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Bread Baking when Camping

Premixes are by far the most convenient method of producing bread on a small scale, and Laucke “Bread Machine Premixes“ are available in 5kg and 10 kg Packs, containing all the required ingredients to bake bread except water. These Premixes are eminently suitable for the production of bread by other than a Bread Machine, except that the rate of water addition as suggested on the Bread Machine instructions must be reduced, as a Bread Machine can ‘handle’ a much more sticky dough.

Typical Equipment required:
Spoon & Cup & Liquid measures, 10 litre plastic bucket with lid or just the camp oven itself.

Directions
Our Premix packs contain Instructions for use, but these need to be interpreted, bearing in mind that they are directed toward the production of bread by Machine at Home. The principles of bread making remain the same, it is only the application that is different.

Mixing
Combine dry ingredients, add warm water (unless the weather is cold, the water should usually be no more than warm or 35 deg C ) and mix together into a dough.

Add enough water or liquid to provide a fairly soft dough initially. This dough will, as you continue to knead, become smooth. It is much easier to add a little more premix later than more water.

Kneading the Dough
This is very important to obtain good bread.

If you knead vigorously and well, this should take about 10 -15 minutes. When mixed, the dough should be about 28 to 30 deg C. (a perception of warm, not cool, to the touch). If it is warmer than this, then next time adjust your water temperature down; and vice versa. The dough can be mixed in the camp oven and the resultant dough transferred onto your plastic cutting board for kneading but a 10 litre plastic bucket with lid is ideal.

One to two glasses of cordial will need to be consumed to help you knead the dough.

Dividing and Moulding
Once mixed, either place the dough straight into your oiled camp oven and go to the proofing section. Or for rolls or tin bread continue reading this section. Cover the dough by lidding the camp oven or the bucket and placing in a warm spot.

After 15 to 20 minutes remove the dough from the container and cut into the sizes required for your product. e.g. Rolls at say 100 grams (size of a tennis ball), small loaves at 500 grams, and larger loaves such as those for a tin the size of a sliced sandwich loaf are weighed at 800 grams. A large camp oven will hold a 1.6 kg dough as suggested

Rolls and small items should be rounded or shaped as required into a nice smooth form, and placed straight on to a greased tray, a fabricated alfoil bucket or ready made baking tray, or direct in to the baking container. Spacing of the dough pieces is dependent on the expected final proof size (expect double or triple the original size) and preferred final appearance.

For a loaf of bread, shape the cut dough piece into a round, smooth ball. Place this moulded dough piece into the slightly greased baking container with any seams at the bottom.

Proofing
The final proof can now take place in a warm, moist and draught free environment.

An esky with a boiled billy in it is best for trayed doughs; or use a camp oven sitting in a warm place such as on a warm motor or in warm sand, or a preheated fire bed, or next to the fire but not in contact with coals or flame.

Note that if it is easier to proof the dough in an esky, then the Alfoil bucket is ideal, and the camp oven can be preheated to the correct temperature.

The dough is usually ready for the oven when it has doubled in size. Usually this occurs after 30 - 40 minutes, providing the dough did not become too cool during the kneading and rounding stages.

Baking
When the proofed dough is ready to bake, shovel some hot coals into a hole slightly larger than the oven and place the oven on these coals, and then add a few more coals to the lid.

Maintain, where possible, an even, low heat.

Just maintaining a few live coals on the lid is generally sufficient to give a lovely brown top crust.

Judging the temperature of the oven is often difficult, but more bread is burned by excessive heat than is under baked.

A simple test of oven temperature is to place a piece of paper into the hot oven and leave it for several minutes. The correct temperature is indicated when the piece of paper is baked to a medium brown colour.

Whole dough pieces placed in the oven should take about 30 to 40 minutes to bake, and smaller products such as Rolls should bake in about 15 to 20 minutes. Products are considered baked when they are evenly coloured and sound hollow when tapped.

Tips:

1. Enjoy the bread and the cordial.
2. When making buns or adding other things such as nuts and seasonings these additives can be prepared at home and stored in little zip top plastic bags or freezer bags.
3. Pre weighed portions of bread mix can also be bagged up.
4. When space is at a premium don’t forget your camp oven will hold a fair amount of product.
5. Do not open yeast sachets until you are ready to use them and keep them in a sealed zip top bag in your fridge or esky ensuring they do not get wet. Do not leave bagged premix near a window or exposed to direct sunlight in your vehicle as the yeast will degrade. If travelling in hot weather (35 Deg C+) remove the sachets from the Premix and store as above.
6. Experiment with beer or milk in place of water, add cheese and/or bacon to your doughs.
7. If you want bread quickly on your first night out then make the dough using cold water and 1 teaspoon of yeast at home before you leave and place it in a sealed plastic 10 litre bucket. Upon arrival knock it down and place it in your oiled camp oven and allow to rise and bake as per previous instructions. You can also make enough dough for two bakes using this principle provided you have enough space in your fridge to store half the dough for another 24 hours allowing for some expansion and maybe having to de gas it occasionally.
8. If you do not have a recipe for cordial most licensed bottle shops have it already 24 to a carton.