Slowly getting the hang of it!!

[KL_inTheMiX]

I've had my TMX for a couple of weeks now and although I'm still getting used to using it, I'm still loving it!!!
Today I made butter, bread and scones.
I used Thick cream so I had to butterfly it for an extra 2 minutes before it seperated, and then I add EVOO and a little salt at the end. DH thought it initially tasted like cream but once the additions went in, it tasted more like the Marg we use.
I used the buttermilk to make the scones and they turned out brilliantly. Very light!!
I haven't tried the bread yet. It seems fairly heavy ( I used barley instead of wheat grain ) and is a bit pale on top.
Will update later with the verdict on taste.

Tomorrow will be pumpkin and celery soup!!

 

[Thermomixer]

Good work - hope you don't go into overload 

[andiesenji]

Welcome KL.  
If you used only barley in a loaf of bread, you won't get much rise as there is much less gluten in barley and it is a different gluten than that in wheat and does not have the cohesive ability to form the stretchy bubbles that make bread light.  

[KL_inTheMiX]

thanks for that info andi.
i used only the 100g grain (or whatever EDC said) and the rest bakers flour. The yeast was from a Lauke bread mix and might have been a little old. Although the dough rose nicely enough.
I might try knocking it back and doing a second rise next time....

hold the checks.... DH is just about to slice the bread.......

Verdict......

hmm.. it has a líttle 'tang' to the palette but is almost sweet too. Not bad for a first attempt.

[andiesenji]

I've had better results with the heavier flours when I let the dough rise twice in the bowl, punch it down, knead it a bit before shaping and then allow the third rise to go a bit longer than with plain white bread. 
I actually let it rise until it just begins to not spring back as rapidly when "dimpled" with a finger. 

This is a photo of a cinnamon/walnut Whole wheat loaf baked after a final rise of one hour.  Previously it had barely risen over the top of the pan and the crumb was dense and heavy.

[cathy79]

Andie, that bread looks fantastic!

KL glad to hear you're enjoying you're cooking.  Bread can be tricky, so try a few recipes and you'll find one that you all love.

[KL_inTheMiX]

"barely risen over the top of the pan and the crumb was dense and heavy."

Andie, thats exactly how I would describe my bread. As I sliced it (next day) the top half just kept crumbling away.
The birds ended up with the rest!!

I will definately try the double rise next time. Your loaf looks amazing!!!
 

[cathy79]

KL, when I started making bread, that was the recipe I used for a few months.  While very slicable, it was a small loaf and quite heavy.  I've switched to Isi's bread recipe, and couldn't be happier. 

http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=2665.0

She has a few bread recipes here now, and by all accounts, they are all great.  So far I've stuck to this one.  I use all wholemeal flour, and if I used white, I believe it would be even lighter.

[andiesenji]

I forgot to add that I also used steam - the revolving pan in the bottom of the oven holds water and I pour boiling water into the pan just before putting the bread in the oven. 
That helps to give a bit more "oven spring" to the loaf. 

I also went back and checked my notes and the final rise time was 90 minutes - so 1 1/2 hours at 85 degrees in the proofing box.