AIBU to think that bread should be edible

We have a bread maker and get great results every time. Plus the yummy aroma makes the house smell wonderful.
(Must remember that if we ever put the house on the market as estate agents swear it produces a sale!)

I do wonder why Waitrose do so poorly with bread? They generally sell some good products, but if some of us here have noticed their bread is always on the stale side, that must mean they are doing something different to other stores. What exactly?

Morrisons make a 'split tin' white loaf which is pretty good, but it sells out very quickly in my little local store. It's almost as good as homemade.

We make loaves for slicing and freezing, rolls, focaccia, pugliese, ciabatta; everything except baguettes in fact!
Definitely a very slow rising though, normally overnight.

Tricia, I think the complète would be 150 which I agree is very worthy, but a bit heavy. Have a go at the type 110, we find it bakes every bit as well as English flour and rises beautifully. Have you got a Biocoop? They usually have a good range.

Might be wrong TriciaF but I think that we export British flour to France because it is lower in gluten and hence better for making baguettes etc which have a much longer rising time.
So agree re Panasonic bread machines feetlebaum. I am on my third one too. Honey and sunflower seed loaf today as elder DS staying. I put it on the night before and love the smell of baking bread when I wake. Tried making baps at the weekend to go with slow cooked BBQ pulled pork and that was a revelation. Not like the cotton wool ones you buy at all. [greedy emoticon]

You can use stale baguettes for cheese fondue.

edit - should have been "Francine brioche flour".

We've tried farine complète from 2 different mills, not sure what number they were. I'm convinced that french wheat is low in gluten compared with english, or especially canadian.
I'ts a matter of taste really - we like soft almost moist bread, whether white or brown, and the french seem to like something they can get their teeth into.
I sometimes use Farine brioche flour which is french flour with added gluten, and that gives a result more to our taste.
My neighbour gives me the leftover bread from school lunches for our hens, and they're like concrete, I have to soak them in water before the hens can cope.
Apologies for the thread drift - french bread is one of my obsessions.

Have you tried the flour from the organic shops, Tricia? What number are you using? We have tried the type 150 completely wholemeal which doesn't work too well for us, but type 110 is fine. When I used to make cakes and patisserie I had good results with the type 55 (now banned for dietary reasons).
OH does a very slow overnight poolish method for the bread.

Yes but - the bread that I make has flour with no additives as far as I know, (Waitrose organic wholemeal or Marriage strong white) and it stays fresh and edible for a few days in the fridge.
I do use a good bit of oil though.

As a retired chef here in Belguim, baguettes and that style of bread should really be eaten within 4 hours which is why a lot of people here buy bread more than once a day, but it makes really good breadcrumbs when blitzed the next day. Even my local corner shop gets a bread delivery twice a day. It has nothing to do with the flour it is just, Flour, Water and Yeast, no additives and chemicals to make it last forever.

Waitrose is my nearest and I always buy bread from there unless I am having a Tesco or Sainsbury on line delivery.

I agree that Waitrose bread usually appears to be stale. Even the best by dates are very short. I thought that it was just my local but obviously not.

I loves me my breadmaker! I haven't bought a loaf for at least twenty years.
I usually make a small (400g of flour) 50% wholemeal loaf, using Carr's flours and Doves Farm yeast.

I'm using my third Panasonic machine...

Bread is the enemy! If its nice bread (independant bakers like Hambleton or my own bake) I eat too much of it usually with cheese then put on weight. If its supermarket (usually but Hovis granary) its bloating. Its the enemy I am trying to avoid it at the moment.

We like Hovis seeded bread but we don't use a lot so I split the loaf and freeze half,I am lucky enough to have a son who trained in the Artisan way with Tesco when he came out of HMForces and we do get spoilt a bit when he feels in the mood.

I don't think it's the flour Tricia. We buy excellent organic flour from the organic supermarket, we usually use 70% type 110 and 30% épeautre (spelt).
I think the baguette type loaves are just not meant to be kept.

Bread from our local Tesco always seems doughy and undercooked so we have given up on it. We were buying it from the Co-op which was nice, but our new local bakery makes it fresh, not from dough which has been hanging around for months.

Oh blow!!! I've been to Waitrose and forgot to get the sourdough loaf!

We are on Hovis Seed Sensation at the moment. Very tasty. (love seeds)

Try one day old french baguette for inedible! Nearly breaks your teeth. I find all french bread dries out very quickly, I think it's the flour.
We make most of ours, usually with flour from England. Recently got a machine with a dough hook, makes 3 loaves at a time.

We have a really good artisan baker in the village, expensive, but worth it and anyway we do not eat much bread.

roses I tend to agree with you re Tesco bread. I've fallen into the trap of buying bread from Waitrose because I pass it on the way home (and Tesco is on the far side of my house).

I'd love to eat nothing but sourdough, but husband insists that we have "healthy bread" hence all the seeds and food doctor and love life malarkey. Never again.

Anyway, I'm giving Greggs bread wholemeal a try.

Although I prefer to shop at Sainsburys, I have to say that outside a small bakery, Tesco sell the freshest bread. I was very interested to hear others say that [about the stale Waitrose bread] because Mr Roses works near a Waitrose and often pops in there for bits and peices, the upshot being, although they do sell some nice things, their bread is distinctly grotty.

I really like Aldi's 'seeded' wholemeal-type bread.

I don't usually like Waitrose bread, but the sourdough one sounds nice. Son-in-law makes lovely sourdough bread.

I like Co-op own bread (not sliced).