Bread making

Hi folks. Sorry to take the thread in a slightly different direction, but I've noticed talk about dough hooks and the like. I was wondering, can anyone recommend a mixer that produces GOOD pastry. We used to have a food processor with a blade thingy, but every time we tried to make pastry with it, it turned out a bit 'lifeless', if you know what I mean. Cheers...freddy.

 

No tea and cakes for me and Aunt Sally then ! :D

 

Erm, what kind of pastry exactly?

 

Hi Ivory. Short crust, I guess.

 

I can't find sour cream here .... so I'll try your recipe for dips, Marley. :thumb:

 

Fingers?:wink:

 

Fingers, forgot about those :D

 

I'd been using a Panasonic breadmaker for some year, until it gave up on me, and I had to get another one - the SD255. I had trouble making a decent wholemeal loaf (well 75% wholemeal) in this whereas it had been no trouble in the old machine. I tried all sorts of variations on the recipe. Finally changed from Morrisons flour, which I'd alway used successfully, to Allinsons and things seem to be OK, so I guess it was mainly the flour causing the problem. Has anyone else noticed much difference between different makes of flour?

 

Yes I do believe there is.
I tend to stay away from the popular flours.
At the moment I am using Doves farm organic strong white and a summer seed flour from the Hutts Mill Grewelthorpe Ripon..
I usually use about 80% Strong white and the rest the summer seed.
Doughed in the machine it makes one loaf and eight rolls baked in the oven.
Beechleaf. I notice you are in Yorkshire so you may be able to get those flours if you wish. The Dale organic you can get in Tescos. Pale green packet and its quite a bit cheaper then the usual stuff.
robert

 

Thanks for the comment Capney. The supermarket own brand flour is usually a lot cheaper than other brands, so it's bound to be the first choice, and there is really no way of judging whether the other brands are much better, except by the final results.

My brother swears by the Lidl own brand. Cheap, and apparently performs well.

 

I use Allinsons premium Very Strong bread flower find the bread rises higher especially the wholemeal loaves,never use a bread maker use my hands.

 

Soda bread potato bread buttermilk pancakes and oven brown soda

 

I can post the recipes later if you like. All done on th griddle or fry pan except the oven brown soda

 

Lidls strong white flour gives very good results and is only 45p,I always use it
strong flour is also very good for scones as it has gluten in it knead lightly add 2 teaspoons baking powder =8oz flour, 1 egg, milk or water for basic recipe bake in very hot oven you could add grated cheese or sultanas a little sugar for the sweet ones,dry mustard for the cheese. Ops forgot to mention 2ozs butter !