I just started getting mildly profficient at making bread by hand and I decided to spend a Christmas gift card (thanks, Dad and Ginny!) on a bread machine.
I hope it doesn't end my hand kneading for good, but I'm really enjoying being able to put the ingredients in the pan in a matter of minutes and turning my attention to other things instead of trying to find 20 minutes plus to get it started and cleaned up and then worrying about whether or not the dough will rise and how long it will really take and if I'll need the oven (where I sometimes let it rise) in the meantime.
This machine will make a 2 lb batch of dough. The other machines I've had only made a 1 lb or a 1.5 lb batch. I'm pretty sure we used to make 2 pizzas from a 1 lb batch before. The only recipe I've done so far in this one is a 2 lb. I've made it into rolls or rolls plus a loaf. Last night I made 6 rolls and a loaf of cinnamon bread. Yum. Tonight I made rolls and a regular loaf. I only use the machine to make the dough. I don't like the funny shape it bakes - I don't find it practical.
And so far I think sending the kids with a roll or two in their lunch boxes has been better than the times I used homemade bread to make a sandwich. I put the turkey in a separate baggie instead and the lunch bags are coming home emptier. That's good. I think I'll come out better on the bread budget, too.
And today I mixed up a starter for sourdough. We'll see if it turns into anything... Maybe now that the pressure is off to make bread at a certain time I'll find time to play with making a sourdough loaf once in a while.
Did I mention I love bread? My favorite food...
1 comment:
I received a bread maker once as a gift but I didn't like the shape of the loaves (tall and awkward for sandwiches) so I gave it away. I regret that now, but I didn't realize at the time I could just use the machine to rise the dough. Dumb young me.
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