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Farm Kitchen:  Should I buy a bread machine?  |
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sewgirlie
True Blue Farmgirl
1894 Posts
Sheryl-lyn
Calverton
NY
USA
1894 Posts |
 Posted - Jan 14 2007 : 09:54:28 AM
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I never would have thought about using it for the hard work and then taking it out and shaping it or cooking it in the oven. This is the kind of learning that makes the website so fabulous. I don't have to learn everything the hard way or get discouraged.
Thanks again. I am making MJF biscuits today, so at least some homemade bread products will be on the table tonight. Making a stew in the crockpot today too.
I also took advice from another thread and started cleaning one room a night from top to bottom. Am finally on the kitchen today. By next weekend I will be totally cleaned out, organized and fresh as a daisy (until someone else around here leaves junk where it doesn't belong:)
Have fun today!! Sheryl-lyn |
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walrissa
Farmgirl in Training
30 Posts
Larissa
Anchorage
AK
30 Posts |
Posted - Jan 14 2007 : 12:36:06 PM
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Cathy Jane - sounds great! and easy. :)
question to show ignorance - after I have done the dough in the bread machine, at what temp and length should I bake it? My toddler LOVES toast so I'm starting the dough now. If no one tells be I will dig out a cookbook! :)
I like the machine we have, an Oster, though I confess it was a gift that hasn't seen huge amounts of use. I checked out the Zojurishi on Amazon and ended up ordering two of their Bento boxes for taking lunch to work with us. I've seen them in movies but didn't know what they were called; I think they will be the perfect solution for us.
http://web.mac.com/lwrightelson/iWeb/Cormac%27s%20World/Welcome.html |
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Utahfarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1940 Posts
Portland
Oregon
USA
1940 Posts |
Posted - Jan 14 2007 : 3:38:51 PM
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Stu and I love our bread machine. The Mad Professor loes to experiment with different grains and flours and seeds and nuts and so on and he has produced some awesome stuff. There are only the two of us so the size is just right, we don't care about the hole in the bottom, I hate to kneed (and it's hard on my FM hands), and when we've served Stu's bread to company they rave so I say, go for it, girl!
Farmgirl hug,
Patricia
Farmgirls do it organically! |
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cathy jane
Farmgirl in Training
28 Posts
Cathy
Cynthiana
Kentucky
USA
28 Posts |
Posted - Jan 14 2007 : 3:50:30 PM
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Walrissa,
Wish I'd been on earlier to answer your ?s - and it's not dumb to ask, but rather it is smart to ask in order to learn.
I bake 2 loaves or 1 loaf and a pan of rolls in a preheated 350 oven for about 20 minutes for rolls, and 5 or 10 minutes longer on the loaves. We like ours nicely browned on top. And speaking of toast, my husband loves to spread one side of a slice of bread with butter, and brown it on the griddle - he doesn't like to use the toaster at all. So, when he asks for "toast", he actually wants grilled bread, and it is so yummy like that!
My machine is a Sunbeam from Wal-Mart - FYI. Happy baking!
cathy jane
"Treat everyone you meet today as if they are wearing a sign that says MAKE ME FEEL SPECIAL!" Mary Kay Ash
contact me at www.marykay.com/cathyjrichie |
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walrissa
Farmgirl in Training
30 Posts
Larissa
Anchorage
AK
30 Posts |
Posted - Jan 14 2007 : 4:10:21 PM
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Thanks Cathy Jane! My loaves just finished and I will slice them in a minute. I baked them at 375 for about 20 minutes. I divided the dough for two loaves and then punched it down before I let it rise a third time. I just guessed based on what was in my BHG cook book.
OMG! This is THE BEST EVER. Holy cow, this is a keeper!
http://web.mac.com/lwrightelson/iWeb/Cormac%27s%20World/Welcome.html |
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walrissa
Farmgirl in Training
30 Posts
Larissa
Anchorage
AK
30 Posts |
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Forrester Farm
True Blue Farmgirl
703 Posts
Ann
Belmont
MI
USA
703 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2007 : 6:58:01 PM
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I just used mine last night for the first time in quite a while. I used an organic Italian herb mix, and my kids LOVED it! They asked if I would make bread that way every week. The only problem is that the loaf is gone already!
Ann
http://annforrester.tohe.com |
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Hideaway Farmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1553 Posts
Jo
Virginia
USA
1553 Posts |
Posted - Jan 22 2007 : 05:27:30 AM
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Hi farmgirls...
I finally had enough time this weekend to set up the bread machine handed down from my Dad.
I made the plain white bread and we had some of it with dinner (a roast and veggies cooked together in an oven bag.) It was terrific.
So...Sunday I experimented with a raisin bread recipe from the book, and added a heaping tablespoon of cinnamon. I soaked the raisins first, and the dough ended up real wet but I kept adding a bit of flour at a time until it got to the right consistency. This bread was dense, and really good! I toasted and buttered slices of it this morning for breakfast, and made a banana/OJ/Milk smoothie to go with it. Awesome breakfast, along with a cup of coffee.
I'll definitely use the machine on a regular basis. I like the idea that I make it anytime I want, and I know what the ingredients are. Can't wait to try the parmesan bread recipe, too!
Is there a best way to freeze these loafs to use a week or two later?
Jo
"There are no strangers here, only friends you've yet to meet." |
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westernhorse51
True Blue Farmgirl
1681 Posts
michele
farmingdale
n.j.
USA
1681 Posts |
Posted - Jan 22 2007 : 06:23:45 AM
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I don't like them at all, to me the best part of making bread is having that dough in my hands, tactile I know but I wouldn't have it any other way.
she selects wool and flax and works with eager hands Prov.31:13 |
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EmmJay
True Blue Farmgirl
352 Posts
Mary Jane
Amherst
Nova Scotia
Canada
352 Posts |
Posted - Jan 22 2007 : 08:47:41 AM
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I agree; nothing like the feel of dough in your hands. You also have the benefit of knowing there is enough (or not enough)flour, but I am one of those that does not like to measure (except for taste)
I did have a machine, and gave it away. One loaf of bread is nothing. I make nothing less than 4 loaves, and one disappears as soon as it comes out of the oven. No need to ask anyone in my household how the bread tastes. The answer is usually with the amount of bread left, within an hour.
"Thank GOD I'm a country girl"
http://s119.photobucket.com/albums/o134/EmmJay07/ |
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sewgirlie
True Blue Farmgirl
1894 Posts
Sheryl-lyn
Calverton
NY
USA
1894 Posts |
Posted - Jan 23 2007 : 2:16:05 PM
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I have been making the no-knead bread and enjoy that. I used the wrong yeast (active dry) but it came out fine when I just let it keep growing for many hours past the 18! :) I am going to make the recipe for the whole wheat bread I saw here another day as well.
I have a nice recipe for raisin bread that I will make this weekend while I am around the house.
I used to make an awesome English Muffin Bread, but cannot find my recipe for it. Have any of you made that?
Sheryl-lyn
Yes, kneading the dough is so relaxing I would never give it up forever. |
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GaiasRose
True Blue Farmgirl
2552 Posts
Tasha-Rose
St. Paul
Minnesota
2552 Posts |
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lamamama
True Blue Farmgirl
255 Posts
Melanie
CA
USA
255 Posts |
Posted - Jan 25 2007 : 10:21:31 AM
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Wow - this has been a very interesting & informative thread. Great idea!
First off, I would like to say that I completely agree with those Farmgirls who have expressed the feeling that there is no substitute for the hands-on, real thing bread. It is the reason I have not purchased a bread machine for over 15 years! But now, faced with a different reality (working,single Mom of 2 always hungry boys, paying crazy prices for organic, whole wheat bread), I have been reconsidering my decision. Which is my I was so happy to see this thread! It seems to be - for a lot of us - a question of 2nd best (that is, compared to the "real deal") over store bought, even if the store bought is organic, local & whole grain. Factor price in there, too. Which leads me to ask you all this question: Do you think it is cheaper - considering the cost of the machine itself, costs of the ingredients, the energy used to make & bake, & the water, & energy for cleaning up the machine - to just buy a loaf @ the store, or make it in a bread machine?
I have such mixed feelings about this whole thing....... I've always wanted my children to know life as those activities done with loving hands, not by a machine. Sometimes I really feel like I'm selling out - first the answering machine, then the cell phone, then the computer & cable TV. Now I'm thinking of a bread machine. Yikes.
Anyway, if a few of you could comment of the price comparison, I would appreciate it.
Thanks! |
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candismom
True Blue Farmgirl
560 Posts
Elizabeth
560 Posts |
Posted - Jan 25 2007 : 10:38:31 AM
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Hi,
I love mine. There is a picture on my blog of ir. www.athomewithelizabeth.blogspot.com I use it all the time. I don't bake in it. I use to mix my doughs. I have arthur and so I don't have alot of strength. I just take my dough out ,shape it and put it in my pan to rise. This morning I have cinnamon rolls dough in there.
Hugs,
Elizabeth |
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walrissa
Farmgirl in Training
30 Posts
Larissa
Anchorage
AK
30 Posts |
Posted - Jan 25 2007 : 12:44:54 PM
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I love mixing and kneading bread by hand too but here is the list of reasons I am using the machine to mix and knead for me:
1) tiny kitchen with little counter space
2) toddler
3) husband who works opposite schedule
4) work full-time
5) 1 HUGE dog and 2 cats make for lots of pet hair in dough no matter how clean I think the house is
If I didn't have the machine (ours was a gift) I would never make bread except for special occasions. Since I first read this thread I've been making about 4 loaves a week (2 batches) though last night the toddler ate half a loaf, sans crust. I can view the dough through the top window to add water/flour. I think it depends on what you are passionate about, your budget, your life, etc. I like having hot bread that's inexpensive and no preservatives but not at the expense of my sanity, and this bread machine keeps it sane and doable for me and my life with my family.
http://web.mac.com/lwrightelson/iWeb/Cormac%27s%20World/Welcome.html |
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sewgirlie
True Blue Farmgirl
1894 Posts
Sheryl-lyn
Calverton
NY
USA
1894 Posts |
Posted - Jan 25 2007 : 5:41:13 PM
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I agree that it is better to be able to make it all by hand and not give in to another machine in life. However, I also work A LOT outside of the home :( and enjoy the smell and taste of warm, fresh bread. My family is nuts about it and we would probably enjoy it anyway, even if it is less special then totally homemade, hand-kneaded bread.
The point about the dogs and hair is a good one. We have three dogs and two cats roaming around here and it is a constant job to keep us all from looking like werewolves ourselves, never mind a hair free surface anywhere!
In the end, it might be cheaper to purchase organic loaves, but it depends on how much your family eats bread.
Sheryl-lyn |
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Beach Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
111 Posts
Vanessa
Williamsburg
VA
111 Posts |
Posted - Jan 25 2007 : 8:30:13 PM
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Like so many of you, I love the whole kneading thing, but I LOVE my bread machine too. There is nothing like waking up in the morning to the smell of the coffee already brewing and the bread already baking. I usually make up honey butter to have with it.
Vanessa
Farmgirl-by-the-Sea |
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garliclady
True Blue Farmgirl
274 Posts
Reidsville
NC
274 Posts |
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Horseyrider
True Blue Farmgirl
1045 Posts
Mary Ann
Illinois
1045 Posts |
Posted - Jan 29 2007 : 04:56:34 AM
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quote:
I have such mixed feelings about this whole thing....... I've always wanted my children to know life as those activities done with loving hands, not by a machine. Sometimes I really feel like I'm selling out - first the answering machine, then the cell phone, then the computer & cable TV. Now I'm thinking of a bread machine. Yikes.
Melanie, I share your concern. But I think the distinction lies in what is central in our lives. If the TV or bread machine or cell phone takes precedence over family life and family connections, then it's bad. But if it can be on the periphery of our lives, it's okay. Same with everything else. It's okay to turn off the TV, the cell phones, and put the answering machine volume on zero, and just concentrate on family time and peace. I think the problem with these machines comes when we allow them to distract us from the quality of our lives.
I'm a tactile type too, but if I had to choose between store bought and bread machine, I'd pick a bread machine. That way I can get good fresh bread of any kind when *I* want it, not just when it's convenient because I'm out shopping. The cost difference wouldn't matter a whole lot to me.
Children will know things done with loving hands even with a bread machine, depending on the attitude of the bread machine operator.  |
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lamamama
True Blue Farmgirl
255 Posts
Melanie
CA
USA
255 Posts |
Posted - Jan 29 2007 : 11:21:16 AM
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Hey, Mary Ann, good points! And I love that statement about children knowing about the attitude of the "bread machine operator." You are so right!
I guess I am very wary of the seductive power of all of those "machines" in our modern life. A very slippery slope, indeed. And easy to start sliding, no matter how strong your ideals are in the beginning. I think there is a real domino effect that happens in our culture.
And it also stems in part from my constant struglle with being a working Mom......was a SAHM for the first 7 years, then had to work due to divorce. As a SAHM, I was able to do all those hands-on things, & a lot of that had to fall behind. So when I think about bread machines, or whatever "machine," time-saver, etc. you want to consider, it is a double whammy for me. I've certainly learned how to compromise ideals, & maintain that control over the intrusions of modern society that you so well address. Or should I say, I'm always TRYING to maintain control?!? ;) The wondrous bread machine will probably be another one of those little issues. Knowing my boys, they would probably love a bread machine - LOL. Has that new toy aspect, & as I said, they are always hungy - & love good bread. I will just have to make certain that we get out the old bread bowl once in a while for some hands on kneading.
This certainly has been a great thread, hasn't it? :) |
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brightmeadow
True Blue Farmgirl
2045 Posts
Brenda
Lucas
Ohio
USA
2045 Posts |
Posted - Jan 29 2007 : 2:03:56 PM
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I do like kneading my own bread... but I use the bread machine mostly. Why? Because the timing is more consistent. When I put my bread to rise on top of the refrigerator or in the oven, sometimes it rises in a few hours and sometimes it takes all day. And I am in and out all day long, (not usually predictable) I have had way too many bowls of dough rising too high, falling, and getting all yeasty/sour on me because I was gone for a few hours too long.
With the bread machine I can put the ingredients in, set it for how many hours in advance I want the bread to be done, and then go about my business and know that the bread will be, if not perfect, at least adequate!
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands - You shall be happy and it shall be well with you. -Psalm 128.2
Visit my blog at http://brightmeadowfarms.blogspot.com ,web site store at http://www.watkinsonline.com/fish or my homepage at http://home.earthlink.net/~brightmeadow |
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sewgirlie
True Blue Farmgirl
1894 Posts
Sheryl-lyn
Calverton
NY
USA
1894 Posts |
Posted - Jan 31 2007 : 6:32:42 PM
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I have decided that I will definitely get a bread machine when the funds allow for it. You have all given me much food for thought (pardon the pun!!) and since I work so much, I want to have fresh bread for dinner and breakfast whenever I can. At least this way I can control the ingredients I use. My mom and I talked about this and she said, "Sheryl, for Heaven's sake, not everything done the old way was better. Would you still use a rock to wash your clothes? Women back then flocked to the machines to save their backs, etc!" LOL
Anyway, I am careful to keep machines out of my life for the most part, but this will be a nice addition to my life..like the crock pot.
P.S. I do not even own a cell phone! My students think I am being untruthful when I say I do not have one, but I need my alone time once in a while. Would hate to feel like I have a tracking device on me at all times (which is what a cell phone is to me!) However, I do know that A LOT of people need them.
Thanks for the advice and all of the sharing! |
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cathy jane
Farmgirl in Training
28 Posts
Cathy
Cynthiana
Kentucky
USA
28 Posts |
Posted - Feb 07 2007 : 12:49:28 PM
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I haven't had a chance to "chat" with y'all for several days, so I am just catchin' up on my reading, and I'd like to respond to Melanie's inquiry about the cost of bread machine bread over storebought. Homemade is DEFINITELY cheaper for my family.
I roughly estimate that each batch of dough costs me $1.00 including electricity and using the high-end (not on sale) prices for the ingredients. Around here, that is cheaper than even the cheapest store-brand bread, and about 1/3 the cost of the good bread. And, each batch makes 2 loaves, or 1 loaf and rolls.
I, too, love the feel of the dough in my hands, and I get to enjoy that feeling as I divide the dough between the pans, or roll out the dinner rolls or cinnamon rolls. I, also, abhor the idea of selling out to the mechanized world, but I choose which machines to use, and how and why I use them. And, if I need to do so, I can always make my dough by hand. It would take me a while, given my bad shoulder, but I could do it, and because I use my bread machine almost daily, I would know the steps and how the dough should feel. A compromise that suits my lifestyle.
I've really enjoyed this thread. Thanks to all who have shared!
cathy jane
"Treat everyone you meet today as if they are wearing a sign that says MAKE ME FEEL SPECIAL!" Mary Kay Ash
contact me at www.marykay.com/cathyjrichie |
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Kim
True Blue Farmgirl
146 Posts
Kim
Pflugerville
Texas
USA
146 Posts |
Posted - Feb 07 2007 : 1:36:45 PM
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You can have mineand just pay for shipping. I think I still have the instructions. It has one of those annoying paddles too. No bells or whistles! Just a plain jane bread machine. E-mail me off the board and I will give you all the details. I'll make sure I have the instructions though.
Blessed Be!
farmgirl@heart
Be at peace with yourself and the rest will follow
http://chevy49girl.livejournal.com/
http://chevy49girl.deviantart.com/ |
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sewgirlie
True Blue Farmgirl
1894 Posts
Sheryl-lyn
Calverton
NY
USA
1894 Posts |
Posted - Feb 07 2007 : 6:16:05 PM
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I was reading the threads and saw your offer and thought, "wow, that is a nice thing for Kim to do. How lucky the recipient will be!" and then I realized it was my thread!! What a goofus I can be at times!!
I am touched by your generous offer and have emailed you already.
Thank you so much!
Love,
Sheryl-lyn |
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Farm Kitchen: Should I buy a bread machine? |
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Should I buy a bread machine?
