we bought a bread machine. Pretty cool

[demtenjeep]

I know it is "cheating" but both of us work long hours each day and hubby is allergic to wheat so this allows us to make gluten free bread that actually comes out pretty nice.


We have made 3 batches of regular bread and 3 batches of gluten free bread.

This morning we had french toast. It has been years since hubby has had fresh french toast.


They are pretty cool machines.

[Pab Sungenis]

1. Here's a tip.

Use the bread machine to knead and raise the dough, then take it out of the machine to bench-proof, then bake it in your oven manually. Usually takes less time in the end, and better results.

For example, our bread machine wants 3 hours to make a loaf. We let it take 1 hour and 5 minutes to knead and rise, bench-proof it in a pan for about 10-15 minutes, then bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

3. I second that tip

Yesterday I made a loaf of superbread in the machine (started it first)
Then I did a double batch of white by hand. They were out of the oven before the machine started baking. I prefer the long regular loaf over the square one from the machine too. but they are awesome time savers. Other than checking it halfway thru the first knead (to make sure the flour is all incorporated) you can just let it do the work. Less mess to deal with, but then I find kneading bread meditative, like gardening, so it's a toss up
Oh, and I try and remember to take the paddle out after the 3rd knead before the final proof.

[TreasonousBastard]

2. Why is it "cheating"? Sure...

somebody might say you have to love the bread you're making, blah, blah, blah... and yeah a really good baker does better than a bread machine every time.

But, the process for bread making is mix, knead, rise, punch, rise, bake. Nothing magical about that and nothing a machine can't do. Every electric appliance we have could be considered "cheating" because our great-grandmothers didn't do it that way. (But I betcha they would have if they could have)

Excuse the rant-- good luck with the machine.

[Warpy]

4. They would have if they could have

and in fact they did flock to buy store bread as soon as it appeared. Once that bread was pre sliced, it was all over and Granny never made their daily bread again, although she'd do holiday bread and sweet breads from time to time.

The only time I find bread machines to be cheating is when people buy "bread machine mix" at the supermarket, throw in water, and then crow about their baking prowess. Anybody who feeds one with flour, water, yeast and salt and lets the machine do the grunt work is doing just fine.

I've always had crappy kitchens and I've never had enough counter space for one, so my "bread machine" has been a Kitchen Aid mixer. My mother wanted one for about a week after she visited an auntie with one, until she got home and surveyed the counter space in her own kitchen.

That's the main drawback I can see to them, they eat counter space. But cheating? Nah.

[demtenjeep]

5. they do eat the counter space

it has been a lot of fun.

[Pab Sungenis]

8. The Kitchen Aid is a nice fall-back for me.

Our bread machine's pan seized up recently (left in the sink too long, then too long between uses) so when I went to make some pizza dough *grind*. Just emptied the pan into the Kitchen Aid next to the bread machine, threw in the kneading hook, and went to work.

My partner asked "how did you make dough without the machine?" I just smiled.

[HopeHoops]

6. Then you need to visit HungryMonster.com...

http://www.hungrymonster.com/recipe/recipe-search.php?C=Bread%20Machine&ttl=549

[GoCubsGo]

7. Cheating schmeating.

I'll be damned if I'm going to fire up my oven in the middle of a South Carolina summer in order to have fresh-baked bread. I love my bread machine, too.

[Lucinda]

9. Congrats on the new tool!

There is nothing like the smell of fresh baked bread! My sister liked to experiment with the boxed mixes with hers, because she doesn't really have the baking gene. She makes killer Italian food though!

I make mine from scratch and bake it in clay, but I think all forms of home cooked bread, rock.
Even if someone just uses the frozen dough log thingys.

[Ruby Reason]

10. My middle daughter loves our bread machine.

She has made us hearty seeded ryes, whole wheat, raisin bread, and even a tomato pumpernickel. I love that she uses it. Have fun!