# Alternative Ways to Make Bread



## paulag1955 (Dec 15, 2019)

I see a lot of bread experimentation in my future. Click here for article.


----------



## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Acorn , flour Cat tail flour long list. Have fun with it.


----------



## paulag1955 (Dec 15, 2019)

Smitty901 said:


> Acorn , flour Cat tail flour long list. Have fun with it.


Native oaks are pretty uncommon in western Washington and there are none at all in eastern Washington, so acorn flour wouldn't be a good choice for me. Cattails maybe, though.


----------



## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

Did I miss something in that article? There was almost no talk of making bread without wheat flour. Of the three recipes, one called for all purpose flour & another for self rising flour. Third was a recipe for potato pancakes.

My prepping plans call for making my own bread during a crisis. I have multiple hand cranked flour mills. I keep hundreds of pounds of wheat berries in long term storage. From what I grow, primarily I'll be grinding dried corn into corn meal. Who doesn't love cornbread. My number one survival crop is amaranth. It grows like a weed, loves the heat and doesn't need much water or any fertilizer. When young, you can eat the whole plant raw and when the leaves are mature, you cook them like spinach or greens. They are incredibly nutritious and packed with vital nutrients and vitamins. Each plant puts out hundreds of thousands of seeds, which can be ground into flour. It is extremely nutritious and gluten-free.


----------



## paulag1955 (Dec 15, 2019)

******* said:


> Did I miss something in that article? There was almost no talk of making bread without wheat flour. Of the three recipes, one called for all purpose flour & another for self rising flour. Third was a recipe for potato pancakes.
> 
> My prepping plans call for making my own bread during a crisis. I have multiple hand cranked flour mills. I keep hundreds of pounds of wheat berries in long term storage. From what I grow, primarily I'll be grinding dried corn into corn meal. Who doesn't love cornbread. My number one survival crop is amaranth. It grows like a weed, loves the heat and doesn't need much water or any fertilizer. When young, you can eat the whole plant raw and when the leaves are mature, you cook them like spinach or greens. They are incredibly nutritious and packed with vital nutrients and vitamins. Each plant puts out hundreds of thousands of seeds, which can be ground into flour. It is extremely nutritious and gluten-free.


No, you didn't miss a thing and I kind of laughed about the title myself. It does, however, give some ways to make bread without commercial yeast so I think it's valuable for that.


----------



## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

People need to understand post SHTF required task will become time consuming and manual labor intensive. You will likely after a while be forced to grind your own flour it you want bread.Just like if you want meat you will kill dress and prepare meat of storage.
If you want verity in your diet it will mean work in foraging. it was done for a long time. We can do it again.


----------



## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

I have a large hand operated grain mill, Crank wheel is also a pulley for powering it.

Using it, I have ground wheat and corn fine enough for baking, have to run it through a couple of times.

I like using my tortilla press with the self ground flour, it works well, they get cooked on a cast iron grill.

The thing with the tortillas is it is quick to mix, part and press, quick time on the grill.

I won't be using any yeast after I run out of my frozen stores of it in a SHTF scenario.

Could start a sourdough pot though, grandmother always had one in her kitchen.

There is plenty of corn grown around here, no wheat, I even grow some of it.

There are a bazillion cat tail that grow on the lee side of the lake in and alongside of the channel.


----------



## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

SOCOM42 said:


> I won't be using any yeast after I would run out of my frozen stores of it in a SHTF scenario.
> 
> Could start a sourdough pot though, grandmother always had one in her kitchen.


That article is correct in that much fruit has yeast on it... especially apples and blueberries. Problem is, with wild yeasts, no telling what you will get. More than likely, would probably be some type of sourdough.


----------



## paulag1955 (Dec 15, 2019)

******* said:


> That article is correct in that much fruit has yeast on it... especially apples and blueberries. Problem is, with wild yeasts, no telling what you will get. More than likely, would probably be some type of sourdough.


Yes, any yeast will provide sourdough and the differences in the natural yeast present in different areas is why breads made with wild sourdough starters vary in taste and texture.

@SOCOM42 when you use sourdough starters you are using yeast. It's just wild yeast as opposed to commercial yeast.


----------



## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

******* said:


> That article is correct in that much fruit has yeast on it... especially apples and blueberries. Problem is, with wild yeasts, no telling what you will get. More than likely, would probably be some type of sourdough.


I have in a bio book, photomicrographs of useable yeasts, I can throw them under the scope to see which is which,

after they are grown on a dish in the incubator, I have done black raspberries which there a ton of out back.

You can even use commercial bread yeast to form a starter, just keep feeding it.

That pot grandmother had was porcelain, and I just remembered had several layers of damp cheesecloth over it.


----------



## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

paulag1955 said:


> Yes, any yeast will provide sourdough and the differences in the natural yeast present in different areas is why breads made with wild sourdough starters vary in taste and texture.
> 
> @SOCOM42 when you use sourdough starters you are using yeast. It's just wild yeast as opposed to commercial yeast.


Oh, I know, just did not word my response right, made sense to me though.

I found you have to protect it from bacterial infestation.

I may start some and see if it is immune to UV light which will kill harmful bacteria.


----------



## paulag1955 (Dec 15, 2019)

SOCOM42 said:


> Oh, I know, just did not word my response right, made sense to me though.
> 
> I found you have to protect it from bacterial infestation.
> 
> I may start some and see if it is immune to UV light which will kill harmful bacteria.


I use a fermentation nipple on the jar I keep my sourdough in. Keeps the bacteria out and lets the gas escape. I've been keeping my starter on the kitchen windowsill but I expect I'll need to find another place for it when the sun gets higher.


----------



## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

That is how penicillin was discovered, spores coming in an open window.

Landed on a dish of agar and some test bacteria, the rest is history.


----------



## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

paulag1955 said:


> I see a lot of bread experimentation in my future. Click here for article.


I been making grand prize winning flour torts since back when Pancho Villa was a kid. The frugal prevert also teach me how to make Irish Soda bread which takes a lot lot regular bread to me and it dont need any steenken yearst to make it,. .lol. Whatcha got over there.


----------



## paulag1955 (Dec 15, 2019)

bigwheel said:


> I been making grand prize winning flour torts since back when Pancho Villa was a kid. The frugal prevert also teach me how to make Irish Soda bread which takes a lot lot regular bread to me and it dont need any steenken yearst to make it,. .lol. Whatcha got over there.


I've made soda bread from time to time and I love it. My husband, not so much. And since I can't eat wheat anymore, he always gets what he wants. LOL


----------



## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Sounds like your treating him good. You dont ever get mad and threaten to call the cops on him do you? Nt reatuve wife has thought that up a few times over the years. Mighty severe corporal punishment on that deal lol.


----------



## JustAnotherNut (Feb 27, 2017)

******* said:


> Did I miss something in that article? There was almost no talk of making bread without wheat flour. Of the three recipes, one called for all purpose flour & another for self rising flour. Third was a recipe for potato pancakes.
> 
> My prepping plans call for making my own bread during a crisis. I have multiple hand cranked flour mills. I keep hundreds of pounds of wheat berries in long term storage. From what I grow, primarily I'll be grinding dried corn into corn meal. Who doesn't love cornbread. My number one survival crop is amaranth. It grows like a weed, loves the heat and doesn't need much water or any fertilizer. When young, you can eat the whole plant raw and when the leaves are mature, you cook them like spinach or greens. They are incredibly nutritious and packed with vital nutrients and vitamins. Each plant puts out hundreds of thousands of seeds, which can be ground into flour. It is extremely nutritious and gluten-free.


Being gluten free, I wonder how it would react with the yeast, since gluten is needed for the yeast to rise? Though I'm sure it would probably work, but you may not get the big light & fluffy stuff you're used to seeing


----------



## JustAnotherNut (Feb 27, 2017)

Here's another option to make yeast, without using precious flour....






AND I recently had to try Indian Fry Bread, that uses baking powder. It may be possible to tweek the process a bit to get a thicker, softer version, than frying in hot oil.






Several years ago I had grown a small patch of wheat, that I used a blender to grind to a rough flour & mixed it 50/50 with AP that turned out pretty good.


----------



## JustAnotherNut (Feb 27, 2017)

Almost forgot...…..oatmeal can also be ground & used for flour


----------



## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

JustAnotherNut said:


> Being gluten free, I wonder how it would react with the yeast, since gluten is needed for the yeast to rise? Though I'm sure it would probably work, but you may not get the big light & fluffy stuff you're used to seeing


Nope, it won't be big and fluffy, but would certainly be better than nothing. Initially it can be use as an extender for my wheat berries. Seems normal ratio is 1 part amaranth flour to 4 parts wheat flour. The following link has a recipe and video for amaranth bread, and it uses yeast.

https://mor-nutrition4life.com/easiest-gluten-free-bread/

I think my primary use of the amaranth seed would be as a breakfast porridge, once my oat stores run out. I've never made it but all reports says is delicious and tastes like cream of wheat. Pic of amaranth seed and the porridge follows.


----------



## paulag1955 (Dec 15, 2019)

******* said:


>


Dang it, that is making me hungry.


----------



## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

And some ways not to even try. had to run to mother in laws just as I was starting dinner. Daughter who is an outstanding cook and wife take over. I heard something about my corn bread as I left. Daughter and wife change the ingredients . I have no forbid them to touch my corn bread again. I do not know what that was , but I know it was not corn bread.


----------



## Old SF Guy (Dec 15, 2013)

Oddly enough, after reading this article yesterday I was wondering how Beer bread would taste.... my neighbor, who always cooks me stuff brought me some food and the bread was the most amazing I had tasted. I asked her what it was and she said....beer bread....crazy right?


----------



## paulag1955 (Dec 15, 2019)

Old SF Guy said:


> Oddly enough, after reading this article yesterday I was wondering how Beer bread would taste.... my neighbor, who always cooks me stuff brought me some food and the bread was the most amazing I had tasted. I asked her what it was and she said....beer bread....crazy right?


That is a crazy coincidence!


----------



## inceptor (Nov 19, 2012)

One of the things on my bucket list when I retired was making my own bread. Now that I have time I've actually tried it. 4 batches (1 tossed), 3 attempts, 2 loaves that weren't bad and 1 that sucked big time. I also have a sourdough starter going and about to start a different one. The one going right now is bread flour based and my next one will be whole wheat based. 

The attempts so far are Artisan Bread, 2 different recipes. I'm gonna get this down. I think come fall this may be the only source we'll have. Just sayin...........


----------



## inceptor (Nov 19, 2012)

Oh, I forgot to add, thanks @paulag1955. Thanks to a question you had about flour I found a local Texas mill not to far from Austin and ordered one of their whole wheat bags. This is what I'll use to start the whole wheat sourdough starter.


----------



## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

inceptor said:


> One of the things on my bucket list when I retired was making my own bread. Now that I have time I've actually tried it. 4 batches (1 tossed), 3 attempts, 2 loaves that weren't bad and 1 that sucked big time. I also have a sourdough starter going and about to start a different one. The one going right now is bread flour based and my next one will be whole wheat based.
> 
> The attempts so far are Artisan Bread, 2 different recipes. I'm gonna get this down. I think come fall this may be the only source we'll have. Just sayin...........


You will get there, it took me a while too in the beginning, 30 years ago.

You are right about the fall, making preps for that also.

I am trying to avoid breaking into my stores at this point, have not had to yet.

Outside of the meat in the freezer chest and the fridge one, there is about 125+ cans of spam on the shelfs.

Also there is a few dozen cans of DAK hams stored, have used some already, none in the stores either.

A third of the chest is taken up by meds stored.

At this point I just plan on making tortillas for usage here until it gets cold out.

One of my favorites is raisin bread to make,

late fall and winter will give me the ability to make a lot and allow to freeze outside in a shelter.

I make enough at one time for three months worth of usage, those will be heavy breads.

I have a stove top thermometer to watch the wood stove temp, when making bread in the oven adaptor.

I use a ceramic pizza baker disc to put the dough on works great, throw a little cornmeal or flour on it first.


----------



## paulag1955 (Dec 15, 2019)

inceptor said:


> Oh, I forgot to add, thanks @paulag1955. Thanks to a question you had about flour I found a local Texas mill not to far from Austin and ordered one of their whole wheat bags. This is what I'll use to start the whole wheat sourdough starter.


 How big a bag did you get?


----------



## inceptor (Nov 19, 2012)

paulag1955 said:


> How big a bag did you get?


Just a 5lb bag. I wanted to try it first. Flour is back in stock at Sam's and Costco. I never really looked at whole wheat flour but after looking at a number of recipes, I'll be looking the next time I go. I have AP flour stored but don't want to get into that stuff yet. If I get lucky, I'll be adding to the storage plus have enough to get this done right and be decent at a variety of different breads.


----------



## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

Well since we are all preppers, so who is prepared to make an earth (cob) oven for that bread? Luckily, my property has lots of sand and clay, so I'm good to go. I keep extra fire bricks in storage for the oven flooring. I have a few books on building them just right. The proportion of height to width is important. If too high you can get cooling eddies at the top of the oven; too low and the fire won't get enough air. The height of the door should be 63% of the interior height.

I like this book: https://www.amazon.com/Build-Your-Own-Earth-Oven/dp/096798467X

This is an informative site: https://www.apieceofrainbow.com/diy-wood-fired-outdoor-pizza-oven/


----------

