| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| ali2583 |
Posted - Mar 25 2006 : 11:49:23 AM
One of my New Year's Resolutions was to start making bread again...today was the day!
I just did a loaf of plain white country bread. Turned out quite well if I do say so myself. However I put a little too much yeast in and it got **very** puffy. I don't care. It was warm and soft and tasty and I had 2 big slices with butter for lunch, and I am the happiest girl in the world now.
"God's gift to you is life. What you choose to do with that life is your gift to God" |
| 8 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Horseyrider |
Posted - Mar 28 2006 : 05:12:27 AM
Alison, I'd advise you to take the bread out of the pan and cool it on a wire rack. Bread will get soggy from all the steam, and it's kinda gross. Once it's cool it'll be like regular crust.
White bread is really difficult to slice while hot; so it isn't you or your technique. When cool, it's easier; but it has a texture more like cake, so you have to saw very gently with your knife to get uniform slices.
Or you can do like JP's daughter and get the holder.... 
JP, I had a bread machine. It was a gift from my mom. I used it some, but I lent the instructions to someone who was trying to make their own and had lost theirs. Well, she's since left her husband, divorced him, and left the area, so I don't think I'll ever see them again. It sits on a shelf in the laundry room, and I have fantasies of writing to the company for new instructions. Before I got the machine, and since I lost the instructions, I've always used my KitchenAid mixer. I really love it. But there were days where I simply wouldn't have had time to bake, and the bread machine made the difference between having bread or running out. From that standpoint, it's worth it to have it.
In what way do you feel your bread's too heavy? Not enough rise, so the loaf is really dense? How do you mean? And what's your recipe you use the most that comes out heavy? Perhaps we can help. |
| ali2583 |
Posted - Mar 27 2006 : 10:53:29 AM
I made mine from scratch, but I've heard that bread machines are good for just making the dough, if you only set it to the "dough" setting. Once it comes out, you can form the loaves and bake in the oven. Best of both worlds I suppose.
I let mine cool just a bit before I cut into the loaf because I couldn't wait for the warm tasty bread! It did sink a little bit because it was still warm, so I guess if you leave it to cool in the pan, it should hold its shape a little better. However, I do have a great breadknife which helped.
I think I shall work on the white bread to perfect it, then start working on some free form loaves. I can't believe I ever stopped making bread, it was so much fun!
"God's gift to you is life. What you choose to do with that life is your gift to God" |
| jpbluesky |
Posted - Mar 27 2006 : 05:02:22 AM
My daughter has a holder that allows her to slice it easily. She puts the bread in the holder, which is plastic and has grooves in it, and then her knife is guided by the holder. I am not explaining it well, but she loves it for easy slicing.
What do you all think of bread machine versus baking the bread in the oven? I am thinking of getting a bread machine, as my own bread seems to come out too heavy.
Peace |
| NicoleG |
Posted - Mar 26 2006 : 10:23:21 PM
Congratulations! It's funny, just this past week I also made white bread for the first time! It was a 2 loaf recipe (loaf pan type) and I gave one to my boyfriend's family and half a loaf to my great grandma. They all liked it so much I made another 2 loaves two days later and gave one to each of my boyfriend's grandparents! I spread butter on the tops when they come out of the oven (2 coats) and they looked too good and perfect to cut! Hooray for fresh, homemade, farmgirl bread! |
| Horseyrider |
Posted - Mar 26 2006 : 5:10:06 PM
The way to get nice slices for sandwiches and toast is practice, practice, practice. And a sharp proper bread knife and tender crust.
When I first started I had a hard time, but through the years I've learned a few tricks to making it as even as store bought. First, have a sharp knife that's made for cutting bread. If you don't have one, the Chicago Cutlery ones you can buy at Walmart do very well for the money. Second, for the most even slices, a tender crust helps. If you're making sandwich loaf bread, let it cool completely and put it in a bag for awhile. Then it should slice more readily. Also, remember your high school geometry class. The cut of the slice will follow exactly the plane of the knife. Make them as thick or thin as you like, but control the knife so you keep it straight up and down. Let the knife do the cutting; don't press with it.
It really does get easier with practice. |
| lonestargal |
Posted - Mar 25 2006 : 8:10:17 PM
I love making and eating homemade bread. I go through times when I get on a low carb kick and say I need to cut down on bread but then my 'normal' (if there is such a thing) senses take over and say, 'Who are you trying to kid?' I go right back to making bread again. I do have one question though. I put my bread in a pan so it's more sandwich sized but I have a hard time getting my slices right. How do you guys get nice slices for sandwiches or toast? |
| Horseyrider |
Posted - Mar 25 2006 : 1:14:32 PM
Awww, congratulations! I just resumed baking my own bread again in the last few months, and I love it! We went for years where every last bit of baked goods we had came out of my oven. I got too busy for awhile, and quit; but now things are working out that I can get back into it. I baked some just this morning, an oatmeal whole wheat bread. The house smells wonderful, of course; but hubby stole one of the loaves to make stuffing for a turkey he's doing. And I already had an older loaf in the fridge. *rolls eyes*
When you make your country loaves, do you make a freeform loaf, or do you put them in a pan so it'll be sandwich slices? Do you ever make braids? What was your specialty?
I hope you get your groove back like I did. I had some goofs in the beginning, but now I'm totally back in sync. It feels great! |
| happymama58 |
Posted - Mar 25 2006 : 12:04:17 PM
I bet your house smells wonderful, too! Well, I decided just after Christmas to *quit* baking bread . . . with my bread machine. I put it in the garage sale pile. I've made bread a few times since then and it's so relaxing. I don't think there are many things that smell better than fresh-baked bread. Enjoy the fruits of your labor!
Some people search for happiness; others create it.
http://happymama58.typepad.com/my_weblog/ |
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