Numeracy and literacy in breadmaking

This is a handout I was asked to prepare for a session bringing numeracy into breadmaking. Following this is a handout concentrating on literacy in breadmaking.

Numeracy in breadmaking

(I use mugs to measure how much flour and water to use in breadmaking – and I also use scales and jugs. You’ll find both amounts given in my recipes.)

Ratios in breadmaking:

Flour and water:

3 mugs of flour needs 1 mug of water – a ratio of 3:1

2 mugs of flour needs 2/3 mug of water

1 mug of flour needs 1/3 mug of water

Lukewarm water.

2:1 (2 to 1) cold water to hot will give you lukewarm water – or two parts from the cold tap to one part from the kettle.

Proportions using scales:

200g flour needs 125ml liquid (or 125g) liquid (1g of water is the same weight as 1ml of water, so one litre of water  - 1000ml - weighs one kilogram - 1000g)

400g needs 250ml

800g needs 500ml

Fractions:

Dividing the dough into 8 pieces (to make rolls for instance). This means cutting the dough into two pieces (2 halves), each half into two (4 quarters) and each quarter into two again (8 eighths).

This also applies when cutting Chelsea buns (and it’s perhaps a bit clearer).

1/3^rd or 2/3rds of a mug of water

Multiplying and adding:

Place the rolls on the baking sheet in two rows of four – because we know that 2 x 4 = 8 (or 4 plus 4 = 8)

Counting:

Roughly speaking, you should knead the dough about 20 times before it becomes smooth and ready for the next step. Count each time you press the dough flat. It may need another 5 or 10 flattenings.

Whisking the sugar and water to dissolve the sugar needs about 100 ‘stirs’ before the sugar disappears.

Costs:

1 bag of flour weighing 1.5kg (1500g) costs - at the moment - 69p at Lidl, and £1.29 at Morrison’s or Sainsbury’s. [Note: It's difficult to keep up - yesterday (23/3/11) bread flour at Morrison's had gone down to 50p!]

Using 500g of flour (which will make a loaf weighing a bit less than 800g), a bag of flour will make 3 loaves – so each loaf will cost roughly 23p with flour from Lidl, and 43p using flour from the other two supermarkets. (69 divided by 3 – or 129 divided by 3.)

Literacy in breadmaking.

Planning to make bread at home.

• Looking at cookery books and on line, then choosing which bread to make – finding the right recipe(s).
• Referring to the recipes to decide what ingredients are needed.
• Making a shopping list. Arranging a trip to the shops and finding and buying the ingredients. (Always stock the basic ingredients - flour, yeast, salt, sugar)
• Collecting the equipment together. (Keep it all in one place.)

A recipe generally has 2 sections – ingredients, a list of what goes to make up the bread, usually one or two words and amounts; and method – often step by step instructions on how to make the recipe. (Imperative verbs)

(In all cooking, it’s a good idea to read the recipe all the way through before beginning.)

Terms. (Some of the words used in breadmaking)            Ingredients:

Measuring                                                                    Strong bread flour

Lukewarm water                                                          Yeast  

Mixing                                                                          Salt                                                     

Kneading (flattening and folding)                                 Sugar                          

Proving, or rising                                                          Dried fruit     

Baking                                                                          Spices                                                 

Cooling                                                            

Glazing                                                           

Eating                                                             

Equipment:

Apron (both to protect you from the food – and the food from you), mixing bowl, jug, mug, teaspoon, rolling pin, baking paper,  baking tray, oven, pastry brush

And also:

Soaking (the mixing bowl)

Clearing (the table)

Wiping (the table)

Washing the equipment

Wiping it dry

Putting away

Suggested activities:

Write a couple of sentences about how you feel when you’re making bread.

Write a poem about making bread – how it feels, how you feel when you’re making it, or when you’re eating it!

There are different words for bread in other countries – the German word for bread is ‘brot’, which is quite similar to our word. In Italy bread is called ‘pane’, which is close to the French, ‘pain’.

Pane al cioccolata

(Italian chocolate bread)

Ingredients:

200g strong white flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 dessertspoon cocoa powder

125ml lukewarm liquid including 1 dessertspoon fresh yeast

2 tablespooons olive oil

Plus:

100g 70% chocolate, chopped roughly

And:

1 dsp sugar for a sugar glaze

Method:

1. Place the yeast in a measuring jug then measure up to 125ml with lukewarm water and stir to dissolve.

2. Whilst the yeast is working, place the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Mix the cocoa powder evenly in with the flour. When the yeast is ready, add to the mix and then pour the olive oil into the liquid in the bowl. Have a little water to hand to add if necessary, remember, it is better for your dough to be wetter (slack) rather than drier (tight). Begin to mix by stirring the ingredients together with a knife, cutting through the dough. When it gets too stiff for the knife, use your hand to squeeze the mixture together. As it forms into a solid mass, keep turning it over and pressing it down to pick up the flour at the bottom of the bowl – but make sure it stays soft. Don’t be afraid to add more water to keep it soft! When all the flour has been mixed in, wipe the bowl around with the dough, turn it out onto the worktop and begin to knead.

3. Knead by stretching the dough out, folding it over, stretching it out and so on and so forth. Do this until it is smooth – or until you get fed up!

4. Leave to prove for about an hour on your worktop, covered with a dry tea towel. Or place in an oiled plastic bag until you are ready for step 5.

5. When you are ready to proceed, place the dough on the worktop and press out into a rough circle. Place the chocolate on top of the dough and fold the dough over. Gently knead the dough to spread the chocolate evenly throughout.

6. Shape the loaf by pulling up the dough at the sides with your fingertips and pushing it down in the middle; do that all round the dough. This will have the effect of smoothing the underneath of the dough. Then turn it over and shape it into a round. Place it on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment.

7. Leave to prove until it has risen appreciably. Then bake at 220C, 425F or gas mark 7 for between 15-20 minutes. It is done when it is browned underneath. If your oven is browning the top of the loaf too fast, cover with foil or baking parchment.

8. Brush with a sugar glaze made with 1 dsp sugar and 2 dsps hot water.

Variation:

Try adding some dried fruit at step five, such as dates, prunes or apricots – chopped cashew nuts or walnuts go well also!

FOCACCIA

Ingredients:
400g (or 2 mugs) strong flour – either all white or a mix of white and wholemeal
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh yeast
250ml (or 2/3rds mug) lukewarm water
2 tbs olive oil

Plus:

Olive oil to drizzle

Method:

1. Measure the water and stir in the fresh yeast. Place the flour and salt into a mixing bowl, pour in the yeast liquid, then add the olive oil if using.

2. Have a little water to hand to add if necessary, remember, it is better for your dough to be wetter (slack) rather than drier (tight). Begin to mix by stirring the ingredients together with a knife, cutting through the dough as it forms. When it gets too stiff for the knife, use your hand to squeeze the mixture together. As it forms into a solid mass, keep turning it over and pressing it down to pick up the flour at the bottom of the bowl – but make sure it stays soft. Don’t be afraid to add more water to keep it soft! When all the flour has been mixed in, wipe the bowl around with the dough, turn it out onto the worktop and begin to knead.

3. Knead by flattening the dough out, folding it over and flattening it again. If the dough is too sticky, instead of putting extra flour on your worktop, place some in the bowl, put the dough back in and turn it round to coat it all over. That way you keep the flour under control and you won’t be tempted to add too much. Knead until the dough becomes smooth – and then stop before you get fed up!

4. Leave to prove for about an hour on your worktop, covered with a dry tea towel. Or place in an oiled plastic bag – all day if necessary - until you are ready for step 5. Or go straight to step 5.

5. When you are ready to proceed, knock the dough back and roll it out to about 3cm (1 inch) thick on a lightly floured worktop. Place it on a prepared baking sheet.

6. Dimple the dough by pressing your fingertips into the dough so it leaves impressions about a centimetre deep. Drizzle the olive oil over the bread, so that the holes are filled. Leave to prove until it has risen appreciably.

7. Bake at 220C, 425F or gas mark 7 for between 30-35 minutes.

Towards the end of the baking period the oil on top of the focaccia mysteriously disappears. One moment it’s there – and the next it’s gone!

Here's a slightly different version I made to bake in my chiminea tonight (8/3/11):

250g Doves organic wholemeal strong flour

50g strong white

30g ground flaxseeds

1/2 teaspoon salt

215g lukewarm water and 5g tomato puree

10g fresh yeast

25-30g extra virgin olive oil

I wanted this in a hurry (hence the tomato puree - for the vitamin C which helps gluten form) so I quickly mixed a sticky dough - left it for about ten minutes, shaped it into a cob shape then rolled it out into a 2cm thick oval. This was then placed on baking parchment on a baking tray with a lip (to catch any olive oil that may escape!).

Deep holes were pressed in the dough and filled with olive oil

 The chiminea was now ready, so, to give the focaccia a kickstart by which time it was risen enoughI placed it in the oven for just one minute. It was then taken out for 5. This was repeated once more, then left in for between 15-18 minutes, checking every 5 minutes to see the bottom wasn’t burning. After this time the underneath was cooked, but the top was showing no sign of browing – although the olive oil had disappeared, which was a good sign the loaf was nearly ready.

After 7 or 8 minutes upside down the bread was cooked. And it tasted just gorgeous! 

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