Breadmaking machines!

[Cranky Dog]

So who owns and uses or breadmakers?

My family owns one that sees little use these days, my dad doesn't like the taste of the bread it makes but he's a very picky eater. But when we did use it, it practically paid itself for the home made pizzas we made compared to restaurant pizza.

Last time my folks were out for a couple of weeks, I dug it out and made plenty of bready goodness. White and wholewheat bread, pizzas, pretzels. In the end, I adjusted the recipe to my liking to get the most raising with the least yeast possible.

Slicing the bread is always difficult if you want uniform straight slices for sandwiches or toast, but I usually don't mind.


Cranky Dog
"I have a bread making opinion, international!"

[COTSBOE]

I own one. I think it was a wedding gift. It's been used approximately twice.

[Water Jess]

My mom got one for Christmas YEARS ago. We used it once or twice. It was fun to do, but too much work for the end product.

[Cranky Dog]

It was fun to do, but too much work for the end product.
Too much work? It takes me under 10 minutes to prepare all the ingredients and push the "Start" button.

Or is your machine or recipes more complicated? Granted, the pizza dough or pretzels do take a lot more time to finish once the dough is out of the machine, but bread is pretty quick to prepare and comes out nicely hot.


Cranky Dog
"I have a half-baked opinion, international!"

[TinSoldier]

I've never used a bread machine, but making bread from scratch is hard work.

So I don't see how using a bread machine would be too much work -- my mom always made homemade bread when I was growing up. We almost never had store-bought bread in the house.

[COTSBOE]

So I don't see how using a bread machine would be too much work



It's not the making...it's the cleaning. Those things have more parts than a Chinese rollerskate, and somehow you always manage to get flour, yeast, and whatever else you're adding on every one of them.

[TinSoldier]

It's not the making...it's the cleaning. Those things have more parts than a Chinese rollerskate, and somehow you always manage to get flour, yeast, and whatever else you're adding on every one of them.Ah. That makes more sense.

I hate cleaning up after cooking...

[Cranky Dog]

It's not the making...it's the cleaning. Those things have more parts than a Chinese rollerskate, and somehow you always manage to get flour, yeast, and whatever else you're adding on every one of them.
I'm guessing that different breadmakers have different number of parts.

The one we own basically only has three seperate parts. The main body with the lid and heating elements, the baking pot that looks like a bucket and finally the paddle stirrer. Note that ours is the vertical loaf kind so it didn't have the classic bread loaf look.

Very little hassle and very little mess each time. Essentially only two parts to clean.

I guess that looking over consumer guides to find a good model sort of helped too. There are probably plenty of crappy models around.


Cranky Dog
"I have a quality bread making opinion, international!"

[marmalade]

I don't like paddle-shaped holes in my bread.

I used to have one, but would always take the dough out to cook in the oven.

[Parzival]

I love mine.
I use it several times a month, and occassionally several times a week.

Beats the hell out of kneading by hand.

[Kalzazz]

Ours makes 1lb loaves. WalMart only sells like 1 1/2lb to 2lb boxes of breadmachine mix

So it doesnt get used

[Parzival]

Flour, sugar (or honey), oil (or butter), salt, yeast, and water. I'm pretty sure you have ready access to all of these.
Why do you need a mix? I'm sure your machine came with at least basic recipes.

[TinSoldier]

Flour, sugar (or honey), oil (or butter), salt, yeast, and water. I'm pretty sure you have ready access to all of these.
Why do you need a mix? I'm sure your machine came with at least basic recipes.Yeah, bread is pretty easy. It's the kneading and rising of the dough that is hard.

After that it's a piece of cake -- er, bread.

I've got a good family recipe if you want it. (I never thought about using honey, Parz!)

[Kalzazz]

The recipes and instructions that came with it dont seem to make any sense

[Parzival]

Here's a recipie for a basic 1lb loaf of bread.

3/4 cup water
4 tsp. oil
4 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 1/4 cups flour (either bread or all-purpose)
1 1/2 tsp. yeast

Put it in the breadmachine in the order given, select basic bread, and push start.

[Kalzazz]

Cool, Ill try that, thanks!

[Cranky Dog]

Here's a recipie for a basic 1lb loaf of bread.

3/4 cup water
4 tsp. oil
4 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 1/4 cups flour (either bread or all-purpose)
1 1/2 tsp. yeast

Put it in the breadmachine in the order given, select basic bread, and push start.
Interesting, your recipe is different from the one I use.

We have water + milk powder or just milk, and no oil.

The rest is pretty much identical. Though in the end, I cut down on the quantities of yeast recommended by the recipes I used.


Cranky Dog
"I have a bread recipe opinion, international!"

[Stephane]

WE used one... oh just about a million years ago. We followed the recipe that came with it, but the bread was always too yeasty and, like Marmalade, I hated the paddle holes in them.

We used it for 6 months or so, then I got tired of the whole mess. It was on loan from the MIL.

[Cranky Dog]

I don't like paddle-shaped holes in my bread.
like Marmalade, I hated the paddle holes in them.
Oh come one, the paddle hole keeps all the flavor. :signs053:


Cranky Dog
"I have a paddle holed opinion, international!"

[Hitcher]

WE used one... oh just about a million years ago. We followed the recipe that came with it, but the bread was always too yeasty and, like Marmalade, I hated the paddle holes in them.

We used it for 6 months or so, then I got tired of the whole mess. It was on loan from the MIL.
If it's too yeasty, cut back by 1/4 tsp of yeast each time until it's right. And paddle holes are easy to fix - use dough mode and when its done, put it into a greased loaf pan, let it rise and bake it in your oven. Next time invest in a good mixer with a dough hook.

[Hitcher]

Ours makes 1lb loaves. WalMart only sells like 1 1/2lb to 2lb boxes of breadmachine mix

So it doesnt get used

Check your local supermarket for the 1 lb. loaf mixes or pick up one of the breadmachine books out there.

[Kalzazz]

Local supermarket (aka, Super WalMart or Brookshire Brothers) do not carry 1lb mixes

In Jasper TX, there is no other local supermarkets

[Hitcher]

http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Baking/Bread/Bread-Machine/Main.aspx
http://www.uoguelph.ca/~antoon/recipes/bm-bread.htm
http://www.bread-maker.net/Bread-maker/Bread-maker-recipes-list.htm
http://www.qis.net/~champion/bread/main.html

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=bread+machine+recipes

A jar of bread machine yeast, some recipes and a few ingredients you can find in most supermarkets should get you using that machine instead of letting it sit idle.