Bread Machine

[boohbah]

not sure about the weight but it produced a loaf about 8 inches long approx 14 slices ,(seven sandwiches when when ten are required)., also for the amount of time to make several loaves to have bread for the next day for sandwiches for lunches, is a little too much also couple that with actually rushing about sorting kids out for school in the morning and do school runs,packed lunch making etc,
i think breadmakers are more suited to childless couples ,retired couples or single people. or well organized yummy mummys , which i am not, im more a baddy daddy

 

[Joan Archer]

I have to agree with you Julian, I have one, but it isn't used now probably for the same reasons you gave. It doesn't make very big loaves at all, plus it puts a hole in the bottom, well mine did. OK the taste was good but what with all the measuring and the cost of ingredients and electric it wasn't worth the hassle.

 

[seekermeister]

boohbah,

I admit that it would take some thought to make it fit into a busy schedule, but my machine does have a 12 hour delayed start timer. The measuring of ingredients is not really all that time consuming though.

Joan Archer,

The cost of ingredients is not all that much, unless you get into more exotic bread types. For me, electricity is of no consequence, since I live bills paid, but even if I didn't it wouldn't effect my preference.

 

[seekermeister]

I've only made a couple of loaves of white bread so far, and while I'm pretty pleased with the outcome, there is one aspect that I would like to improve...moistness. Both loaves were almost identical despite the fact that I had left out a cup of flour in the first one, leaving the dough pretty wet and sticky. However it still came out with the same taste and texture of the second, with the right proportions for a somewhat larger loaf and set for a lighter crust.

I've been thinking that there must be an ingredient that I could add to control the moisture, but considering the experience that I described so far, it doesn't seem that the amount of water is the one to change. Does anyone know what is?

 

[Joan Archer]

Joan Archer,

The cost of ingredients is not all that much, unless you get into more exotic bread types. For me, electricity is of no consequence, since I live bills paid, but even if I didn't it wouldn't effect my preference.

I wish that was true here but the cost of electricity is not cheap especially when on a meter
I saw your question about moisture and sorry can't help there maybe someone else will have some idea. Glad you are enjoying your bread though.

 

[A Guy]

Maybe some help?

Soft/Moist White Bread?? | The Fresh Loaf

A Guy

 

[seekermeister]

Maybe some help?

Soft/Moist White Bread?? | The Fresh Loaf

A Guy

Thanks for the link. I'm going to have to sift through that thread, because even though it mentions moistness at the start, just about all of the response speaks of softness instead. Actually, I very much like the coarser, chewier texture of the loaves that I have made, but they are slightly too dry. If I can get coarseness, chewiness and moistness together, then I would have the perfect loaf for my taste.

Even as it is, if I slather the top with Nutella, it taste better to me than cake.

 

[seekermeister]

I was going back through the list of various ingredients in the machine's recipe book, and found mentioned that lecithin is supposed to help maintain freshness and moisture of bread. Somewhere I think that I also read that most any kind of oil or fat, like butter, vegetable or olive oil are supposed to have similar effects. But since lecithin is also good for brain function, I'm going to try that...if I can find it at Walmart. Got a feeling that it might be in the vitamins section of the store.

 

[A Guy]

I used to work at a factory that made various toppings, like for ice cream. Fudge, marshmallow, etc. They had huge barrels of lecithin, it was sloppy nasty stuff. Not sure where you get it at retail for home use. Have a look at this link for some info:

Bread Machine Digest » Dough Enhancer’s: And How-To Use Them

A Guy

 

[seekermeister]

Thanks, that looks like a handy page, so I've book marked it.

 

[BrightBlessings]

If you use yoghurt instead of milk it will give your bread a nice tang, slightly sour if that suits your tastebuds. Use a greek or a greek style yoghurt the plain jane variety. I make my own bread but I have an outside brick oven so am not sure if this will work using a bread making machine. You may have to experiment a little with the amount of yoghurt to flour. But generally speaking it usually works out the same as if you used milk or whatnot. I don't use a recipe I just throw in the ingredients untill it looks and feels right.

 

[seekermeister]

That is an idea that I will keep on the "back burner", because I'm still working at getting a regular loaf of bread the way that I want. However, I'm curious about the idea of sour bread...is it equivalent to common sour dough bread bought in the store? The only reason for adding milk, in any form that I'm aware of, is to increase the nutritional value of the bread, which of course is important, but I also read where that Greek yogurt has twice the amount of LDL cholesterol over regular yogurt, and currently that is the only thing that my doctor seems too concerned about in my lab tests. Therefore I would have to weigh it in the balance.

Greek Yogurt Vs. Regular Yogurt: Which Is More Healthful? - US News and World Report

 

[BrightBlessings]

I mentioned greek yoghurt as I have used it before with good results for my taste. I make my own yoghurt and the sourness I mentioned is maybe a little less but good nonetheless (it varies batch by batch) Try another plain yoghurt if you're a little wary of the greek type. As for the sourdough bread taste I have no idea as I have never eaten it.

 

[A Guy]

Sourdough bread would be a different animal. It would need a sourdough starter, it develops a culture. Not sure if would work in a bread machine, as the dough has to sit. Love sourdough, which is famous here in the Bay Area Eating some now in fact. A Guy

 

[seekermeister]

Probably not...at least there is no recipe for it in my book. I made my third loaf of white bread tonight, and it was much, much better than before. I cut down the flour content by 25%, replaced 3 tbs of butter with 4 tbs of peanut oil, and added 1 more tsp of yeast than the recipe called for. The bread now is deliciously moist and soft, despite retaining a course texture. The bread still doesn't rise as much as I thought it should, so I'm going to continue experimenting, til everything is right.

 

[seekermeister]

I found a sourdough recipe for bread machines:

Bread Machine Crusty Sourdough Bread Recipe from Betty Crocker

Have no idea of how it compares to other sourdough breads though. Considering the forethought required for it, it may be some time before I try it.

 

[seekermeister]

After a lot of trial and error, I've come to the conclusion that those who dislike their bread machines just didn't have the patience to experiment until they got it right. The problem is that most recipes that I've found, including those in the book that came with my machine are wrong. At best, they are good only as a starting point. I've still not gotten a perfect loaf, but I'm closing in on it. To eliminate the crumbliness, add an egg. To help prevent premature staleness, add some kind of extra fat. Use a lot less water than the recipes call for, because the egg and fat provide extra moisture. Even without the extra egg and fat, use less water anyway, otherwise the dough will probably turn out doughy.