Never buy store bread again?

[james]

I'm enjoying my latest bread baking binge, and I'm thinking of issuing a challenge. Can you never buy store bread again?

I wonder how long I can keep this up? I made two 2lb loaves of whole wheat oatmeal bread for toast and sandwiches, and four 1lb baguettes for dinner and lunches over the weekend. That should hold us until later in the week. Maybe I'll make a fresh focaccia for dinner mid-week.

Frances, you are already there. Anybody want to join us? Can we do it?
James

[70chevelle]

Re: Never buy store bread again?

I don't believe I'll be able to never by store bread again, but I fired my oven yesterday morning and threw together a big batch of dough. I yielded 7 loaves (approx 450g each) in bread pans, 1 hearth bread @ 900g, and about 10-100g buns. 3 of the 7 loaves I did specialty breads. One with fresh garlic & rosemary, one with chopped roasted hot peppers, and the other with asiago cheese. Before the oven was cool enough to put the bread in I sliced up an eggplant from the garden and put EVOO, salt, pepper, garlic & rosemary and roasted them in the hot oven. They all turned out wonderful.

[BrianShaw]

Re: Never buy store bread again?

I tried that, but ultimately failed. It worked well until the kids got old enough to eat sandwiches -- then nothing except store-bought white bread was "good enough" for them. I'm now trying to convert them to home-made bread by startign with home-made white bread. If I can accomplish that I think I can get them hooked on better breads.

[james]

Re: Never buy store bread again?

Hi Brian,

Try King Arthur White Whole Wheat. It's a lighter whole wheat flour that you might slip by them as being real white bread. :-)
James

[dmun]

Re: Never buy store bread again?

I'm now trying to convert them to home-made bread by startign with home-made white bread.

You might also look at the new ultragrain flours, which promise whole grain nutrition while behaving like white flours. It's been on sale lately, and I've been using it as my all purpose flour, for pie crust and such, with success.

[james]

Re: Never buy store bread again?

David,

Where do you get it? Is it in the store, or do you order it online? Also, do you feel OK about the health/wholefood claims? I should read more and give it a try.
James

[dmun]

Re: Never buy store bread again?

I bought another five pound bag of it tonight:



It's not pure ultragrain, it's a blend, from Eagle Mills, in the supermarket. For quite a while it's been on sale for the price of house brand unbleached AP flour. I like it. When made into bread dough, it has that "whole wheat" smell, but otherwise it acts just like unbleached AP.

I take it on faith that it has whole grain nutrition. It wouldn't be the first time someone claimed bogus "nutrition" values for a consumer product.

[FigliodiMariaeGiovanni]

Re: Never buy store bread again?

James,

I have been on the same binge! I definitely have cut down on store bought and I have also been handing bread out to family and friends. They all say the same thing. "ancora, ancora"

Dmun,
That Eagles Mills stuff is schifoso! = stinky, as in no good. Yields rock hard product. [e solo la mia opinione]

[Jed]

Re: Never buy store bread again?

I can't say just when I started, but we have been using home made sourdough bread for some months now. The only store variety we buy is a specialty roll now and again... (some might call these donuts...).

Mostly I cook a whole wheat / oat bread, but tried a straight up white bread a couple weeks ago. Big hit.. but will stick mostly with the wheat bread to increase the whole grain benefits in the diet.

I have started buying flour at the local 'cash and carry' store - specializes in selling to the food service business. They have nearly a dozen different flours to choose from in 50 pound bags. We are using enough flour that we go through a 50 #er every month or two, and the cost ends up about a penny and once lower than the local market options, for a higher protein flour. (Pendleton brand, "Morebread", the spec sheet says 12% protein).

No plans to change this system, we like eating the home made bread..

JED

[james]

Re: Never buy store bread again?

James,

I have been on the same binge! I definitely have cut down on store bought and I have also been handing bread out to family and friends. They all say the same thing. "ancora, ancora"

Che marca si usa? Which flour are you using?

I am using Caputo for focaccia and my baguettes and a mix of King Arthur -- whole wheat, white whole wheat, bread and general purpose for my sandwich loaves. I'm getting my King Arthur from Trader Joe's, which gives me the choice of doing mix and match across different recipes.

Great thread all. Thanks.
James

[Frances]

Re: Never buy store bread again?

Way to go James! We still buy bread occasionally, just so the family keeps appreciating the home made stuff though .

And they do prefer homemade, even the kids, it is very cool

Btw, I have discovered what's in the flour I'm using. Its called Ruchmehl and apparently its a regional speciality - around here its just the most common flour there is. Its white flour with the bran mixed back in, or to put it another way, its wholemeal flour without the wheatgerm. It bakes like white flour, but has more bite (and roughage ) and I love it!

So, is there anything similar in other parts of the world, and if so, what is it called?

[james]

Re: Never buy store bread again?

Frances,
I will look up Ruchmehl and see if we can find something similar. One of my favorite travel memories is the great bread you have with breakfast in Swiss hotels. All you have to do is drive across the border with Italy and everything changes. :-)

I'm keeping up my pace, and made two loaves of banana bread yesterday -- snack with tea, dessert and school lunches. The baguettes are withering, but the whole wheat is going strong.

James

[Tim F]

Re: Never buy store bread again?

I'm definitely up for this challenge. I think it will be much easier with the fact that bought bread tastes like cardboard compared to the wholemeal and rye sourdough loaves that I make for my own personal stash every week

[FigliodiMariaeGiovanni]

Re: Never buy store bread again?

Che marca si usa? Which flour are you using?

Hecker's All purpose unbleached for the pre-ferment and King Arthur for the 2nd day rise. I haven't purchased Caputo yet, but I know people that have used it and when I asked for a sample they said they wouldn't part with it! Some nerve.

[Dutchoven]

Re: Never buy store bread again?

We have some people that come to our Farmer's Market booth who have not bought bread in a store for almost a year...they routinely buy 4 to 6 loaves from us...we unfortunately are never smart enough to keep some for ourselves...but you know that the shoemaker's kids always have worn out shoes!!!
Best
Dutch