Freshly Milled Flour French Bread

[@Robin7-26]

I have that Sue Becker cookbook! I live alone so I think I will cut this recipe in half, I can’t wait to make it! God bless you and your family and thank you so much for your prayers.🥰✝️🙏🏻

[@stevejorde]

I used Sue's recipe using the Emile Henry cloche and the first time it came out great. Your video was extremely helpful!

[@philomenekoenig1197]

Hi Robin, I live in Massachusetts and the 5 cups of flour seem to be right for me. that was 700 g of flour or 140 g per cup. And I was still able to make three French breads 15 inches long. The weight of the dough after kneading was 1,239 g that I divided in three and it gave me 413 g per loaf. My 2 cups of warm water were 500 g, so I calculated the hydration percentage and it gave me 66% . The only difference in ingredients was that I added 1 teaspoon of wheat, vital gluten because I did not have lecithin. After baking, the weight of each bread was slightly different: 369 g 365 g and 371 g. I did put 50% kamut and 50% hard white whole-grain . thank you for your videos. They are wonderful and I love your spirit, very natural. ❤ By the way, I baked this bread on August 21, 2024.

[@Cinnamon4775]

Iam new to fresh milled bread making and Iam learning alot from you! Thank you ! But can you please bring us in closer so we can see what your doing better

[@betsyercolini8724]

I'm also glad it's not just me! I always need a lot more than called for!

[@jessicarutledge9947]

I have had the same issue as well with any recipe really! And im from TX as well. But try putting in all the ingredients listed except the yeast. Mix it, and let it sit for about 15 minutes to give the flour time to absorb the liquids. Then add in the yeast (this method will work with instant dry yeast), mix all together and see if that helps with not having to add more flour than the recipe calls for. I learned that on grains in small places here on YT. Doing it this way has really helped with not adding more and more flour!

[@realfoodgoodfood]

Thank you so much!

[@Nunya-biz-ness]

Autolyse is important. Done before adding yeast and salt. Do you ever do that? Oh, and you could make a ‘pan’ using aluminum foil and creating sides like the regular pan and put that on your pizza pan. Love your videos!!!

[@realfoodgoodfood]

Thank you! I do autolyse sometimes, always with sourdough. I am feeling as though I should do it much more often!

[@Holly-hl1vm]

Same here in Florida. I use the upper end of what Sue calls for and then use the pizza dough setting on my bread machine. It kneads for ten minutes, rests for ten minutes, then kneads again. Dough looks too wet at first, and then becomes workable. Thank you for your videos - you inspire me to try more recipes than I normally would.

[@christinew7728]

You don’t use the windowpane test? I was wondering why? I enjoy your enthusiasm and teaching ability plus learning more about the Ankarsrum. Thank you from 🏖Long Island, NY

[@realfoodgoodfood]

I don't use the windowpane test. I have found when I put my effort into getting that correct I tend to over knead my dough. For me, with freshly milled flour that test throws me off. I go by the look and feel of the dough. But, that's what works for me, we should all go by what we feel most comfortable with.

[@cathywade4092]

Oh my gosh. I'm so glad I'm not the only one who has to add extra cups of flour to the Becker recipes. I thought I just was messing up!

[@jessicarutledge9947]

Try putting in all the ingredients listed except the yeast. Mix it, and let it sit for about 15 minutes to give the flour time to absorb the liquids. Then add in the yeast (this method will work with instant dry yeast), mix all together and see if that helps with not having to add more flour than the recipe calls for. I learned that on grains in small places here on YT. I usually have to add more flour than recipes call for as well, but doing it this way has really helped with that!

[@njuhmbunwe6701]

I agree that is what i have been dooing as well and i learned it from her too ​@jessicarutledge9947

[@planojan7778]

I love your videos so much!! You help me continue to learn to use this amazing (but different) flour! 1. I didn’t realize you live in Texas! Where? I’m north of Dallas. 2. So encouraging to hear you have to add more flour! I do too! Or I add a 15 minute rest period before I add the yeast which is supposed to help the flour absorb the liquid better. But it doesn’t always work. I am learning to trust my instincts and you just helped me so much!!

[@realfoodgoodfood]

Well Hi neighbor! I’m close to Killeen or Fort Hood, I guess it’s Ft Cavazos now. I questioned myself over and over thinking I was doing something wrong, but ended up saying I know I make great bread with great ingredients. You are absolutely correct, trust your instincts!

[@planojan7778]

@@realfoodgoodfood so cool we are neighbors! Please keep your videos coming! God bless!

[@Reb-pq6bj]

Informative as always.. you do such a good job of making it real.

[@nccgolden3626]

I found the same thing that often I needed more FMF until I switched to using weight instead of volume. The problem with measuring by cup is that u dont always scoop exactly the same amount of flour it may be more fluffy one time more compact another. Also, another thing that affects the amount of moisture sometimes the berries contain more moisture because of heavier rains I find 120 g for cup of flour then again berries can vary in size be different sizes, but I find a using grams is much more accurate and easier and I’m not a baker at all. I just started this journey some 5 months ago.

[@nccgolden3626]

BTW your bread looks great! you got a very nice rise. One of my biggest struggles have been not getting enough of a rise in the oven. They proof well and look good but once in the oven they they get smaller. I don’t know why.

[@realfoodgoodfood]

That could be from over proofing. The gluten gets overstretched and can't rise anymore, so in the bake it deflates.

[@maryflynn1951]

I'm in Louisiana and i have to use more because of humidity.

[@pattihensley1159]

I’m wondering if the reason you’re having to use more flowers because it’s raining outside and the humidity is so much higher? I live in Texas too but usually it’s pretty dry but we have had a little rain recently. Love your videos. How do you like your mixer? I haven’t bought that yet?

[@realfoodgoodfood]

Thank you so much! I love my mixer! It is by far one of the best decisions I ever made to invest in. I would recommend it every day of the week!

[@amyt2444]

I’m in Tennessee and have to add about 1/2 cup more flour. I add my ingredients, mix, and let it sit for 10 minutes. That gives it time to absorb all of that liquid before kneading.

[@DeeSperling]

I finally was able to add the thumbs up. Also I have a question. I have a sandwich bread recipe with the exact same ingredients as your recipe and I would think it would taste exactly the same. Does the proportion of ingredients make a difference? All of my bread taste exactly like the rest of my bread no matter what I do. Because it's all the same ingredients. It's very puzzling.

[@realfoodgoodfood]

I would agree, same ingredients would taste the same, however using honey versus sugar or EVOO over vegetable oil would make a difference. The biggest difference for me is which flour you choose hard white and hard red make a big difference! Using an egg or not will change the texture some.

[@aprilchastain8194]

Hi! I watched Sue’s video on how to make French bread with her recipe and I noticed you didn’t do her sponge method by only adding about half of the flour she called for and letting it sit for ten minutes before adding the rest and starting the kneading. I wonder if that would make a difference. I tried your recipe and it’s great. Following your method I too had to use extra flour. I’m going to try following her video next. And see if then it wouldn’t take so much extra flour.

[@realfoodgoodfood]

I believe you are right about that! Let me know how it goes after following her video.

[@aprilchastain8194]

@ I followed her recipe yesterday, and I only needed a little less than 5 cups of flour! I also didn’t have to let it rise for an hour using the instant yeast. It was more of a quick bread so that was nice too. Check out her video of her and her son David making their French bread recipe! On another note, I love your videos! You are such a pleasure to watch! Your videos really motivate me to learn and continue on this journey of feeding my family (and friends) nutritious bread!!! Thank you so much! God Bless!

[@Yoda63]

I think that dough might have come together without the extra flour. It passed the “did I add enough flour?” test when you moved the arm in and the doughnut shape of dough sucked in from the sides. The flour soaks up a lot of water plus once the gluten starts developing it should tighten up substantially. When you get to higher hydrations like that though it’s easy to over do it so I always measure my ingredients by weight so I know how much I’ve added.

[@hairstoyou7248]

Isn’t kamut (Khorisan) an ancient grain with less protein? Seems that might have a tad impact on how much flour you knead (hahah) since lecithin softens the dough perhaps that is changing the need for more flour too

[@realfoodgoodfood]

Love the pun! That sounds right to me

[@kathypearson9744]

I think you are correct. Also there was no autolyse rest period which allowed the flour to absorb the liquid. Also I wouldn’t have added the oil at the beginning because it coated the grains keeping them from absorbing the moisture it needed.

[@patriciagooderum8238]

Should I bake my bread every day or is it OK to make three loaves and freeze a couple of loaves?

[@realfoodgoodfood]

I make 3 at a time and freeze 2. I pull one out as we are finishing the last loaf up. The frozen bread tastes just as good, freezing it doesn't take anything away from taste or nutrition.

[@betsyercolini8724]

May I ask what kind of lecithin you use, and where you get it? I get sunflower, but it's always very clumpy.

[@realfoodgoodfood]

I also use sunflower lecithin. I order it from a Breadbeckers co-op and if I run out I get a container from the Natural Grocer, oddly it is in the supplement aisle. I keep mine in the freezer, my house tends to get warm in the summer which was making my lecithin clumpy. It's worked well!

[@bonnielandon4070]

A lame for sourdough

[@realfoodgoodfood]

Thank you!!