• Registered: 2010-06-24
  • Posts: 61

Topic: Welcome

Hi, welcome to our forum. Here you can ask us anything you want to know about Doves Farm and the products we make. There is also a baking section where you can discuss all of our recipe suggestions, and share your baking experiences with others.

What is a forum and how do I use it?
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Information on how to add messages can be found in the Getting Started section.

  • Registered: 2010-11-10
  • Posts: 2

Re: Welcome

Hi
I have just started making bread and my first efforts are most encouraging. I actually made breadcakes which turned out to be well textured and with a soft crust. (very tasty).
What I would like to know is how can I make bread rolls which have a crisp crusty outside, you know, in engineering terms, case hardened, where the crumbs go all over the place when you bite into it.
I will welcome any suggestions
All best wishes
Peter

  • Jethro
  • Administrator
  • Offline
  • From: Doves Farm
  • Registered: 2010-10-15
  • Posts: 52

Re: Welcome

Nice Crispy Bread

http://www.dovesfarm.co.uk/forum/post/351/#p351

Jethro

Jethro's Website

  • Registered: 2010-12-05
  • Posts: 1

Re: Welcome

Just to say I find your cereal flakes excellent.  I have had several types of biscuit and pasta which is also very good

  • Registered: 2011-01-08
  • Posts: 1

Re: Welcome

Hi Leodis,
When I'm making bread rolls, I put a teaspoon full of salt in some water (pref crushed sea salt) and using a pastry brush, give the rolls a brush over before baking.  That crisps up the outside, the inside staying nice and soft. This doesn't work with entirely wholemeal bread dough though.  When I'm making wholemeal rolls, I like to spread a tiny bit of marmite on the top, which seems to bring out the nuttiness of the flour. Happy baking days!

  • Registered: 2011-08-08
  • Posts: 1

Re: Welcome

As your bread is sadly no longer available, and my family is keen to have a go at baking it, please could you let us know the ingredients for the erstwhile delicious Doves Farm Organic Stoneground loaf?.  We remember ' honey' was among the list of ingredients on the bag, but don't recall other things found in some breads, such as vinegar and oil.  We find the flavour of oil in Cranks bread is particularly unpleasant.

Your website is exceedingly tasty.  Thank you.

  • Registered: 2010-06-24
  • Posts: 61

Re: Welcome

Hi Angela,

Thanks for your message. The ingredients in this bread are Organic Stoneground Wholemeal Flour, Water, Honey, Sunflower Oil, Sea Salt and Yeast. Unfortunately, we used to have this baked for us at an industrial baker in Salisbury so we do not know the quantities of each ingredient. Following a basic wholemeal bread recipe will probably suffice.

We hope this helps.

Thanks,

The Dove

  • Registered: 2011-04-14
  • Posts: 39

Re: Welcome

Thanks Jethro,
You're correct of course, 'All good things come to those who wait', also, 'patience is a virtue' Many thanks for your promt reply and all your help with the sourdough recipe...I shall let you know how I get on, as I wait with baited breath!
In the mean-time I shall have to bake my yeast based white spelt bread and wholemeal loaves.
I can't wait to try my own Sourdough bread!!!!  Thank-you ever so much, regards, Odelle.

  • Registered: 2011-04-14
  • Posts: 39

Re: Welcome

Apologies Jethro & all other members, I appear to have posted the above message in the incorrect section....
Not a very good start, first impressions!  I'm not totally stupid, although that's debatable, just rather dizzy sometimes!
Odelle.

  • Registered: 2011-04-14
  • Posts: 39

Re: Welcome

Leodis wrote:

Hi
I have just started making bread and my first efforts are most encouraging. I actually made breadcakes which turned out to be well textured and with a soft crust. (very tasty).
What I would like to know is how can I make bread rolls which have a crisp crusty outside, you know, in engineering terms, case hardened, where the crumbs go all over the place when you bite into it.
I will welcome any suggestions
All best wishes
Peter

Hi Peter,
I find that brushing bread with salted water prior to baking gives a good crusty outside to loaves or rolls.  A tray of boiling water placed in the bottom of the oven when baking helps, the steam created gives a good crust.
A slow risen bread I find is far more tasty than one that is risen quickly, also I do use fresh yeast as opposed to dried just make bread with double quantities of fresh yeast approximately and ensure that it's well kneaded to get the gluten working to it's best advantage!  However, fresh yeast bread needs to be risen until double in size, knocked back then shaped in to loaves or rolls, proved (risen again) then put in to a hot oven first until that crisp crust is formed then the oven temperature can be reduced.  Hope this helps, Happy Baking!
Odelle.

  • Registered: 2011-12-22
  • Posts: 1

Re: Welcome

thank you for sharing

  • Registered: 2011-12-27
  • Posts: 2

Re: Welcome

Hi I'm new to the forum but have been using Dove's Farm flour for years and bake for a market stall which has been very successful so far. I am trying to increase the range of breads we bake and have just tried your recipe for Soda Bread which looked and tasted great  but seemed to have a sort of milky odour to it which I have never experienced before when breadmaking. Is this normal? I did wonder if it had something to do with the cream of tartar? It seemed to improve the next day after cutting but I would be grateful for advice as it could be a bit off putting to sell to the public.

  • Registered: 2011-04-14
  • Posts: 39

Re: Welcome

Hi Sandie & welcome,
Good for you with your success selling to the market stall, ideal for people like us that just love to bake, especially.
I'm pleased that you like the soda bread, I love it, so quick, easy & of course you can make your own variations to the recipe according to supply & demand.
Soda bread does have a different odour to it, compared to other yeasted breads, so it may be that what you're doing is fine, or you could try diluting the buttermilk half & half with milk, or the yoghurt if that's what you're using in it's place, worth a try.
The cream of tartar that your using could be omitted if you wish, I add it as it tends to give a less dense loaf, however, there's no need as the acidity that you require together with the bicarbonate of soda comes from the sourness of the soured milk or yoghurt, try some different variations out to see which you prefer.
I had an Irish Mother-in-law who made the most delicious soda breads, white,  wholemeal, fruited, cheese, so I have followed her recipe for years adding little extras along the way.
I think customers that are purchasing Irish soda bread will recognise the familiar smell and will not be put off, they'll probably be delighted at having a fresh, home-made loaf we are all different though so I do understand your concerns.
Please let me know how you get on with it.
You should try looking at Rachel Allen's site as she makes the most delicious scones, lots of different variations of Irish Soda bread, I love to watch her cook, she has that beautiful Southern Irish lilt when she speaks and I fins her an excellent, True Irish cook.
Good Luck, I shall look forward to hearing from you again very soon,
Regards, Odelle.

  • Registered: 2011-12-27
  • Posts: 2

Re: Welcome

Thanks  Odelle for the helpful comments, I will certainly try what you suggest and let you know how I get on. Best wishes, Sandie

  • Registered: 2011-04-14
  • Posts: 39

Re: Welcome

Your very welcome Sandie, good luck with the experimentation that you're trying, I'm sure both you & your customers will be pleased, hope so, feel free to contact me at any time, it's great to 'share a passion', with us both enjoy making bread & pastries.
Perhaps you could help me Sandie?  I've been trying to find a decent 'dough scraper/cutter', all the ones that I have looked at on Amazon & other various sites all claim to be 'the best', or I find one that I find suitable, when I come to order it they add silly P&P prices on at the end making a simple, reasonably priced item expensive.
Any ideas please would be extremely helpful as I do really need one or two, yet have 'put off' purchasing well before Christmas as amazingly the price jumped 25% when the company knew that I wished to purchase......Aaaaargh!
Cheers,
Odelle.

  • Registered: 2012-02-13
  • Posts: 2

Re: Welcome

Hello, I am new here. I have used Doves Farm flour for ages but just wanted to say how excited I am by the Heritage Flour. I put a small handful in every loaf I bake. It is good to know that there is history in my baking. I am looking forward to learning  a lot from this forum.

  • Registered: 2012-04-16
  • Posts: 1

Re: Welcome

Never made gluten free bread. Have a panasonic bread machine. Help!! Any tips gratefully recieved.Also how much is postage since your flouf is not sold in Hastings Thank you

  • Registered: 2012-07-19
  • Posts: 1

Re: Welcome

Hi I'm Jo and yes of course I'm new! Recently found I'm wheat intolerant and although I'm glad to be free of it I miss bread like I would miss my legs!!!!!!!!! I've seen some bread recipes that I cant wait to try as the shop stuff is just not doing it for me sad I admit I am struggling but now I've found you guys I think things are going get better!

  • Registered: 2012-12-13
  • Posts: 1

Re: Welcome

Hello everyone!  gosh it is difficult to get here!

I cannot knead bread by hand, and have a small  bread machine.

My question, to get me started off here, is   ... can I adapt the bread recipes by mixing the dough in my machine... on dough mixture,  then remove and bake in my electric overn..

Thank you for any help you can give me ...

  • Jethro
  • Administrator
  • Offline
  • From: Doves Farm
  • Registered: 2010-10-15
  • Posts: 52

Re: Welcome

Mixing dough in your machine is a great way to save you some time and effort. A number of machines have specific dough settings. Once you've got the dough you mixed you could leave it to rise before shaping and cooking.

Jethro

Jethro's Website

  • Sile
  • New member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2012-12-02
  • Posts: 4

Re: Welcome

Hello

Love the traditional white bread recipe which was my first attempt at baking and worked a treat.   I tried to use the pikelets recipe, which mentioned water in the instructions, but there was none in the ingredients list.   Is anyone able to shed some light on this?  I've posted in the recipe forum, but haven't had a response.

Cheers,
S.