OT: breadmakers

[tashak]

Anyone have experience with, and recommendations pro or con, re electric breadmakers?
Any way to find out how many watts/kilowatts per hour one uses? Any other options? (Too cold/overcast/windy to use outside solar oven right now.)
I don't mind kneading dough, but baking it with increased gas (oven) costs makes it cheaper to get day old when I'm in the store or senior center in nearby town.
I'm looking for something that can do two loaves of whole grain/whole wheat/rye/pumpernickel, not from mix. Have a grain grinder. Looking for something that won't cost as much to use as my gas oven.
There have been quite a few breadmakers at garage sales and thriftstores in my area the last 2-3 years, but I don't know which brands or makes are most reliable, and am reluctant to gamble $10-20 on a used one without knowing more.

[zebraman]

Hey Tashak;Mine is a Kitchen-Aid and Pricey.I usually buy Expensive because I like Quality.If I were you I would gamble 10-20 on the used machine.Please realize most people don't or can't find time to use them.Used mach.will still be in like new Condition.And like you do live in NV.Isn't it against the law to Not Gamble?And also if its from a well known maker-they will send instruction book for free.

[farmergirl]

I bought one new from Target. Can't remember the brand....I'm thinking it's Oster. Anyhow, biggest problem I've had is that even with the addition of wheat gluten the loaves turn out really dense and heavy. I've had a couple loaves rise and then fall again, but mostly it's been well-shaped loaves that are dense. Works fine for thinly-sliced sandwich bread and also makes great french toast!

[jetstream]

I have a bread machine, use it when i need to automate the process. I prefer making bread by hand, gives lighter loafs with more character. For the best recipes I've found was in Beth Hensberger's book Bread Machine Recipes. The recipes work both for hand and machine. Just half the amount of yeast for hand made loafs. With 300+ recipes there's a lot of variety to choose from.

[Bellepepper]

I have 2 machines. Both Breadman Ultimates. I use at least one of them3/4 times a week. When kids are all home I have both of them going. We make pizza dough and desert breads in them too. And yes, the texture of the bread is dense. Seems like the darker the bread, the denser the texture. But it is good to know exactly what flours are in them.

[windsng225]

I won't use a bread maker, I like to control my ingredients and how it's done. I make bread all the time. My son bought me a standing mixer for christmas and it's been a blessing. Put all your liquid ingredients in and add your flour and let the machine do the work with the bread hooks. Buy a second hand one (test it out at the store first). Always let your bread rise twice, and you will have a light airy loaf of bread. I make whole wheat, pumpernickle, rye and once a week white (only for pasta night). I don't worry about the expense of the electric or gas, I would rather worry about the quality of ingredients and the finished product. Enjoy!

[deb65802]

The problem with dense bread is the bread flour itself. Bread flours are very high in gluten. Store bought flour mostly has the gluten taken out with the bran. Go to coop or wholesale place and see if you can buy a 100 lbs at a time of bread flour. It would really pay in the long run.

[Bloo]

i have an old bread machine-sunbeam i think-i use it alot for making dough which i use for bread and rolls

[windsng225]

Just a short note to give you a couple of web-sites to check out for your ingredients:
basicingredients.com
bulkfood.com
I have done business with basic ingredients and they have so many different flours like corse ground wheat, rye, pumbernickle so many to choose from.

[Nemophila]

I absolutely love mine! One of the main things I like about it is that I can make a loaf of bread in the middle of the summer without heating up the whole house. I have also found the loaves to be fairly dense, but I really don't mind it. The bread is still excellent for sandwiches, french toast, crutons, etc. Mine is an Oster (purchased a few years back), and I believe it cost somewhere around $35-$40.

[Timeless Rogue]

I'm not a bread machine user myself 'cause I really like the therapeudic aspect of going through the entire manual process and the satisfaction as it comes out of the oven that "There's another job well done and man, am I gonna enjoy that first piece!"

But ... I'm not downplaying the use of bread machines. I totally recognize their need and use and actually applaude you folks for at least making your own bread rather that doing the store-bought thing. Besides, we don't all have the time slot open to go manual at the same time as taking care of our families.

Now ... I have been using two sites for information and recipes:

http://allrecipes.com - (that's correct: no 'www' ... and it has all kinds of recipes for all kinds of things but has a breads section.)

http://www.kingarthurflour.com - (the flour I bake with since it's one of the best, but they also have excellent recipes that can be used with other flours.)

Both have lots of recipes for both manual and machine bread making. Enjoy!

[Pharmerphil]

I posted one time, somewhere, how to properly use a bread maker, In short, I stated, to fill the maker with the ingredients, and place it(the breadmaker) in a 450 degree oven for two hours...
A feeble attempt at humor, I wouldn't buy one, but then, that don't make them bad, I have had some bread made in a "high end" and it wasn't too bad.
I would just put it on the counter, along with the blender, food processor, herb mill....
But they are not used either,
well, the blender gets used, about Pina Colada time!

[knittingbarbie]

My bread machine is a Zojurishi and it gets used every day or every other day. I like to make bread by hand, but I'm too busy to do it very often. With the bread machine, I put in my ingredients and can go about working in the garden, making soap, knitting, cleaning house, whatever....and can forget about the bread until it's ready to come out of the machine. And my family doesn't care how I make the bread, as long as it's home-made.

Also, if you have access to a Sam's Club, they carry 25 lb. bags of regular flour and bread flour. For whole wheat, I have a grinder that I use to grind my own whole wheat flour.

[JackiMac]

I have a kitchen aide. It does great! I used to make bread by hand but...this may sound weird,I know....but since I had my last baby 5 yrs ago my bread making skills have...well, sucked ;) Really, I can't get a good loaf made! If I drop it on the floor it makes a dent....I once chipped a little tiny piece off the edge of my counter when I knocked the bread against it =D

I got my bread maker at Sam's and I usually get King Arthur flour and sometimes I use the ready make mixes like Krusteaz. Give it a go! Can't hurt. A bread maker doesn't have to cost an arm and leg...unless that's what you can spend. It does depend on what you want from it. I have a 2 pound loaf and don't have the need for the double loaf maker so I can't help there.

Good Luck!

Peace =)

Oh.....Pharmer...can I come to YOUR HOUSE?! MMMMMMMM....pina coladas....triple margaritas....sorry, I'll stop now ;)

Jacki

[justdoit]

Hadn't checked this forum before, so here goes. I have been baking all of our bread for about 5 years. It is 100% whole grain...fresh ground. I use the same method that my grandmother used back before 1920 when they farmed and took their own wheat to be made into flour. It's called the "sponge" method. My bread is light and it developes more character if you can slow it down. I set my sponge at 6:00 AM (can be done really cool overnight), then make the bread at 9:00. I try to keep it on the cool side so it will take longer to rise. It gives the flour time to get really well hydrated. Some of the liquid should be sour milk, which counteracts the phytic acid in whole grains making the flavor milder. Also, use Hard White Spring Wheat flour if you can find it. It has the same vitamins and minerals, but less of the bitter taste that most people don't care for. Another trick is a pinch of ascorbic acid to boost the yeast. I use a stand mixer...use the flat beater until it is quite thick... adding flour 1 heaping Tablespoonful at a time, beating well. Change to dough hook and continue adding by T., slowly. When it feels tacky, but nothing sticks to your finger, set your timer to 7 minutes. After kneading, round up on a lightly oiled board to avoid adding more flour...let riise in bowl, etc., and then form into loaves and let rise again. Best to use 8.5 x 4.5 pans for whole grain breads. Hope this will give some food for thought. ;O)

[Helen Wong-Joe]

I make bread the old fashion way, get a good recipe and knead it by hand. Then put in the oven and bake it.

[bluelacedredhead]

I agree with Helen and Justdoit. Making it from scratch is so much better.
For those who have concerns about the expense to use their gas or electric range to bake a loaf, consider making 3 or 4 loaves at a time. Besides, there is something therapeutic about kneading and punching dough....
I've had a bread machine for almost 9 years now and I've used it less than 5 times. And usually only to make something special like cinnamon raisin bread.

[mrtomatoexpres]

there is nothing like homemade bread yummy :)

[johno]

Yeah, I like to make it in the winter and set the dough near the fire to help it rise.

[werecat]

Im working on my second one. The first one I completely wore out. LOL It was a race to see who would get home first (mine had a timer), me or my room mate. If he beat me then I would come home to find him sitting in the living room with only half the loaf left as he happily smeared butter on sections of warm bread he was tearing off in chunks. I was using mine daily. Now that I am on my second I just don't really have the time to set it up and let it go wich kind of sucks.

[windsng225]

A couple more web sites for idea's:
fleischmannsyeast.com
breadworld.com
enjoy!
joyce

[Soapymomma]

i have a west bend bread machine , got at a yard sale for 10.00 , i find its not the machine but the recipe that matters !!!!
you start with a recipe and "tweak" it tillit works out
this one works good for my machine, again , your mileage may vary :D

1cup water, plus 1T ( water can be hot or cold, it doesnt matter, the machine heats itup anyhow....)
2c whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached bread flour
1T gluten
1/2 t kosher salt
2t yeast ( i buy the big 3 lb yeast , and store in the freezer, same with the gluten , to keep them fresh)
2T honey
1T olive oil

set on REGULAR cycle, the whole wheat cycle mixes it too long and makes it tough
voila.....

[Soapymomma]

oh , i meant to say , my girlfirend and i last year between the two of us had 5 machines, so for fun ,and my newspaper article, we set them all up to bake a loaf,using the same recipe for each machine

the horizontal loaf machine was the worst, the next worst was a machine that baked round loaves ( delonghi , i think) the other three all produced decent breads .... of course not as light as home made by hand , but edible breads
i use my machine in the summer, and in winter i make my bread by hand and bake 4 loaves at a time , in summer we have bread made every day