Make Bread at Home - An Artful Endeavour

[wolram]

One of my most favoured foods is fresh crusty bread ,i can not think of any thing that smells better.
Trouble is no shops sell proper bread these days it is all mass produced edible play dough, and good bread making is an art ,so is there anyone who knows a way to produce a proper loaf of bread?

 

[Evo]

My mother made homemade bread twice a week, so I grew up with hot crusty bread and rolls. We also made homemade yeast donuts at least once a month.

I just never found the time often enough to make homemade bread.

Until one day I found something that changed my life. It was a bread machine (heavenly choir, sunrays shining down through lovely clouds above).

It makes incredible bread. You can either let the bread cook in the machine after it prepares the dough. Or if you want to add that real homemade touch, you can remove the dough and shape it and bake in a regular oven.

If you use the machine, you can use the timer so that the dough is made, then bakes, and is ready any time you want.

The first night that the temps hit the 30's, I'm making chili and homemade bread and setting the fireplace ablaze. I may even make my own butter. I used to make butter when I was little when I discovered all it took was putting heavy whip cream into a jar and shaking it until the butter solidified. So much better than what you buy in the store. You are invited.

 

[wolram]

That would be my idea of heaven :!)

 

[NeoDevin]

Can I be invited too?

 

[Evo]

Can I be invited too?

Sure.

 

[Art]

My mother made homemade bread twice a week, so I grew up with hot crusty bread and rolls. We also made homemade yeast donuts at least once a month.

I just never found the time often enough to make homemade bread.

Until one day I found something that changed my life. It was a bread machine (heavenly choir, sunrays shining down through lovely clouds above).

It makes incredible bread. You can either let the bread cook in the machine after it prepares the dough. Or if you want to add that real homemade touch, you can remove the dough and shape it and bake in a regular oven.

If you use the machine, you can use the timer so that the dough is made, then bakes, and is ready any time you want.

The first night that the temps hit the 30's, I'm making chili and homemade bread and setting the fireplace ablaze. I may even make my own butter. I used to make butter when I was little when I discovered all it took was putting heavy whip cream into a jar and shaking it until the butter solidified. So much better than what you buy in the store. You are invited.

The problem I've found with making white bread in a bread making machine is it comes out a lot heavier than the stuff you buy in shops. It also doesn't tend to be as white.

I know the bread producers probably get their effects using chemicals but unfortunately I'm used to their concoction and so don't really like the home-made variety.

 

[Astronuc]

(heavenly choir, sunrays shining down through lovely clouds above).

It makes incredible bread. You can either let the bread cook in the machine after it prepares the dough. Or if you want to add that real homemade touch, you can remove the dough and shape it and bake in a regular oven.

Does one have a model that one can share?

The first night that the temps hit the 30's, I'm making chili and homemade bread and setting the fireplace ablaze. I may even make my own butter. I used to make butter when I was little when I discovered all it took was putting heavy whip cream into a jar and shaking it until the butter solidified. So much better than what you buy in the store.

Sounds wonderful! :!)

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

As I had mentioned earlier, you can't swing a cat around here without hitting a Dunkin' Donuts shop. I know, I've tried. Now some genius is opening a bakery right next to one of them. The only other bakery in the area doesn't believe in using yeast in their baking. Their mille-feuille breaks teeth and their bread doubles as a boat anchor. There was another one that made really good croissants, but they folded about 5 years ago. I look forward to buying some bread and pastries along with my wife's coffee. So once this one opens, I will go inside to have a sniff. When I was a child, my father would take me to the bakery at 6:00 in the morning when the baking was happening. Such smells. Every time he told the same joke "Why pay for broken cookies? Buy whole ones and break them yourself." I was a teenager before I found out that broken cookies aren't broken.

 

[wolram]

The problem I've found with making white bread in a bread making machine is it comes out a lot heavier than the stuff you buy in shops. It also doesn't tend to be as white.

I know the bread producers probably get their effects using chemicals but unfortunately I'm used to their concoction and so don't really like the home-made variety.

A guy in a modern bakery once told me, we are the closest things to god as we can make bread from water.

 

[Astronuc]

The problem I've found with making white bread in a bread making machine is it comes out a lot heavier than the stuff you buy in shops. It also doesn't tend to be as white.

I know the bread producers probably get their effects using chemicals but unfortunately I'm used to their concoction and so don't really like the home-made variety.

I prefer the darker, coarser breads like rye and pumpernickel. My dad used to get into bread making - and invariably the whole family got involved because he'd do it on a semi-industrial scale - with kgs of flour to make a dozen loaves or so. I did a lot of rolling and kneading - it was good exercise.

After the dough was prepared, we'd let it rise on the hot water heater for a bit. Then we'd bake it.

It was wonderful.

In the UK - look at the Breville Breadmaster.

In the US - look at these - http://www.bread-maker.net/breadmakerbreadmakers.htm

 

[tribdog]

Can I be invited too?

sure, as long as you don't show.

bread machines are great. Even the premade mixes of breads that comes with most of them are good. I ran into a problem using old yeast and some of my breads didn't rise. Didn't stop me from eating them, but bread is definitely better when it does rise. The only problem with bread machines is I end up burning my fingers, but I suppose I'd do the same if I was baking in the oven I can't help myself and have to taste it as soon as I smell it.

 

[turbo]

We have a Regal Kitchen Pro breadmaker, and it is wonderful. It came with a recipe book, and we tried a few UNTIL we hit Onion Rye. That is the best sandwich bread ever and it makes the best toast. We never make any other type of bread at home.

Until we got the bread machine, I made whole-wheat bread by hand every week or so.

 

[turbo]

Like Evo and Astronuc, I grew up in a home in which bread-making was a regular affair. We had New England style baked beans almost every Saturday night, and as long as the oven is being used, it's a good time to bake yeast bread, yeast rolls, pastry biscuits, etc. There were times when we had commercially-made bread, but we got a regular diet of the good stuff. When the yeast bread came out of the oven, there was lively competition for hot, crusty heel pieces with home-made butter.

 

[wolram]

Kia has a bread maker and yes the bread it makes is far better than shop bought, but it still is not as good as oven baked bread, a good loaf has to have a thick crust and i like it almost burnt.

 

[Evo]

Kia has a bread maker and yes the bread it makes is far better than shop bought, but it still is not as good as oven baked bread, a good loaf has to have a thick crust and i like it almost burnt.

Take the dough out when it is ready and bake it in the oven. Just let the machine do the kneading and rising.

 

[wolram]

Take the dough out when it is ready and bake it in the oven. Just let the machine do the kneading and rising.

Pure genius, now all i knead is the best recipe.

 

[LowlyPion]

I got a Sunbeam bread maker a couple of years ago at Walmart for something like $28.88. I figured I could make back the cost on it. And I have to say it's all I need. I haven't bought any bread for nearly 3 years now. I use the number 1 setting on the smaller loaf and I get great results.

I used to make it by hand some years ago for a couple of years at least, but just gave up as it required more effort and life was too busy.

I use various recipes with standard flour, and flax meal in small proportion or spelt, but mostly settled on a sour cream and olive oil recipe that gives a slightly tart of neutral taste. I stiffen it with wheat gluten rather than buy up for bread machine flour. I must say that after resolving some early slightly collapsed top problems that it gets great results.

I never got a good banana bread or raisin bread out of it and gave up trying to do that in a machine (there's a beeper when to add the fruit, but forget that), as just doing those by hand, like simple yeast rolls is just easier.

But my experience is that a simple machine is more than practical and a definite cost and convenience saver, buying flours on occasional sale, getting low cost yeast.

 

[NoTime]

Take the dough out when it is ready and bake it in the oven. Just let the machine do the kneading and rising.

Now that is an idea.
I have the same problem as wolram, better, but not the same as oven baked.

I used to make my own bread, but after the kids moved out, I'd sit there and eat the whole thing at once

 

[Borek]

but after the kids moved out, I'd sit there and eat the whole thing at once

That's our problem; I thought about buying a bread maker, but for two of us it doesn't make sense, we don't eat enough bread.

 

[turbo]

That's our problem; I thought about buying a bread maker, but for two of us it doesn't make sense, we don't eat enough bread.

Many bread makers have the capability to make smaller loaves, and once you tune up a bread recipe you like, it's really nice to have that bread on hand to serve with soups, stews, chili and other cold-weather meals. I won't post the recipe for onion-rye bread because my wife has taken control of that and she uses gluten for binding, and varies the rye/wheat flour mix depending on weather, phase of the moon, and some other arcane stuff (just kidding, but she does change it at will). Actually, she pretty much "wings it" with that bread, and it's always great. She gets her flours and gluten from a health-food shop, and tinkers the recipe to suit the ingredients.

 

[LowlyPion]

Many bread makers have the capability to make smaller loaves, and once you tune up a bread recipe you like, it's really nice to have that bread on hand to serve with soups, stews, chili and other cold-weather meals. I won't post the recipe for onion-rye bread because my wife has taken control of that and she uses gluten for binding, and varies the rye/wheat flour mix depending on weather, phase of the moon, and some other arcane stuff (just kidding, but she does change it at will). Actually, she pretty much "wings it" with that bread, and it's always great. She gets her flours and gluten from a health-food shop, and tinkers the recipe to suit the ingredients.

At this point I've probably made about 300 loaves in a machine that costs less than $30 making it about $.10 a loaf to fully depreciate the machine to $0 now. And tinkering is part of the fun of it all getting the dome to rise just so high and not be misshapen. But for me the real issue is convenience. I am never more than 2:45 away from a fresh loaf regardless of the store hours. When I use the last piece I start a new loaf in 5 minutes if I'm rushed and under 10 if I putter about opening ingredients and deciding what to change. It's one less reason to have to go to the store because I'm caught short. And the loaves are not so big they last all that long.

 

[Evo]

I don't eat a lot of bread, except when I bake a loaf, I will usually end up eating the whole thing. But, the loaves are small.

Borek, you should get a bread maker.

 

[Borek]

Borek, you should get a bread maker.

Aye aye, Ma'am!

We have to buy a new food processor first, as our old one is dying (slowly and painfully). Nothing strange, it remembers Reagan times.

 

[tribdog]

Pure genius, now all i knead is the best recipe.

Are you going to let him get away with this? someone please give me a groan icon.

 

[turbo]

Are you going to let him get away with this? someone please give me a groan icon.

Woolie is our language specialist. We must defer to excellence.

 

[binzing]

Pun at post #16 o'clock...

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

Pure genius, now all i knead is the best recipe.

Become a baker and you'll knead dough your whole life.

 

[hypatia]

I'm going to give this one a try.