Tell me about breadmakers!

[Disney-Kim]

knowing that most of you don't actually bake in them makes me glad I nevr bought one. I thought you put the mix in and a loaf came out...ready to eat...magic....

 

[squirrel]

knowing that most of you don't actually bake in them makes me glad I nevr bought one. I thought you put the mix in and a loaf came out...ready to eat...magic....

The newer machines might be different, but my bread maker cooks the bread too long and it's dry. I also seperate my dough into two smaller loaves and give one to my niece who is lactose intollerant.

When my bread machine dies and my dad can't fix it then I will just buy a good mixer that will make the dough.

 

[semo233]

This thread includes a lot of postings about bread machines:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2386917

 

[Brer Shay]

We buy a 50 lb. sack of bread flour and make up individual mixes in old mayo jars - it took me quite awhile to get enough jars saved up, but my in-laws helped save jars too. I store the jars in the Rubbermaid half totes. My 10 year old daughter and I just did this last weekend. We figured up that the bread flour costs $.40/loaf for the 1 1/2# loaves. We do several different "flavors" - wheat, rye, italian, dough, white, oatmeal, cinnamon rolls, and I usually figure that we will get about 50 mixes out of a 50 lb sack of flour.

This is an interesting idea. I'm taking it that you go ahead and mix all the dry ingredients together (except the yeast) and put them in the jars. How long do you leave them in the totes? Any problem with particular ingredients not keeping well in those conditions?

 

[Disney Khi]

I love my bread machine! I've had it for two years. I always bake mine right in the machine, and it turns out great. I have tried many of the recipes that came with the machine and they all came out fine. I really like to set the delay timer so that the bread machine starts early in the morning so I can have warm freshly baked bread for breakfast!

 

[semo233]

After trying to make cornbread in my bread machine last night and failing (it never even mixed up), I did some shopping......

5 qt Artisian Kitchen Aid mixer at Kohl's on sale for 299.99, then used a 30% off code to bring it to 209.99. Last, there is a $30 rebate with a 1 yr subscription to either Food & Wine or Travel + Leisure and a recipe book for the Kitchen Aid mixer!!
Free shipping over $75 (might be a surcharge, not sure)

So, now I'll be comparing methods!

 

[flamingglobessigmund]

I used my bread machine so much, I broke the first one.

Ok, not really. The screw on the bottom of the pan broke. The company sent out a new one.

I make breads, dough for rolls, buns and pizzas in it. It's great because I have trouble with my hands, and the machine does all the kneading.

In the winter, I'll make dough for cobblestone bread, and finish it in the oven.

It's great to have fresh baked bread in the summer, without heating up the oven to do it.

 

[semo233]

In the winter, I'll make dough for cobblestone bread, and finish it in the oven.

Something tells me that cobblestone bread is very delicious.....care to share the recipe?

 

[flamingglobessigmund]

Something tells me that cobblestone bread is very delicious.....care to share the recipe?

Here you go...

Quick Cobblestone Bread

1.5 pound loaf

1 cup water
2 TBSP margarine or butter, cut up
3 cups bread flour
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 TBSP sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning, crushed
1 1/4 tsp active dry yeast or bread machine yeast

Nonstick cooking spray

2 TBSP margarine or butter, melted
1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning, crushed
1/4 tsp garlic salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Add first 8 ingredients to the machine according to manufacturer's directions. Select dough cycle. When cycle is complete, remove dough. Punch down. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

2. Generously grease an 11x7x1-inch baking pan. Using kitchen sissors coated with cooking spray, snip the dough directly into the prepared baking pan. Cut int 3/4 or 1-in irregular pieces, covering pan evenly in 1 or 2 layers. Cover and let rise in a warm place about 25 minutes or until nearly double.

3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl stir together the melted margarine, 1/2 or 3/4 tsp Italian seasoning, and garlic salt. Drizzle over dough. Bake in a 350oF oven about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly in pan on wire rack. Serve warm.

Any bread leftover is cut into cubes, toasted in the oven, and placed into a freezer bag when cool. Then I use the cubes for a breakfast casserole another day. Very tasty.

 

[ZanyToes]

I've had a bread machine and never used it. I've just never tried a bread machine bread that was as good as bread cooked in the oven! I would suggest getting a good mixer instead. If you are just doing a loaf or 2 at a time a kitchenaid would be fine.. I cook 5 loaves at a time so I got a bosch.. that thing is AMAZING.. and I use it every day for diff. things. I actually buy my own grain and use an electric mill to make my own flour.. makes the most amazing bread EVER and with the electric mill and bosch mixer it couldn't be easier.

 

[pampam]

Here you go...

Quick Cobblestone Bread

1.5 pound loaf

1 cup water
2 TBSP margarine or butter, cut up
3 cups bread flour
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 TBSP sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning, crushed
1 1/4 tsp active dry yeast or bread machine yeast

Nonstick cooking spray

2 TBSP margarine or butter, melted
1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning, crushed
1/4 tsp garlic salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Add first 8 ingredients to the machine according to manufacturer's directions. Select dough cycle. When cycle is complete, remove dough. Punch down. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

2. Generously grease an 11x7x1-inch baking pan. Using kitchen sissors coated with cooking spray, snip the dough directly into the prepared baking pan. Cut int 3/4 or 1-in irregular pieces, covering pan evenly in 1 or 2 layers. Cover and let rise in a warm place about 25 minutes or until nearly double.

3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl stir together the melted margarine, 1/2 or 3/4 tsp Italian seasoning, and garlic salt. Drizzle over dough. Bake in a 350oF oven about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly in pan on wire rack. Serve warm.

Any bread leftover is cut into cubes, toasted in the oven, and placed into a freezer bag when cool. Then I use the cubes for a breakfast casserole another day. Very tasty.

Not to go off topic, but your breakfast casserole intrigues me. Care to share how you do it?

 

[DawnM]

I have a Zojirushi bread machine. I LOVE it! I think it is the best bread machine made.....I also have a Zojirushi rice maker and LOVE that too.

Both of the above machines are over 10 years old and work like the day they were made, seriously. I can't say enough good things about Zojirushi. The price is steeper, but they last so long that I think they make up for it in the long run.

Dawn

 

[ohlas]

Oh breadmachines are the things you ask your husband to buy (oh the shiney machine that makes bread with the lite up buttons and the cool beeping noise when its done lol)

then he buys the $300 breadmachine and you find out that the bread you make by hand is better without the machine

so you only make about 10 loafs with the machine, and husband teases you for 15 years about $30.00 loafs of bread.

ok i know bad me but it was shiney and it lites up and beeps and goes in the kitchen had to have it more then air or life lol and still have machine.. and still dont use it.

 

[tinkerbellmagic]

I had always wanted a bread maker, ever since they were "invented" lol, but never got one. Then my neice gave me her old one over a year ago and I have LOVED having one, just like I knew I would.

I use the bread machine a few times a week, mostly for pizza dough, but also for bread.

I don't like kneading dough, so this takes care of all of that for me. What a time saver. It takes no time at all to put water, oil, flour, sugar, salt, and yeast together for the best pizza dough ever.

When this machine konks out, I will definitely get another one. It pays to mention to as many people as possible that you want a bread maker because there is always someone who has one sitting around unused.

After reading this thread, I will now try using the bread maker for bread dough and then using my regular oven to bake it, to avoid those odd shaped loaves.

 

[SylviaL]

I second the Zojirushi. I have one that makes a 1 pound loaf which is perfect for my family. I checked reviews on Amazon. I bake bread in the machine at least once a week. My family loves it!

 

[flamingglobessigmund]

Not to go off topic, but your breakfast casserole intrigues me. Care to share how you do it?

http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,175,149190-236203,00.html

I used the leftover cobblestone bread in place of regular plain bread, with this recipe. It's really great to make up the night before and keep in the fridge. Then in the morning, just pop it into the pre-heated oven.

 

[jojo0612]

Does anyone have a good recipe for breadsticks? I see that people make them but have yet to find a recipe for them! TIA!!

 

[a1tinkfans]

I've been thinking about getting one for a while.....for a few reasons - we like "homemade" bread, but also to try to get away from the breads that have corn syrup in them.

Is it pretty convenient to make your own bread? Do you use it enough to justify the cost? Did you buy one and then it ended up not getting used? Are there other things you can make in it?

I used it three maybe 4 times total.
It is boxed and ready for my garage sale
The bread was YUMMY, but honestly, I find that I buy less bread now then ever before and its just not worth it for us.
But, people also swear by their Kitchen Aide Mixers and I sold that too (I used it so infrequently...too bulky, to heavy.boy was that woman HAPPY to get that thing, and ME happy to unload it .) so thats just me
Now ..if you want to talk Coffee, lets talk Keurig, LOVE it

 

[seasheller]

I've had a bread machine for several years, then (thinking it would die soon) picked up another one at a garage sale for $5, then my neighbor gave me hers rather than throwing it out. So now I have three! I make the dough in each and put it into pans to bake. I make 9-12 loaves a day and this will last the two of us for almost a month. We have always found that the bread loaves freeze well when wrapped in aluminum foil. This works well for me, and I don't mess up my kitchen with bread fixings more than once a month! We never buy bread from a grocery store.

 

[theycallmered]

I had a bread machine. It was a Hamilton Beach brand machine. It never produced great results. The bread was either too dry, to over done on the outside, or not mixed at all. The second time the bread came out not mixed was the last time that machine was used. I gave away the machine to a friend with a full disclosure that it did not have the best track record. She was happy to get a bread machine and I was happy to get rid of one.