So, just to let you know that this is NOT a guide to bread making for beginners. I will not be providing you with instructions and will not be guiding you through the steps so that you can bake your bread.
But I am here to let you know that if you are a person who has never baked bread before, have never seen anyone baked bread in person before… if you’re a noob, like me… I would suggest you buy a premix pack instead of being so gung-ho trying to make it from scratch and might end up failing.
The reason
for getting a premix pack for a first-timer are:
- You won’t get demotivated if what you made from scratch comes out not what you expected.
- You will roughly learn and know the consistency and how the dough should be like when you mix and knead.
- There are so many different recipes for baking bread online. Which one do you even choose?
I stumbled across the Laucke Crusty White Bread Mix at the supermarket late April since there wasn’t any yeast or flour in stock-in because of all the panic buys during the coronavirus pandemic. And I’m glad I did…
The instructions on the box were clear and easy enough to do it on your own. You can mix it by hand or with a stand mixer if you have one. Since the one I bought has 4 packs in there, I’ve tried making it with hand and also with my mixer.
My very first bread-making experience
Since I didn’t own a mixer at that time, I mixed and kneaded it by hand. Followed the instructions which were really easy to follow. However, I didn’t actually wait for the dough to rise on the second time so the bread actually came out smaller and a little more dense. Still edible and tasted ok. I made one medium loaf and three smaller ones.
Other tries
On the second try, I made sure I have more time and waited for the dough to rise properly. No pictures on the second try though but I made two medium-sized loaves.
On the third try, we added some cheese. We made two loaves where one is normal while the other is cheesed! The cheese bread was yums! Pictured above for the medium bread sizes. One with the bread tin, one without since we only had one bread tin at home. Also pictured below is the cheese added! Yum yum 😋
On the fourth try which was the last of the pack, we made two loaves where one of them was filled with more cheese than the previous try. Probably didn’t seal it nicely into the bread cause when it was in the oven… the cheese was oozing out. Maybe there was too much cheese lol (also no photos for this). Overall, still good to eat!
Anyways, I am just SUGGESTING that for those who have never baked bread before to try with a premix pack first before starting from scratch. But of course, if you want to bake your bread from scratch, you can! If you’ve done enough research on bread making, I’m sure you’ll succeed!
You don’t have to use the same bread mix as the ones I did which is why I am not going to link it and I’m sure you can find any premix bread brand in your grocery store to try. Once you have learned how to bake bread with the premix, it’ll be easier for you to follow online recipes that you can find since you already know the basics, texture, and consistency of how the dough should be like.
Good luck and happy baking!
PS: I’ve tried a few recipes that I can find online and guess what? Not all recipes can be followed 100%… in the end you still may have to tweak a few things here and there and that’s why I think starting with a premix bread flour is a good idea.