Forum Thermomix
Welcoming Center, Management and General Chat => Chit Chat => Topic started by: Deniser on April 26, 2013, 02:14:03 am
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I have been successfully making No Fuss bread rolls for about two years. Can just about do it in my sleep now. Yesterday I made two batches - one turned out great the second batch with new 5kg bag of flour are like rocks with a more cake like texture and taste.
I tried again this morning with the same result. Any suggestions? Do I just buy another bag and try again? The yeast is fine as the first batch turned out as normal.
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It could be out of date.
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Thanks Obbie - I did not think of that. The flour was on special which is sometimes the case - but just pulled the bag out of the recycle bin and checked the use by -13/1/2014.
Will probably end up buying a new bag and a new yeast on the way home from work anyway - just to prove it to myself. Don't really feel like getting up early again tomorrow for another failure.
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I also forgot to mention that the dough did not rise nearly as much as it usually does and I did think that odd at the time but pushed on regardless. This mornings batch was the same and I now wish that I had not gone to the trouble of shaping and waiting for the second rise then cooking.
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Yes it is possible,
I once bought a bag that wasn't past it's use by date and when I opened it had a very large and healthy Wasp in it. Not the European kind, some kind of native wasp. :P Anyway I took it back to the shop ,IGA, told them the story showed the bag with wasp still inside and received my money back. But it put me off buying that brand for some time.
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Oh Lucyluu what a horrible thought. I have now rescued the bag from the recycle bin and will ring Wallaby when I have a moment and see what they say. It is almost as if it is the wrong mix in the bag - bread rolls are more like heavy scones. But I imagine the only way I can check is with a new bag of flour. Have been using this brand for ever with no problems so happy to persevere if I can get it right again. I don't take kindly to cooking disasters at the best of times but two days in a row has me wondering if it is me???
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Do let them know though Deniser, it may be a bigger problem for them than just your bag so they need to know and should replace it for you. They appreciate being told these things from my experience.
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Deniser, what brand was it ? I have never had a problem with Laucke mix, but my sister had a bad lot. Took it back to the factory and after a lot of fuss they tested the Gluten content and it was way below what it should have been. I would make up a no fuss mix and dissolve 2 vitamin C tablets in the water or add 2 teaspoons of improver. You may have a bag of cake flour. Let us know how you go.
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Chookie my DH has decided that we should use the Laucke bread mix like you do. I won't need to add anything except yeast will I?
I would hate to get a bad batch of bread flour. I must remember that it is possible to do so.
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Chookie my DH has decided that we should use the Laucke bread mix like you do. I won't need to add anything except yeast will I?
I would hate to get a bad batch of bread flour. I must remember that it is possible to do so.
Cookie, correct. Just add yeast,(included in bag) and water. I buy a 10K bag for about $20, sometimes on special for $18. Sounds a lot but I seem to go through it. Some cooks also use the bread flour in their biscuits. I do sometimes.
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I have had weavils >:(
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Thank you all. I have bought a new bag of flour and a new yeast on the way home. Too tired to make it now and appointments in the morning. Will make a new batch in the afternoon and let you know how I get on. It is Lauke bread flour (not bread mix) so I add Lowan Yeast, bread improver, salt and sugar. Never had a problem until now which makes me think perhaps it is the wrong mix in the bag too Judy.
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Densier, this is VERY interesting. I bought a bag of Lauke organic flour from the local baker. Not a mix like I usually use. I didn't like it at all and couldn't believe that it could be so different. I added those extras same as you , but it didn't rise much.
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Well that is very interesting achookwoman. I just checked the new bag - which unfortunately does have all the same batch numbers and use by dates as the previous one. Back to the shop tomorrow with this I am afraid - hopefully they will take it back although I don't know what excuse I give them. Thought it might say organic somewhere but no it doesn't.
I have been using the same flour for the past two years with the same additives and alway had beautiful rolls. Wonder if they have changed something???
I have sent an email to Lauke but don't expect I will hear back from them in a hurry - especially as it is now Friday night.
Stay tuned for the next installment.
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Thanks Chookie. I am going through my 5kg very quickly so DH decided we needed a bigger bag to start with. It won't take me long to use it.
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It is interesting that others are having problems with flour. I have a large bag of the Lauke bread flour and am having problems with bread rising. I think I may send them an email and see what happens.
Marie
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It will be interesting to hear your reply too Emme. I actually asked them if it were possible to have the incorrect flour in the bag - perhaps I should have asked if they had changed the formula? I took the second bag back to Coles and got a refund this morning. Just said I had bought the wrong bag. I won't make more until I/we hear back from Lauke. I do have a loaf of Grain Mix (Lauke) in the bread maker at the moment - too disheartened to even try making my own again until I sort this out.
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Deniser, have sent them off an email, and will let you know what they say. I will be in deep **!! as I have 2X 25kg bags of the organic bread flour to use. I bought one and then DS bought me another thinking he was helping. I too am making bread with the mixed grain mix. If I mix some of the flour with the mix I can get a half decent loaf, but the flour on its own is a disaster. Anyway, will wait & see what develops, will let you know.
Marie
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Marie, they should just replace the bags free of charge, something must have gone wrong with the batch. :)
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Obbie, I am hoping they will do something about it. I usually buy my flour in bulk and have never had a problem before. I even threw my sourdough starter out thinking there was a problem with that. Never thought about the flour.
Marie
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Oh dear Emme. I thought it was bad enough with two 5kg bags!!. Can you take at least one of them back? Mine is just straight Bakers flour - not organic but obviously something is not right. I too will let you know when I hear back from Lauke.
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Very disappointing isn't it. It's all the other ingredients you add to the flour as well that get wasted and all the time put in.
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Over here the harvest was so bad the flour quality may be affected.
Weetabix have just suspended production of oatibix and minis while they change production methods as the grains were so poor. That has never happened before.
I use a good mill which adds in Canadian wheat to keep quality. If I had a problem I'd be right on the one.
Good luck with it all.
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DJ, we are very lucky here as we grow all types of wheat. But it does vary from year to tear. I ground some grain last week and added it to my bread. Not good, the chooks got this.
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This does get complicated doesn't it. I never thought about the quality of the crop - perhaps I thought it was John West when only the best will do (or whatever that Ad was) Droverjess - where is "over here"?
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quality of the crop, has alot to do with the results. also the weather, and how long has it been sitting, before processed, and onto the shelves at supermarkets.
:)
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When I got my TM about 3 years ago I used nothing but Aldi plain flour....it was fine for ages then I started making rocks instead of bread rolls, I only shop monthly so was not uncommon for me to have 10 x 1kilo packs of plain flour in the cupboard, while I was shopping in Aldi I noticed a man bring some packs of flour in for a return and he had had the same problem...anyway after contacting Aldi they had heaps of complaints and they put it down to a different moisture content in the wheat at harvest. The flour was fine for cookies, cakes etc but no good for bread. I then changed to Wallaby, not so long ago the "Stupidmarket" was out of Wallaby so I got the Lauke bread mix in the 10kilo bag...what a difference it makes my bread has never been better. I do sometimes also use 10kilo bags from Cosco they are OK too but I do think the bread flour is the best....maybe it is like what happened at aldi and the water content is too much in the flour ?
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Had a reply to my email requesting more information re batch and use by date and when purchased. Informing me there are various reasons for bread failing. Needed to know whether using a breadmaker and if so, what model and whether making bread in oven. Flour to water ratio also needed. Nothing mentioned about being a problem with their flour. Have sent a reply so will wait for more comments from them.
Marie
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Well, it's good that they replied promptly Marie. Hope that the information you have sent them resolves the problem.
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We've just bought our first Lauke bread mix so I hope it's ok. I usually buy Defiance or Wallaby. It's to take to Monkey Mia.
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Hi All. I too received an email today from Lauke with the same request for information as Marie has written. Will write back to them with this info and see what transpires. They did ask for my address so that they could send me a bag to return a sample of the flour if need be (that to be decided when they receive my reply). So - back to the drawing board for Marie and myself.
Deeau I haven't seen the bread mix in 10kg bags in my local Coles but will have another look - a bit worried though as Wallaby is still Lauke - perhaps the mix is somehow different to the Bakers flour? I am a bit concerned about trying again after all the drama - especially with a 10kg bag - will give myself a good talking to (tomorrow) and get over it.
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My sister was just complaining about her bread not rising as much lately. I'm pretty sure she uses a Lauke mix. She's added improver and says that works well. I still have some bread flour left so haven't bought any recently.
I wonder if it would be worth adding a little gluten flour to each batch.
Last seasons harvest was pretty poor in the Wheatbelt in WA. No sure how the rest of thee country faired.
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Thanks Meganjane. My real concern is that I made two batches on the one day - the second batch from a new bag of flour - would it have changed drastically from one bag to the next? But yes - as someone mentioned earlier the crops have not been good (a thought that never crossed my mind I must admit) will be interesting to see what Lauke have to say to both Marie and myself. I do use improver but not sure what you mean by adding gluten flour - just re-read the packet and says "contains wheaten gluten".
I wonder if the bread mix instead of bread flour would make any difference? Just like the idea of controlling the amount of salt and sugar myself - not that I think there is too much in the mix anyway.
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Deniser, you can buy gluten flour. I'm not sure exactly what it is, but have seen it in those Providore style shops. Gluten is lacking when the quality of the wheat isn't as it should be. If the season is poor, the protein levels are lower and the gluten level will be lower.
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Cookie, your bag of mix should be fine. I buy a 10 k bag about once a month and haven't had a problem.
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Over here is UK. We can grow milling wheat but quality depends on weather.
Aldi flour here is ok for gravies and sauces but not baking.
Trouble is this season not shaping up for good crops this year either. Poor establishment or crops and a blackthorn winter holding everything back. An old country expression meaning winter weather while the blackthorn (or sloe berry) bushes are in flower.
Made some lovely bread today with added wheatgerm and linseed from JulieO's sour cream recipe.
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Thanks again Meganjane - will have a look and see what I can find - amazing what you learn when you put the question out here.
Ha Ha Droverjess - whenever I see your name I think of you somewhere in our Outback - will have a look at JulioO's recipe - that sounds interesting too. Learning so much about crops etc and expressions from the other side of the world.
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Glad you like my name.
Have been a drover (!) and a farmer for most of my life..
Yup it's a great place here.
My adaptations for this loaf are in the thread
Happy baking
I get my flour from brilliant millers delivered in and so far have not had probs.
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Deniser where are you located? I buy all my bread flour from Marg & Maree's in Melbourne and have never had a problem. I live around the corner from the store but I think they also do online sales.
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Well before I say anymore I have to say I now have serious egg on my face! After emailing Lauke (who have now sent me a post paid bag to return a sample of the flour) and all of the lovely answers from the Forum - I have found the source of the problem:-
eye dee ten tee error (ID10T) on my part.
This morning before I packed the flour to send off I decided to have one more crack at it - I did open a new box of yeast even though the previous one was well within its use by and I had not been having any problems with it. Voila - bread rolls back to normal.
Not sure what I can say to this - must have been having a mental block on the last few attempts and not weighed something correctly. Thank you all again for all your assistance - it has been an interesting and informative time.
I imagined that you must have been a drover/farmer somewhere along the way Droverjess and I do love the name.
Wonder - I live in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales. usually just buy my bread flour from the Local Coles store unless I want something a little different and then I go to Richmond to a great little organic shop where I can buy whole grains or milled flour.
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I think we have all had that error from time to time. LOL!
Gert
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Thanks Gert. Thought it best to own up straight away and get it over with.
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Lol Deniser,
Had a reply re my email and they have checked the milling records for the Organic flour I have and in their words all in specification. They have also said that the organic flour is milled primarily for the manufacturing trade. They have given me a recipe to try which includes using Wallaby brand bread improver and yeast. Also advise to add the salt in the last few minutes of mixing, and that organic flour needs additional mixing to achieve full dough development using a domestic mixer. Also have given me tips if using the flour in breadmaker. So I will try these tips and see what happens.
Marie
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Deniser I am glad you have solved your problem. At least you now know what the problem was.
At school when computers were new and we were all learning our specialist often used to say it would be an ID 10 T error. Or maybe a PEBCAC one.(possible error between chair and computer)
Marie I hope yours is sorted out soon.
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Marie, will be interested to know how you go with the tips. Keep us in the loop.
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I love the expression, never heard it before.
Good luck
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Ha Ha Cookie - never heard of a PEBCAC before error but I am sure I can identify with that one too.
Marie glad that they have given you some clues too. I did know that salt may interact with yeast so always add that after all rhe flour is in the mix. Interesting to hear about the organic flour being mainly used for commercial but it does stand to reason that it would perhaps need extra mixing.
I have to say that Lauke were very good in answering all our questions and providing possible solutions. I did call personally to thank Jennifer and to apologise for the extra work I had given her. She said that they would rather hear about it from us so that if there were a problem they would be able to fix it.
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Nice to hear of good service :)
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Deniser, Lauke have been very good. I am trying to locate the Wallaby yeast to see if that makes a difference as well. Apparently IGA are the stockist so may have to ask them to get it in for me. Have not seen it on their shelves to date. Will let you know how it turns out.
Marie
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Marie, I use Wallaby yeast and bread improver, both bought from Coles.
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Thanks mcmich, will have to have another look there next time I am in town. It may be that IGA are supposed to stock it in Tas. Will check it out.
Marie
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Not sure that I have seen the Wallaby yeast and bread improver either but will have a look next time I need either of those. Currently using Lowan yeast and as I just opened a new one this morning will not need for a little while yet.
Very interested to hear how your bread turns out too Marie.
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I use the Lowan yeast, and the wallaby bread improver.
Most IGA's will order it in for you.