Bread Makers

[Crunchie]

Quote:
I have been eyeing those Zojirushi machines in the King Arthur catalog...I'm afraid it's not in the budge at the moment, but I do think I want one!

I've always baked bread by hand, but I just don't have the time anymore so I've been thinking about a bread machine. I need to find one that fits my budget...thinking about checking out the thrift stores, seeing what I can find.

 

[ChelC]

I have a bread machine but only bake in it during the hot summer months. I love working the dough by hand, and hate having a hole in the loaf. Plus the machine doesn't always let it rise properly, so I prefer doing it by hand. It does a nice job of the kneading though.

What kind of bread are you after? White, wheat, light wheat, dense, light?

 

[farm_mom]

If you do buy a bread machine, I would recommend getting Better Homes and Gardens Biggest Book of Bread Machine Recipes. It has many, many wonderful recipes for the machine. I've recently started making our daily bread by hand. I was scared stiff because the last time I tried, in my early 20's, I made lead..real doorstops! The kneading part scared me to death. I got Knead It, Punch It, Bake It-The Ultimate Breadmaking Book for Parents and Kids and I loved the straight-forward, easy to understand instructions. I've done many loaves by hand since then and it really gave me the confidence I needed. I buy my flours in bulk from the local Mennonite community. It really helps with expenses. I have children with life threatening allergies as well, and knowing what's in your bread is a big relief. Good luck!!

 

[tiffanyh]

I have a bread maker, but everytime I make bread with it, I really dont like the texture. It isnt soft and doughy. It is rubbery and hole-y. Any ideas why???

 

[patandchickens]

I use a bread machine because of arthritic wrists that dislike kneading. (I use the machine even when I bake the dough in the oven, e.g. for pizza dough and rolls). My current bread machine is a boring Black and Decker job, it was $90 a few years ago here but probably cheaper than that in the States. It's the kind with a vertical, not horizontal, pan. Other than the bottom couple slices have voids from the paddle, the vertical pan is no problem at all and it makes really good sandwich bread of various types.

Quote:
Sounds like too much water. Even a small difference in amount of water can make a surprisingly big difference in the product. Experiment with using less.

Also make certain the recipes you're using are designed for your exact bread machine -- they're not all interchangeable. Once you've got more mileage under your belt with yours, you can fiddle with other recipes to adapt them, but it's not a good way to start out

Good luck and have fun!

Pat

 

[LoneCowboy]

I have a bread maker and I love it. I've also made bread by hand a lot and I really like this recipe.

1 cup water
2 1/2 cups Bread Flour
1 1/8 Tsp. Salt
1 1/2 Tbs Sugar
1 1/2 Tbs Nonfat dry milk powder
1 1/2 Tbs Butter
1 1/8 tsp yeast

place ingredients in bread machine in the order listed

Run it on standard/basic loaf setting

Butter crust right out of the machine

I've make this mix up in advance with everything but the water and butter and then when I want a loaf I just add the water, throw in the mix and the butter and let it go. I love it, it's very soft and moist.

 

[yellowdragon]

Thanks to everyone. I was thinking of make white mostly, but I would like to find healthy good tasting bread of any flavor

 

[Krysstyllanthrox]

Using my bread machine for the dough cycle is the ONLY way I can make bread at home. My kitchen is too drafty and 'cold' to do proper rising.

I've been trying to get in the habit of doing a loaf on Sunday so we can have fresh warm bread for our big meal on Sunday night. Yummmm... Nothing better than fresh homemade bread with real butter on it.

 

[Stumpy]

I haven't read the responses, so this may be old news. I've been using a bread machine for about 10 years. For some people, it's something they try and never use again. I have battled carpal tunnel and tenodnitis for years, so any labor-saving device is a blessing to me.

If there was one thing I wish we'd known before we bought our first model, which still works by the way, is that not all bread machines can handle home-ground flour. In other words, if you are planning on buying wheat to grind, you'll need a Zojirushi brand. We love ours. One of my favorites is this french bread recipe:

1 cup water
3 cups bread flour
3 tsp. yeast
1 1/2 t. salt

You could probably find a used bread machine very in expensively.

 

[BettyR]

I have an old Betty Crocker II bread machine; it’s about 15 years old. I bought it on clearance at Kmart for $50.00 right before Christmas; it makes a 2 pound loaf.

I use it to knead my dough then I bake the loaf in the oven. I don’t like the texture of bread that is baked in the bread machine.

This is the recipe that I use.

1-cup water
1/4 cup powdered milk
1 tablespoon white sugar
1-teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg
3-1/2 cups bread flour
1-packet instant yeast


Procedure:
Place ingredients into bread machine in order listed and select the dough cycle. When the dough has risen to the top of the pan remove. Form dough into a loaf and place in a 9-inch loaf pan, spray dough with spray oil, cover with plastic wrap and allow dough to double in size.

Bake at 375°F for 25 minutes or until loaf reaches an internal temperature of 190°F.
Remove loaf from pan and cool completely before slicing.