Make your mix without cheese, mix it up and rest for 40 mins.
Put the cheddar in on the second knead there is a risk the extra salt will affect the rising, then let it settle for 10/15 mins, then shape into loaf, then leave 45 mins (ish) .
Always keep salt/yeast apart (obviously they mix in the end) but definitely donāt let them touch at first or the yeast will be killed too quick.
10 mins from end put grated cheddar on top. Make sure the loaf is nearly cooked first or itāll drop.
I have been making bread for years and that Ballymaloe white yeast bread recipe rules lol! Never had a bad one since I used it.
Bread is EASY to make but itās a bugger to master! when you get into it, itās quite upsetting when things go wrong - but at least you know why when youāve made 100ās of loaves!
At first it seems a mystery! too much/too little rising/mixing/dry/wet etc
Generally the wetter the better - but the dough HAS to be right for wetter (window panes - google) , as itāll spread everywhere if not. Drier you can get away with, but itāll be a worse crumb/textureā¦ā¦and so onā¦ā¦
If you over prove it may collapse, if you under prove itāll be great fresh/toasted but no good next day.
Mixingā¦ if you under mix the gluten doesnāt evolve, if you over mix you destroy the gluten.
All a very fine balancing act to get it ājust rightā - but that will come with experience. I hope you enjoy it, I do greatly.
My top tip is put a big mug of cold water (or ice cubes) in the bottom of the oven right before you put the loaf in - this makes steam and helps stop the crust forming so quick and hence a better rise, itās also more crispy.
For the sausage roll, after the first rise, I slightly flatten into a rectangular shape then spread the filling on top. Then slowly fold the end over (or roll) so that the filling stays inside. Slightly press any seams and place underneath for the final proof rise before bake. Itās still fairly evenly spread using this role method.
I prefer this method over mixing into the dough to minimize any filling (especially cheese) being exposed and burning during bake. Even using the roll method some of the filling manages to pop out (as you can see from the photo).
For a show stopper on the table (and itās easy) try the top loaf in this pic - just make a long roll, put ur topping on, then snip with scissors almost right through - then drag the bit to the left, then the next to the right etc.
It looks the nuts and is easier than making a loaf lol!
My yeast is 8 yrs old according to expiry date . This weekend I started a sourdough starter plus attempted to get some yeast started with water and sugar for a normal bread bake . The yeast/sugar after 10 mins didnāt foam or anything. I then threw the yeast away thinking it was bad.
This morning the starter looked okay for day 1 and it was foaming. Then I figured the yeast was ok so I retrieved it back from the garbage. Might have to fine tune my yeast mix next time. Yeah bakingās and art and a science!
Hehe. You know, you donāt need yeast? Just flour and water in a semi warm place and itāll do itās business. Just takes a bit longer, I have never used yeast. My mix is ages old and started using this-
Some use a 1/2 potato in the mix, it eventually dissolves, just add another.
Let it go for a week maybe, feed it daily - take say 2 cups out (roughly 1/3 in my case) - put the same back in, so some flour some water (very thick porridge consistency). Stir well, leave 24hrs , repeat.
After the weeks up youāll have a proper one. You need to look after it daily doing the same, when not in use, just bung it in the fridge - literally you can leave it years.
On removal, after 2 years (yes i did it) take 1/2 tbsp of the old stinky mix full of the lovely sleeping bacteria (preferably from bottom - defo not top) and bang it in your new mix - and off you go again.
Depending on if you are making 100% sour dough, or say 50/50 with fresh (what i do) will depend on the size of your āmotherā mix.
Obviously if you are using all sourdough, you are going to need a larger mother mix.
I use an approx 7 cup mother mix, using 2 cups in a loaf with regular dough.
Iād put say triple that if intending to make 100% sourdough loaves. Youāll have to work it out lol!
Dorset foodie apple cake in the oven againā¦ā¦and it literally just beeped! feeding time
Thanks for the no yeast starter tips. It's actually quite satisfying peering into the starter jar and seeing that it's alive! Well, Day 2 of my starter and it seems okay. It's got bubbles and that tan coloured liquid in between. Will be removing starter and adding flour/water in the following days too. I'm gonna do a no yeast starter tonight also. Only thing I gotta get now is a bread baking pan. Seems to be hard to find nowadays.
Thatās it! well done. As time goes on it will get get better, donāt worry if you donāt feed it for a day or so, it wonāt die off. Just feed it again and itāll get going.
Pans, now thereās another thing I never use. For whatever reason I never have good results with stuff in/on metal.
Hands all the way when shaping Hank , itās part of the enjoyment for me - if you found watching the starter satisfying , imagine the satisfaction when you get āhandyā at hand shapingā¦ā¦., once you get fairly good , it opens up a wide range of loaf styles and shapes and is much more pleasing, and thereās much more CRUST which is what we all love ! I make my loaves on a non stick black sheet like teflon stuff itās an oven liner thing. I put this straight on the oven rack - no trays or anything. 10 mins before the end, I take it off and put directly on the rack to get the bottom nice and crispy.
You will find your crust takes on a different crunch and chew with the sourdough, play with the amounts you use from say 30% to 100% itās good fun, if you like baking which Iām sure you do!
When making your dough, and judging when it is ready, kneaded enough - you will see it change from like a lumpy, tearing type of finish, to an silky almost creamy looking smooth finish that stretches easily - do a āwindowā test - by this I mean take a small piece of dough and try to stretch it so you can see through it, it will try to do it on itās own under itās own weight - if you can do that, itās ready.
To check if the final rise is ready you lightly prod it with your finger, if it still pops back, itās not ready for baking - the ideal point is right between where it ājustā comes back but doesnāt stay dented. I never really state times as the temperature where you are, it is will make a HUGE difference.
I am sorry Iām banging on so much - I just love making bread - if it helps anyone Iām happy, if it annoys others, well, donāt read it
Good tips for sure! Yeah my next adventure is gonna be the dough and the baking! Iāll try the no pan way too as it seems itās more rustic and down to earth. Wanna feel the dough and worked it good. Besides, I still donāt have a bread pan ugh.
I dunno why I didnāt start baking before but Iām really getting into it now. Damm maybe Iāll try a wedding cake or something when I get better hehe. But yeah I got to the local Safeway as soon as it opened this morning and scored these... Picked up some Rye flour too but donāt know what to do with it yet.
I'm doing loaf #5 this week and am out of bread flour too . #4 was made with all purpose and looked beautiful ..tasted good but wasn't as rustic as the bread flour ...had smaller holes and tasted more like just a dense bread .OTOH if you wanted a sandwich stuff wasn't going to fall thru the holes .
Still trying to figure out how to keep bread crusty and not dried out ..Put a nice loaf in a plastic bag and lost all my nice crunch .Maybe the answer is just to eat it all in one sitting and make more :P
That is the answerā¦.lol!
I have no way of keeping it crusty for more than say 8 hours, even then itās not so good. That said, it is a long way from stale and is fine for sandwiches or toasting. You can just pop a 1/2 eaten loaf back in the oven for 10 mins or so, much like pizza sometimes itās better. You can try various glazes too, but I find just plain water is best, or nothing at all. The important bit is the ice or water in bottom of the oven when it comes to crust - but make sure you release the steam 8/10 mins before end so it crisps.
I tend to cook mine so itās ready and still slightly warm right when we eat dinner. You know your bread is good when the family want the bread more than the dinner!
Off out to try to track some yeast downā¦ā¦ā¦got flour now and no yeast! grr!
For my loaf bread, I typically, slice the entire loaf and put 1/2 in freezer as soon as possible. Then when needed, take out of freezer and pop into a toaster, less time than normal toast for almost as good as fresh using this method.
My sourdough starter seems to be acting up. I started it 5 days ago with flour and yeast. Itās sitting beside an always-on hot water unit. I left it sitting for 24hrs. Day 2 produced bubbles. Each day for next 3 days, I would pour out half and feed it 1:1 flour and water. Saw bubbles but this morning I didnāt see any bubbles. So I decide to feed it again and see what happens tomorrow.
I heard it can take from 7 days to 2 weeks to see the starter rise. Thereās always a layer of liquid hootch on top which I pour out before feeding. Should I keep feeding it daily and wait longer? I read depending on conditions that it might take longer?
Stick with it for a while - it probably bubbled more at first because of the yeast.
Basically when I feed mine it bubbles up over say 14 hrs, then eases off until morning itās less active.
If it doesnāt wake up put 1/4 of a potato (not huge) in the bottom. These things take time , and different temps etc make it hard to say what the reaction will be like.
I notice in the photo previous you had flour, is it bread flour, or general flour? this will have an effect Iād imagine, it does in actual bread, less gluten.
Maybe donāt change it for a couple of days - it has to go āsourā maybe itās being replaced to quickly whilst itās still starting up.
This afternoons offerings, since itās BBQ time I had to make some rolls, but that baton is the mutts nuts!
! <a target=ā_blankā href=āhttps://imgbb.com/ā !
Okay great tips and didn't know about the potato part. I started 2 new starter batch and will leave it alone and check every 24 hrs this time. I even put it next to the portable heater.
Oh and here's my first attempt at baking. I decided to try Focaccia bread. It's got garlic, thyme, basil, oregano and a sprinkling of cheese. I think I'll let it poof longer as it's just a little bit too dense but still has the foamy bubbly texture to it. I think I should of left it in the oven a little longer as it looks quite pale.
Well done, it may not be prefect, but it is a loaf! and Iām sure you enjoyed it.
Itās hard to tell, but itās defo undercooked.
To tell if itās cooked, tap the bottom - it should sound like a sort of hollow drum sound, which kinda resinatesā¦ish
If you donāt hear that clearly (and it will be clear when itās right) , itās not cooked. The dough is soaking up the sound.
Cook for no less than 25 mins on 200deg c (uk) - preheat the oven for at least 20 mins too.
On your next loaf I want to see a crust the colour of the one above lol - apparently, they say you should see 3 colours - black, dark golden brown and a bit of pale white.
Might have to fine tune my yeast mix next time. Yeah bakingās and art and a science! 
Well, Day 2 of my starter and it seems okay. It's got bubbles and that tan coloured liquid in between. Will be removing starter and adding flour/water in the following days too. I'm gonna do a no yeast starter tonight also. Only thing I gotta get now is a bread baking pan. Seems to be hard to find nowadays.
As time goes on it will get get better, donāt worry if you donāt feed it for a day or so, it wonāt die off. Just feed it again and itāll get going.
, itās part of the enjoyment for me - if you found watching the starter satisfying , imagine the satisfaction when you get āhandyā at hand shapingā¦ā¦., once you get fairly good , it opens up a wide range of loaf styles and shapes and is much more pleasing, and thereās much more CRUST which is what we all love ! 
- if it helps anyone Iām happy, if it annoys others, well, donāt read it 
Iāll try the no pan way too as it seems itās more rustic and down to earth. Wanna feel the dough and worked it good.
Besides, I still donāt have a bread pan ugh.
Picked up some Rye flour too but donāt know what to do with it yet.
lol - apparently, they say you should see 3 colours - black, dark golden brown and a bit of pale white.