else in the loaf other than flour which I assume you have kept at the same quantity.

[Stanley]

Ian, we were posting at the same time. I have cut the salt back, the liquid and the yeast. All areas where I know I have got into trouble before and from the look of it it has worked..... Bottom line is that I got too clever and just chucked the loaf together. Looks as though it was my fault.

[Stanley]

That's better! All my own fault, I got careless....

[Tizer]

Could it be anything to do with the colder weather arriving? I've never used a bread baking machine but temperature is critical in baking and other bio-based processes. Our village bakery operates on the large scale but we notice even their loaves varying when the seasons change. It's not just the temperature in the mixing vessel but the temperature of the ingredients going into it. Can you `temper' your flour and water before mixing, put them somewhere with a constant, reliable temperature?
[You posted the photo just after I wrote this, so maybe you've solved the problem!]

[Stanley]

Tiz, I think it was all down to carelessness on my part in banging the ingredients in. I've done it before. The adjustments I made have solved the problem, too much yeast salt and liquid but only small amounts in excess. Just shows how tickle these processes are as you rightly say.

[Tripps]

Good case of - "When all else fails, read the instructions"

[LizG]

Good case of - "When all else fails, read the instructions"

I think Tripps is right Stanley, a lesson for all of us. Looks like a great loaf this time. Enjoy

[Stanley]

It is, and lovely texture as well. I was getting careless!
Finished the chicken 'Shepherd's Pie' for dinner and had haslet butties for tea.

[Stanley]

Upset day yesterday so smoked mackerel butty for late dinner and boiled new potatoes for tea with butter. Nothing else with them.