Making Bread

[homedeeth]

I'm making one of those easy to make bread mixes and the first stage is to empty the breead flour into a bowl and add water. When I go to mix it with my hands it just sticks to me and its quite messy. do I wet my hands first to avoid this:?

[New Judge]

No. You wash your hands and go down the baker's to buy a loaf. Life's too short to make your own bread!!!!! :-)

[-Talbot-]

A little oil on your hands

[EcclesCake]

My mum always used a bone handled knife to get the drought together before kneading.

[EcclesCake]

Dough, not drought!

[bookbinder]

Turn the mixture out on to a clean surface, then knead it until it becomes 'elastic'. Your hands should then become dry. Allow about 10 minutes for the kneading.

[Old_Geezer]

Life's never too short to make bread.

[jourdain2]

It is a messy process. Wetting your hands will not help. Flouring them will. Tip onto a floured board, sprinkle with flour and knead..
Worth the effort..

[New Judge]

"Life's never too short to make bread."

It depends what else you have to do, OG !! :-)

[murraymints]

use a spatula to mix water into mix until it blends...then flour hands and surface very heavily...tip onto srface and play patticakes with it 'till it becomes more solid...reflour hands... then into a basin to prove before baking..or...buy a breadmaker..I use mine most days

[EcclesCake]

Heavily flouring isn't the best of ideas as consequently it will adjust the balance of wet to dry. A wet dough is better and will dry as it is kneaded.

Incidentally it is first a rise and after being knocked back it proves.

[New Judge]

All this proves my point !!!

Do you make your own Eccles Cakes, EC?

[EcclesCake]

No, I can't stand the things :-)

[catsrcool]

As a different slant on the OP's question I go for the best of both worlds.
I have a Panasonic bread maker which you just put in the ingredients,press "bake" and 5 hours or so later you have a loaf.
The thing I use it for a lot is just to make the dough and then I can make soft white rolls,ciabatta,baguettes...... etc. etc

[jennyjoan]

that is my downfall - BREAD - just love it

[dance2trance]

empty all ingredients into a strong mixer blender.
blend on high for 4 minutes.
empty out onto floured surface.
squeeze the dough into shape
plonk in bread tin - greased.
no need to really touch it.
let it it rise for 30 mins
squash it back down into tin
bake.
been doing this for at least 17 years - hate touching flour and fats and all that yucky baking stuff.