I saw RM bake a loaf of bread in a dutch oven and really want to try it myself.
But the measures were a bit vague.
Ingredients are, a bag of flour (what type and weight ?)
Milk powder 2 dessert spoons
Sugar 3 dessert spoons
Salt 1 dessert spoon
400 ml water
1 sachet of yeast
I would be most grateful if someone could tell me the correct measurements
Or even another bread recipe for campfire cooking
Thanks
The difficulty (and the joy!) is that bread making is far more a fuzzy art than an exact science...
If you are not familiar with bread making at all I'd start with a "quick bread", which uses baking powder as the leavening rather than yeast. There are millions of quick bread recipes out there, just search around until you find a really simple one and give it a try. Quick breads are often much better suited to trail/camp conditions as well, because they are quicker to mix and do not require either kneading or raising periods- just mix them up quickly, form up for baking, and then bake. Most people use a basic quick bread recipe as their staple "bannock" in the bush, and it can then be elaborated in numerous variations with additions of this or that.
If you really want to move on to yeast breads, start experimenting at home and remember that there can be a huge amount of variability in the ingredients. Essentially bread is just flour, yeast, and water sufficient to make a kneadable dough. A bit of salt improves flavor and acts to preserve the bread a bit. A bit of sweetener (sugar, honey, etc) will improve the taste and promote color in the crust. A bit of milk will improve the texture of the bread. Some sort of fat (butter, oil, lard, bacon drippings, etc) will improve flavor and texture, as will some amount of egg. The combination of these "extra" elements, and the different amounts used, result in the plethora of types of breads- and they are for the most part universally good, so don't be afraid to just experiment or use what you have.
If you really want to do something like the recipe Uncle Mears gave, don't worry about a specific amount of flour other than just making sure you have a fair bit on hand. Mix the yeast and the water (slightly warm), stir, and wait til it starts puffing a bit [maybe 3-5 minutes- this is "proofing" the yeast]. Then add the sugar, salt, and the milk powder to the proofed yeast and mix this up [thus combining all the flavor components into the liquid]. Now just start adding flour, one cup or large handful at a time, and mixing it in. Keep going until it starts to form a sticky mass that pulls away from the sides. Now start kneading, adding a little bit of flour as you need to just until the dough stops sticking to your fingers in huge globs. Then just keep kneading, the longer the better, but at least until the dough is smooth and elastic (ie: it will pull back into shape if you pull it a bit) adding just enough flour to keep it from getting overly sticky. Then proceed with the shaping, rising, baking. Some breads are allowed to rise once and are then punched down (deflated and reshaped) then allowed to rise a second time. Often one rise is enough though. Then it's off to bake until the crust is crisp and colored and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
So basically, just proof the yeast in some amount of water, add whatever "extras" (salt, sweetener, milk, egg oil, etc) you are going to use, and then add flour sufficient to make the dough kneadable. Once you get a basic feel for the basic amounts you don't have to even measure anything, as too much or too little of something will still turn out delicious bread. The only real ways to completely ruin a bread is to not let it rise enough, to make it far too salty, or to burn it.
Anyway, longwinded but hopefully helpful. Bread-making is great fun, and yummy to boot. Dive in, and good luck!
