I must admit to one fad that lives on, at least at my house. In my own defense, I will say that the bread machine craze that swept the US in the mid-1990's occurred when I was still a teenager, living at home, and not really all that interested in nutrition, baking, or living on a budget so I was not involved with it personally all that much, save that my mother had one and made a loaf or two before the thing was put in some forgotten corner to collect dust. I remember the department stores had a whole aisle of bread machines back then, much as they have coffee makers (and their high tech cousins) now. But unlike 95% of bread machine owners, I use mine all the time. I have not bought bread in years and I have actually worn one out. Many home bakers use a stand mixer with a dough hook or even (gasp) do it by hand, but I love that I can throw everything in, set the dough cycle, and come back in an hour and have dough ready for whatever I had in mind. The things are indispensable if you are interested in nutrition, baking, have food sensitivities or proclivities, just like home made bread, or want to try reducing your food budget. You get to control all the ingredients and can make just about anything that uses a dough (not a batter!). I have made pasta, croissants, pizza crust, pretzels, bread bowls, bagels, french bread, sour dough, buns, cinnamon rolls, flatbread…of course these all require varying ingredients and handling after the bread machine spits out your dough, but that is half the fun! What follows will be just a short list of things I have learned over the years about what to do (and not) when it comes to these lovable creatures.
First, do not buy an expensive, state of the art bread machine. I am on my second Sunbeam and still love the thing. The pan wore out after 375,213 miles and it was almost as much to replace the pan as it was to get a new machine, so I got a new one. Mechanically it was fine. My mom has a 'smart' bread machine and I hate the thing. I can't figure out how to use it and it just means there are more things to break. It needs to knead the dough and maintain a moist/warm environment, not sing opera or dance the minuet.
Second, don't buy yeast in those little packets or even in the big jars at your local grocery store, rather get a giant bag (1# ) at a bulk food grocery store, Sam's club type store, or online. I go through about one half to one pound per year so spend $7 once a year rather than $3-7 every 3 months. Split it with another bread enthusiast if it is too much and remember you can freeze it.
Third, I rarely bake my bread in the machine, rather I set the dough cycle and bake it in the oven (or whatever I need to do with it, per the recipe). I also never immerse the pan in water, rather I spot clean as needed. Also, if you don't bake in the machine, the spilled flour in the bottom never burns so you don't have to try and clean it out every time (or ever…).
Bread freezes great, especially if still slightly warm. Pull out rolls one at a time for lunch and thaw on the counter or in the microwave. Freeze whole loaves and warm in the over for that 'fresh baked' taste. Add whatever 'healthy' or diet specific ingredients you want and leave out whatever you don't want/need. When working with dough, a little no-stick cooking spray on the counter and hands makes handling easy (forget the mess with flouring everything!). Search the interweb for fun, tasty, and creative recipes.
Have fun!
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