Making your own breads?

[katerkat]

I just started baking bread this week! Russ gets weird on HFCS so I look to eliminate wherever I can. I buy stuff from Bob's Red Mill - wheat germ and flaxseed meal and specialty flours. I'm still experimenting on the best recipes, though!

 

[wowsmom]

For a 2 pound loaf:

11 ounces of beer (open it and let it go flat first...the 12th ounce is for you before it goes flat, lol)

5 ounces of cheddar grated (I usually use medium because that is what my family eats regularly, but if I am planning ahead for this bread, I'd use sharp).

1/3 cup sugar

1 1/4 teaspoon salt

4 1/2 cups bread flour

2 3/4 teaspoons of bread machine yeast

I like a dark crust, and just use the basic bread setting on my machine.

Is bread machine yeast different from regular yeast? I have some Fleischman's Rapid Rise Yeast...would that work?

 

[theparsons]

Is bread machine yeast different from regular yeast? I have some Fleischman's Rapid Rise Yeast...would that work?

If it's the prepackaged kind, then just use what's in there....it should be about 2 1/4 teaspoon.....if it's the kind that you measure, just measure out 2 1/4 of the "plain" yeast. Bread machine yeast will make it rise a bit higher, of course you also use a bit more, so it may be a wash, lol. But I don't suggest using more of the plain yeast. Yeast is a funny thing.....the measurement for a 1 pound loaf is the same amount of yeast as a 2 pound loaf. Don't ask me why, as I have no clue, it's just one of those things you learn and accept and it just works. My bread making is all self-learned or taught by friends online.....no one I know "in real life" makes bread. The one other lady I've met who has a bread machine only makes pizza dough. Go figure.

 

[luv2nascar]

If you love Tastefully Simple Beer bread you will love this simple bread.

3 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
combine all dry ingredients - add 1 bottle (12oz) beer. Mixing as little as possible - batter should be lumpy.
pour into a greased 9x5x3 loaf pan and brush w/melted butter
bake in pre heated 375 degree oven for 35-40 minutes.

It is really simple and so delicious.

 

[PiperPizzaz]

I am just getting into breadmaking too. I have a KA but, so far have been using my bread maker and then baking in the oven. I am not happy with it. I thought I had a dough hook, I will have too look and see.

I got inspired by this site: http://tammysrecipes.com/
If you go to the recipes section there are a bunch of breads. I have made the wheat bread a few times and I didn't think it was too sweet.

 

[wide awake]

There was a recipe in my Cooks Illustrated magazine about two months ago..it was an improvement on a bread recipe from the New York Times...real bread w/o kneading...I haven't tried it yet, but it looked good, easy, and since it was from Cook's Illustrated had all the bugs worked out. The magazine article said you had to knead the bread about five times, unlike the New York Times, which was no-knead.

 

[alliedogsmom]

I have been baking bread for years now, simply really for pleasure and quality. Let me start off by saying do not be intimidated! But let me add that the better quality of ingredients going in, the better your chances are of getting a better tasting finished product. That being said, I will only use King Arthur flour since it is not bleached or bromated. You can visit their website for ideas, they even sell DVD's, and hold classes. Sourdough is really easy once you get a good starter going. It is no harder than a basic white bread. As for using the KA mixer to knead, NEVER set it higher than speed 2-it will generate too much heat, kill your yeast and ruin the dough. Bread is picky about weather too-if it's humid, you may need more flour than a recipe calls for. When you knead, whether in the KA or by hand, a good general rule is clean hands/bowl, enough flour. If you want to take your bread baking to the next level, invest in a couple of tools that will help you in your efforts-a Thermapen thermometer for telling you a good temp of water to proof your yeast in (should never be more than 115 degrees or yeast will die) and a good digital scale. A cup of flour should weigh 4 1/2 ounces. Baking is more of an exact science than cooking per se, that is why you will see so many bread recipes that use weights instead of cups or tablespoons. Some other good websites are Fleischman's Yeast, and Bread Becker's. There are also some good discussion groups that you can join on Yahoo! for help and guidance. I have quite a large collection of bread recipes, if anyone is looking for anything specific, please PM me and I will see if I can help.

PS-I am old school too..I agree with a previous poster that kneading your bread by hand is truly zen like. It gives you such a sense of satisfaction. I do however use my KA from time to time. But my family thinks I was born about 100 years too late since I like to do all this plus I do canning and dehydrating of foods as well!

 

[branv]

There was a recipe in my Cooks Illustrated magazine about two months ago..it was an improvement on a bread recipe from the New York Times...real bread w/o kneading...I haven't tried it yet, but it looked good, easy, and since it was from Cook's Illustrated had all the bugs worked out. The magazine article said you had to knead the bread about five times, unlike the New York Times, which was no-knead.

That's the one I'm trying tomorrow! It even propelled me to finally buy an enameled cast iron pot (about time!) I'm very excited. I'll let you know how it turns out.

That being said, I will only use King Arthur flour since it is not bleached or bromated.

This is the one thing I did right...accidentally! I went to the store to buy bread flour per a recipe, and this was the only brand they had that said "unbleached." I found out later while reading bread websites that I'd lucked out. One thing I definitely noticed was the difference in my bread when I tried a recipe that gave both weights as well as traditional measurements. First I tried the weight version...that was my breakthrough bread! So, curious, I next tried the cups/tbsp, etc version...still good, but not quite as good as the first. It's weighing for me from now on

By the way, I bow down to your domestic abilities I'm way too lazy to do canning! (That and I have a bad memory of some of my grandmother's jars going off like rockets!) Maybe that's why I can't open biscuit tubes either....exploding food issues. Just goes to show how childhood "traumas" can mess you up for life. I need canning therapy!

 

[alliedogsmom]

By the way, I bow down to your domestic abilities I'm way too lazy to do canning! (That and I have a bad memory of some of my grandmother's jars going off like rockets!) Maybe that's why I can't open biscuit tubes either....exploding food issues. Just goes to show how childhood "traumas" can mess you up for life. I need canning therapy!

Thanks for the compliment! I enjoy canning and dehydrating, this way I know exactly what my family is eating. Canning is not that difficult, if you are truly interested, pick up a copy of the Ball Blue Book (it is the canning bible!) and start with something easy. Again, there are many groups on Yahoo! devoted to this, and I belong to several of them, and the people there are great and very knowledgable. I find it very satisfying to do this, and can not wait for the next vegetable season to start so I can get fired up again! I generally do tomatoes, relish, pickles, peaches, beets, and jelly if I am feeling particularly ambitious. As for drying, I do tons of herbs, carrots, celery, cabbage, garlic, shallots, mushrooms. I also freeze alot. I invested in a good vacuum sealer and it has saved me so much money by being able to buy in bulk. I need a bigger kitchen!

Most of my learning came from my grandmother and my mother. My grandmother has been gone for over 25 years, but God bless, my mom is still with me, and at almost 84 years old her mind is still as sharp as a tack. She has been my greatest inspiration on trying to carry on what most people consider the old traditions. I truly love it.

 

[grlpwrd]

I am old school, too, and I always use natural ingredients.

I make bread the traditional way, use the bread machine, or I sometimes use my Vitamix to grind my own wheatberries and then knead. I have cookbooks, but I also have collected recipes from online sources, like websites and e-groups. I used to belong to a lot of e-groups that I got too overwhelmed.

Cooking, baking, canning, freezing, dehydrating, sewing, knitting, crocheting, etc... "old school" rules! I teach my kids, too.... these are dying arts, I swear.

Happy baking!

 

[rparmfamily]

I have a KA and am very interested in making my own bread, as I also have trouble finding breads without HFCS. The ones I find cost $4 a loaf almost!!!!

 

[Mono~rail]

Cooking, baking, canning, freezing, dehydrating, sewing, knitting, crocheting, etc... "old school" rules! I teach my kids, too.... these are dying arts, I swear.

Happy baking!

Add vegetable gardening to that list of dying arts.

 

[vsimeone]

For a 2 pound loaf:

11 ounces of beer (open it and let it go flat first...the 12th ounce is for you before it goes flat, lol)

5 ounces of cheddar grated (I usually use medium because that is what my family eats regularly, but if I am planning ahead for this bread, I'd use sharp).

1/3 cup sugar

1 1/4 teaspoon salt

4 1/2 cups bread flour

2 3/4 teaspoons of bread machine yeast

I like a dark crust, and just use the basic bread setting on my machine.

Ok, bread machine virgin here. I received one as a gift about 10 years ago and have used it MAYBE twice when I first got it and it's been in a cupboard ever since! I do make traditional, hand kneeded Easter bread almost every year but don't know a thing about what to do with my bread machine.

So, hold my hand here because this recipe sounds WONDERFUL! Do I just dump everything in the machine and let it do its thing or is there some method to follow?

Thanks for your help and walking me through it!

 

[Mono~rail]

Ok, bread machine virgin here. I received one as a gift about 10 years ago and have used it MAYBE twice when I first got it and it's been in a cupboard ever since! I do make traditional, hand kneeded Easter bread almost every year but don't know a thing about what to do with my bread machine.

So, hold my hand here because this recipe sounds WONDERFUL! Do I just dump everything in the machine and let it do its thing or is there some method to follow?

Thanks for your help and walking me through it!

The ingredients need to be added in the order listed. All wet ingredients go in first then flour. The flour will be in a mound. Make a small "well" in the top of the flour mound to put the yeast into.

 

[Sally]

I use the recipe that came with my breadmaker I got years ago( it was gift and a great help for breadmaking), I let it go through the second knead then remove the dough and make it into 2 loaves and a pan of rolls. The Betty Crocker cookbook had a recipe for potato fridge dough, by the end of the week it is a great sourdough.

 

[vsimeone]

The ingredients need to be added in the order listed. All wet ingredients go in first then flour. The flour will be in a mound. Make a small "well" in the top of the flour mound to put the yeast into.

Ok! It's all in the bread machine and it's working away! I'll let you know in a couple hours how it turns out! Thank you so much for all the help!!!

 

[katerkat]

Add vegetable gardening to that list of dying arts.

I run a pot garden on my front walk. (The base won't let me dig up the yard, the meanies!) All last summer, Russ would pick cherry tomatoes every time we got in the car.

I also quilt. But I'm a machine quilter.

 

[eatatmidnight]

I run a pot garden on my front walk. (The base won't let me dig up the yard, the meanies!) All last summer, Russ would pick cherry tomatoes every time we got in the car.

I also quilt. But I'm a machine quilter.

I know what you mean by a pot garden, but my first thought was the recreational drug kind. The tag fairy may get that one.

On the quilting topic, have you ever machine quilted a T-Shirt quilt? My neice wants one and the only instructions we find highly suggest to tie it, but she doesn't like that kind.

 

[katerkat]

I know what you mean by a pot garden, but my first thought was the recreational drug kind. The tag fairy may get that one.

On the quilting topic, have you ever machine quilted a T-Shirt quilt? My neice wants one and the only instructions we find highly suggest to tie it, but she doesn't like that kind.

A container garden, I meant container garden!!

(Could you imagine the military base's reaction to a real pot garden on my front walk? )

I've not done a t-shirt quilt but I've thought about it, since I have a lot of old sorority shirts from college. I would just cut the t-shirt pieces to the same size (large blocks that would hold all the sorority designs) and sew it like a simple block quilt. Oh, here - I found some basic instructions that don't involve tying - http://www.goosetracks.com/T-ShirtQuiltInstructions.html. The interfacing is a good tip, t-shirts are very stretchy!

 

[eatatmidnight]

Thank you soooo much.