Does anyone else here like to bake?

[Evo]

i love to bake...i haven't mastered bread yet, but hope to someday...cookies are a lot of fun, especially chocolate chip cookies...

Kerrie, get a bread machine. The most wonderful device ever made. I can have homemade bread every day now if I want.

 

[tribdog]

I got a bread machine once. I think its slogan was something like, "Makes great bread until you run out of the free sample packets, then only takes up 12 square inches of counter top while it sits and collects dust..

 

[Moonbear]

I got a bread machine once. I think its slogan was something like, "Makes great bread until you run out of the free sample packets, then only takes up 12 square inches of counter top while it sits and collects dust..

They usually come with a bunch of fairly simple recipes, as in, a list of ingredients, dump them all in and push a button or two, come back after work and there's bread waiting for you. I've stopped using mine though. When I lived in MI and worked with a bunch of exercise nuts always looking for a carbo fix, I used it more because I had no problem taking my slice and passing along the rest, but now everyone is on these wacky low carb diets, and won't touch the bread, even when it's whole wheat! The bread machines also cause me trouble when the humidity isn't consistent. One day the bread is too dry, the next too wet. With making it by hand, I can just add as much flour as needed until it feels right.

Actually, that reminds me that I need to take my out of the cabinet and move it to the basement appliance graveyard. Then again, I didn't buy it for myself, my sister gave it to me as a Christmas or birthday present one year...she tends to send me strange appliances for gifts...she sent me a foot bath thing once...that scared me...fill it up with hot water then plug it in and stick your feet in it while it vibrates. I thought she might have been trying to get rid of me via electrocution. It makes a great bin for collecting junk mail though. I had another idea for it, but it still scared me to plug something in that holds water.

 

[Evo]

I got a bread machine once. I think its slogan was something like, "Makes great bread until you run out of the free sample packets, then only takes up 12 square inches of counter top while it sits and collects dust..

Hey, all you do is dump the ingredients in, (you don't even have to stir them), close the lid, hit "start" and a few hours later fresh bread pops out. IT'S A MIRACLE!

You can buy more of those packets, you know.

edit:Moonbear, my cats LOVE bread, so my surplus problem is solved.

 

[gravenewworld]

I'm actually really good at baking pies, my mom and grandmom are jealous of me because I can make it better than them. I also get requests from girls all the time at school that will pay me to bake pies for them. My favorite pie to bake without a doubt is strawberry rhubarb pie, which is the best damn pie on the face of the earth.

 

[Moonbear]

Now I want to get a bunch of PFers together for a feast! Nevermind that there won't be any main courses, there will be plenty of fresh bread, cinnamon rolls, pies, cookies, cakes...yummy! We'll have plenty of tea, coffee or milk to go with all the desserts. Don't worry tribdog, we'll manage to fatten you up with that feast. Gravenewworld, you're definitely invited to bring along that strawberry rhubarb pie. Sounds delicious! Sorry Evo, the cats are not invited, I'm not sharing my pie! They can wait for any leftovers, but I don't think there will be any.

 

[Ba]

No, with us there, leftovers will not be a problem! Food, it sounds so good.

 

[tumor]

I love baking, especially bread. There is nothing that smells more wonderful than the smell of bread baking. Then eating it warm from the oven with fresh butter... :!)

I'm just making whole wheat bread right now!(first time in my live).Very simple recipe: whole wheat flour,yeast,little salt, brown sugar, however i don't add any oils!, maybe some olive oil to grease the baking pan.
Wish me luck.I Looooooove Breads!

 

[Moonbear]

Good luck tumor. Whole wheat is a tough one to start with...it will be very sticky. You might want to add just a touch of unbleached flour just to give it a bit more gluten to hold it together. Knead it for a long time (15 min). A scraper will help to keep lifting it off the work surface as you knead...don't be afraid to add flour as you go along.

 

[tribdog]

also with whole wheat, that doesn't mean the "whole" wheat. Learned that one the hard way. Those stalks are tough and I was backed up for about 4 days.
If someone asked me if I knew how to knead I'd say kno.

 

[tumor]

Jeezes! one word says it all AWFULL! bread came out of oven flat and i baked it too long because crust was so hard i almost chiped my front teeth, ate whole bread anyway.I could not throw that thing into the garbage.
So why my bread was so flat? and not like that in the supermarket? Help me people!

PS Ups!, maybe i forgot to add yeast?

 

[Moonbear]

Jeezes! one word says it all AWFULL! bread came out of oven flat and i baked it to long because crust was so hard i almost chiped my front teeth, ate whole bread anyway.I could not throw that thing into the garbage.
So why my bread was so flat? and not like that in the supermarket? Help me people!

PS Ups!, maybe i forgot to add yeast?

A few possibilities:
1) You indeed forgot the yeast. You should mix the yeast with lukewarm water first and let it dissolve and start to react a bit, then add the other liquid ingredients, and then the dry ingredients.
2) Your yeast was too old and died.
3) You didn't give the bread enough time to rise...usually about an hour or two for the first rise, then gently roll it back in a ball (punching it down doesn't really mean punching it), and a second rise for another hour or two, then shape the loaf and let it rest another 10 or 20 minutes before putting it in the oven.
4) You didn't knead the dough long enough to get it elastic.
5) It was too wet, so didn't hold its shape when you put it in the oven.
6) The whole wheat flour didn't have enough gluten in it (whole wheat is low in gluten, which is the stuff in flour that helps the dough get elastic and hold together). You can solve this by either buying some gluten to add, or by substituting some white flour (I prefer unbleached) for wheat flour.
7) A combination of several of the above.

Try a white bread next time, or sourdough (though you need an extra day to make that). It's easier to learn to work with white flour because it has more gluten in it. You can also buy whole wheat with a higher gluten content, but you might have to find a specialty store to get it. It just takes a little practice. Watch some cooking shows on TV to see what dough is supposed to look like.

 

[tumor]

Moonbear! thanks. you are the greatest! tomorrow or even tonight i will try again to bake bread according to your suggestions.

 

[tumor]

My second try at baking bread today was more sucsessfull than yesterday.
I bought real yeast at Polish delicatessen and added some white flour with gluten.Final result- delicious.Mmmmm
Thanks for advice Moonbear.

 

[Moonbear]

My second try at baking bread today was more sucsessfull than yesterday.
I bought real yeast at Polish delicatessen and added some white flour with gluten.Final result- delicious.Mmmmm

Yay! Isn't fresh bread the BEST?!

Thanks for advice Moonbear.

No problem...just remember to nominate me for the baking expert medal!