Homemade Bread

Discussion in 'Food & Drinks' started by John Brunner, Aug 29, 2020.

  1. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    That's too bad about the foot. Hardly sounds like Breville quality.
     
    #241
  2. Krystal Shay

    Krystal Shay Very Well-Known Member
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    If your recipe calls for 5 cups of whole wheat flour, then use 3 cups of whole wheat flour and 2 cups of white bread flour to make it lighter. It will rise higher too. That’s the ratio that I use when I make light wheat bread. If you prefer it lighter yet, use half whole wheat and half bread flour. It’s a personal taste thing.:)
     
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  3. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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    Here's the first test loaf of my favorite bread recipe. It turned out pretty well; much the same as my old machine as far as taste and texture.

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    I'm on the fence about the machine. I usually love Breville products but that unbalanced leg just annoys me. I went back to read reviews and saw another complaint about a short leg, and several people complaining about how the machine "walks" when kneading. I'm thinking those walkers are probably out of balance, too.
     
    #243
  4. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    I only saw one bread machine on Breville's website, and people were talking about issues with a hinged paddle.

    My Kitchen Aid walks on my counter when I knead bread, so I use rubber shelf liner doubled over on itself so it grips the mixer and it grips the countertop. It greatly reduces the walk, but does not eliminate it.

    I guess that walking pretty much means you can't set the thing to work while you're asleep.
     
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  5. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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    This is mine; I guess it's the only model they make. Has the familiar controls, too. :D

    upload_2024-1-23_16-39-24.jpeg

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    Actually, when I put the magazine under the low leg and had it sitting level it did not walk at all. Very smooth operation.
     
    #245
  6. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    I'm sure there must be something I don't understand about breadmaking machines since I've never used one, but once I figured out how to make bread (manually), I never found that to be a particularly complicated or troublesome process. Once I got started, I enjoyed making bread, and, since my wife has a breadmaking machine, it seems that the cleanup is even worse with a machine than when bread is made by hand. To me, it just seems like an odd thing to automate, kind of like making Koolaid in a blender.
     
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  7. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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    I enjoy making hand-kneaded bread, too. But the machine makes the whole process easier; just dump the ingredients in and press "start." I can't imagine making a bigger mess with the machine since there is no need for a floured surface to manually knead or an oiled bowl to proof the dough. Machine loaves aren't as pretty as hand-shaped, though.
     
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  8. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    I"ve never used a bread machine but I cleaned up the mess. It seemed like more of a mess than I make when I make it manually.
     
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    Last edited: Jan 31, 2024
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  9. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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  10. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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    I saw a youtube video on making English muffins. It looks easy to do so I'm going to give those a go. I never realized that they are cooked on top of the stove and not baked.
     
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  11. Hedi Mitchell

    Hedi Mitchell Supreme Member
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    After reading so much about ya'll bread baking, I want to try that myself. i do not want have to buy a machine - least not yet to make the bread. I am going to buy yeast on next big grocery shop day. Do I need to buy self raising flour or is all purpose okay? all help appreciated . ;)
     
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  12. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    I like using bread flour. I believe it has more protein than all purpose so it rises better.

    Self-rising flour contains baking powder, not yeast. It's used to give a mild rise for biscuits, cobblers, etc.
     
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  13. Krystal Shay

    Krystal Shay Very Well-Known Member
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    I use a combination of all-purpose flour and bread flour, when I make white bread.
     
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    Last edited: Feb 4, 2024
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  14. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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    @Hedi Mitchell -- as John said, you do NOT want self-rising flour to make bread. I usually use all-purpose or bread flour. Check a few recipes for "Easy White Bread" online and see if they call for "rapid" or "instant" yeast, or "active dry" yeast. It will make a difference in the rise of your bread so follow a recipe at first. I think you will have fun with it.
     
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  15. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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    G--Here's a link to one of my favorite sandwich bread recipes. This makes 2 loaves, so you can halve the recipe for a single loaf. https://www.iheartnaptime.net/homemade-bread/

    Also, there are many "no knead" breads that are super easy and are baked in a cast iron dutch oven. They are more artisan-type with crusty exterior and more coarse "crumb". Here's an easy one...



    And yes... that's Jenny Jones. :D:D She has a lot of very good recipes on her channel.
     
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