Hello from NZ | The Fresh Loaf

I am a grandmother of 6 and mother of 4 and have been baking since I was 9, because my mother was seriously sick for a time. I love yeast cookery but ironically will have more time for experimentation when I sell my cafe. At the moment I am only able to get bagels and blueberry and cream cheese braid done as I also have to put through muffins, vanilla and date scones and savoury scones before the breakfasts start etc etc. My profession was dietetics but my interest in food has been broader than nutrition and dietary modification! Like others in this group I still consider myself a learner and will do so until the day of my last breath! The variety of recipes, baking books and the obvious joy and enthusiasm i pick up from others has made this my favourite website. I cannot congratulate Floydm enough for his innovativeness and expertise. I was first introduced to artisan yeast cookery about 35 years ago when our family lived for a time on a commune. We had no electricity and the coal range was fired by either driftwood from the beach or coal we used to mine ourselves from a nearby abandonned mine. The bread we made was from our own stoneground flour and it was healthy and delicious. i am a young 64 year old and am glad to read that there are other members here who have stacked a few years behind them too!

Welcome Maggie..I saw in a previous comment that you had not heard from anyone after posting twice. I was going to respond then..but I tend to procrastinate when I'm tired! I for one would like to hear about any dietary recommendations you might have to offer in a bread recipe. I know carbs can be a no-no for diabetics, but if they could bake a loaf of a more healthy bread, I'm sure there are some people who might be interested.

Paddycake (and Floydm), thank you for the welcome. I am glad I made it through, at last!!! I haven't actively practised dietetics for 11 years, since I left the hospital job and set up the cafe. The emerged glucose index (G.I.) research has changed the qualitative carbohydrate constituent of the diabetic diet; and the most salient message is that the inclusion of barley has a significant positive influence on blood sugar levels. I will have to do a bit of research before adding more info.

God to man as man to animal.

HI Maggie64, I am also new and trying to utilize all the wonderful info and recipes found here.

You sound quite energetic and lively, good for you. Living in a commune musthave been interesting.

I posted a bio about myself in the introduction area, I too have had a similar experience with no responses...hopefully we are all too busy in the kitchen...

Be well

regards from Tabasco Mexico

Does anyone know why my signature line appers automatically as the first line of a post and how one can go about correcting this permanently as oppossed to erasing it every post...

thank you

There is either a bug in Drupal or I messed up the templates somehow (though I'm not seeing where). For the time being, I would suggest just deleting your signature. -F

Hello there Beanfromex,Thank you for your reply. What bread recipes are you trying out just now? I had some spare time this morning so have made up some Turkish bread dough - except I have added a little plain yoghurt and substituted some of the white flour with some stone ground white flour and will make up some little loaves to-morrow (there is only 1 proving). The city cafes in NZ seem to be using these instead of bagels (I live in a provincial town) so I feel obliged to keep up with the trend! To get an introduction through, I drew Floydm's attention to my 'plight" in the subject title; so give it another go.

Good morning maggie64 et al,

I have been playing caround with french bread, to no avail, here in southern mexico.l My third batch in a week, rose, did not have a crunchy crust and was very pail...sigh. I may try again, but after finding a baking stone tohelp increase the heat of my stove.

Last week I made the buttermilk cluster from this site, That has become my hsubands favorite. Buttermilk is not avilable here, so a friend from the USA brought me a powder which you add to your milk, It is the first time I have used this product and I am quite happy with it.

I also made a cornmeal raison bread. Cornmeal might be available here, but I bring mine in from Canada. I am not a cornmeal lover, but this was an excellent recipe and the raisons really added something to it

Cornmeal raison bread:

1 c cormea

.5 c water-mix and let sit for 30 minutes.

Large bowl add :

2 c flour

2 tsp yeast active dry

3 tble sugar

1.5 tsp salt

pinch of saffron

Make a well in the above ingredients and add cornmeal soaker

1 c of milk

2 tble of butter

stir.

Add 1 c of raisons (plumped and drained if necessary)

Add flour as required, knead 10 minutes

Into a clean oiled bowl for 90 minutes covered with moist towel

Oven to 425 F Glaze with yolk, water sugar and salt mixture.

Score.

After 5 min lower temp to 350

After 15 min rotate.

Total baking between 40-45 min.

Tomorrow I may just bake a tried and true white/oatmeal recipe and see how that works with the oven. I recently had it adjusted and the tank on the roof moved, and it seems I am having difficulty with oven temp maintenance since that change. Plus the oven is 11 years old, that may filter into the equation. W

When we first moved her and bought the oven, there were no ovens with doulbe racks, nor temperature increments on the dials, just high, medium and light . There is no broiled element. Self cleaning...lets not even go there...

I have already snagged Floydm's attention with the signature line being present automatically in the subject line...He said it was a bug somewhere, but I am sure he would rather be baking than trying to sort it out!!

Have a good day.

Regards from Villahermosa Mexico