Home-made Bread

[daylatedollarshort]

The most delightful aroma in my memory is that of home-made bread fresh from the oven. As retirement approaches, I'm planning to get back into practice. When the children were young I used to bake almost daily. I wish I had actual recipes to share, but I never use any.

Variety and experimentation is fun, and there is one rule I've always followed: Machines are out. The best breads I've ever tasted have always been made by hand. :)

[Harry61]

The most delightful aroma in my memory is that of home-made bread fresh from the oven. As retirement approaches, I'm planning to get back into practice. When the children were young I used to bake almost daily. I wish I had actual recipes to share, but I never use any.

Variety and experimentation is fun, and there is one rule I've always followed: Machines are out. The best breads I've ever tasted have always been made by hand. :)

I almost started crying when I read this. I remember home made bread. That was never my speciality, but I do remember it. The smell, even when it was rising is enough to bring back so many memories..

Thanks for sharing this.

[Cornish Maid]

Yes indeed, a lovely smell. I used to make it all the time and some years loads of marmalade as well. Fresh bread role out of the oven with marmalade, delicious.

We had a friend come round now and again who for one reason or another had difficulty eating at times but he always managed some home made bread.

[Skynet12]

Well, as I am only just out of the 'warm glow' of childhood, I cant reminise-but my mum has a bread maker. Lovely stuff is home made bread.

Sky.

[mariposa]

I use a breadmaker, but do agree that one of the best scents of all time is that of baking bread. If someone made a candle with that fragrance, they'd make millions!

A slice of freshly-baked bread is a slice of heaven. I love it either plain or with a bit of butter.

[acacia]

I use a breadmaker, but do agree that one of the best scents of all time is that of baking bread.



Don't you still get the same scents when using a breadmaker machine? or not?

Do you like your breadmaker? How often do you use it?
I am thinking of getting one.
What advice would you give me?

[calliope]

I recently read the blog of a lady who takes pride in her homecooked food. She has stated that she couldn't get the same results from a bread machine as hand made. Then she tried making the bread in the machine -- adding all the ingredients and letting the machine do mixing and kneading part, then taking the prepared dough and baking in the traditional oven. Saying that these results were excellent, and very close to the hand made.

Here is her blog on this, complete with her own bread recipe:

http://countrykitchenkat.blogspot.com/2009/06/homemade-bread-everyday.html

I love this poem that she has also:

Granny's Favorite Recipe
Ingredients:
1 coddled grandchild of either gender
1 proud grandmother, soft-boiled and tender
1 well -beaten fairy- tale book
1 stuffed teddy bear with a faraway look
1 washed, dried blanket, satin bordered with rips
1 freshly baked cookie with chocolate chips

Method:
Toss all except Granny straight up in the air
Drop into squeaking, rocking arm chair
Fold in Grandmother's outstretched arms
Tuck teddy and blanket around small child's charms
Open fairy-tale book to very first page
Begin by saying, "Now when I was your age..."
Mix stories of bunnies, bears, piggies and soup
Repeat bedtime stories until child's eyelids droop.
When the cookie has crumbled and child starts to yawn
Place child, teddy, and blanket in warm bed until dawn.
Yeild:
2 happy people


Awwww.....I wish I had a grandmother!

[New Wine]

Don't you still get the same scents when using a breadmaker machine? or not?

Do you like your breadmaker? How often do you use it?
I am thinking of getting one.
What advice would you give me?

I had a bread machine, and used it maybe 3 times. Didn't really like the result for it was a bit dry imo. Smells were the same though ;)

Good idea about using it just for the mixing and kneading.

[calliope]

Until I can get a bread machine, I will bake my own, with my own hands. ::):

We have very little money for food....but I see this as a wonderful opportunity!


I'm really happy about doing this!

Good bread making site:

http://www.justpeace.org/bread.htm

[Assassin X]

We make home made bread alot. So many kinds and sizes from common Italian Bread to stuff like banana nut bread. When I feel good I do pastries for events like weddings and stuff.

[Nu Kua]

I don't have a bread maker, nor do I want one. To me it just seems like cheating, and I've heard, as new Wine reported, the results can be too dry.
I really like to get my hands in the dough and feel the bread come to life as I knead, knead, knead it.
Plus, it's a great meditative exercise.

[New Wine]

This bread is great in a pinch and does not require yeast.



Salt Rising Bread

At night, mix 1 and 3/4 cups of flour with 1/4 cup of cornmenal.
Stir this mixture into 2 cups of lukewarm water.
When well mixed, pour into a pitcher or tall container. Keep in a warm place overnight.
In the morning, if the rising has "worked", (8-10 hrs later), add:
1 qrt of scalded milk that has been cooled to lukewarm
2tsp of salt
2tbsp of sugar
2tbsp of oil
about 12-14 cups flour to make a soft dough that can be easily handled.
Cover and let rise in a bowl, making sure to keep at even temp.
When dough is light, knead down well and put into pans. Let rise until twice in size.
(1 1/2 hrs to 2hrs)
Bake at 350 for 30-45 min. Makes 4 large loaves

[calliope]

I was searching online, trying to find the best bread machine, and happened across this entry. I think it's very relevant to the topic of home-made bread:



I love my Breadman Ultimate TR2200C. I use mine several times a week and have never had a problem. It is quite inexpensive – I ordered mine from Wallmart. I also have a grain mill. That way you can mill your grain fresh. Fresh milled flour has the full nutrients nature intended and it is not rancid (as most store bought flour is). Making my own bread is the easiest thing to do with a mill and a bread machine. My Breadman does all the kneading for me and I let it rise once in the machine (just set it to the dough setting). I pound it out and let it rise 1-2 more times (depending on how long I will be home) and bake in my oven. If you need any other assistance with bread making you can email me privately and I will help you anyway I can. It really is the best change we can make in our families diet.


Breadman and diet

Sad that most people do not know that going strictly organic on foods usually solves the allergy to foods problems. All farm stock, cows, chickens, pigs, and turkeys are fed a lovely diet of antibiotics, some hormones, and Genetically Modified foods. They lied about the testing on GM foods and now EVERYONE is developing food allergies to everything and in some cases dying. I had gluten intolerance, lactose intolerance and a few other "Allergies" that all went away when I went organic. I had Exzema in patches on my body. I even went to my doctor and asked her why would you say I am lactose intolerant and tell me to quit drinking milk when in reality I am antibiotic intolerant and that was the real reason for my so called allergies to milk? Or that fact that GM soy is in everything and that also causes severe allergies? She didn't answer me just got mad and left the room. I think more people need to be aware of what they are being fed. Genetically Modified foods have 10,000 times more of the cancer causing agent Roundup(Pesticide) then if it was sprayed on. 80% of the food on grocery stores shelves has GM foods in it. Even the organic community is allowing Acorbic Acid(GM Corn) into their foods. People need to be aware and make a lot of their own foods since the companies making this crap has been allowed to subsidize our FDA and EPA, Monsanto Corp, Dupont and Dow Chemical are basically allowed to poison all of our food and other countries are banning any food to be shipped from US. Nice huh?

http://www.thenewhomemaker.com/bestbreadmachineanyone

[Mezurashi]

re: Breadmakers (self-enclosed machine type)

everyone I know who bought one in the past no longer uses theirs. they've either been given away or are sitting in the back of the cupboard behind the juicer and the George Foreman Grill ...

why? two reasons - either they discovered that even with a Breadmaker they couldn't be bothered with all the fuss ... or ...

they Really Got Into It and ditched the Machine in order to get more Hands On.

I've only used a Breadmaker once and the bread turned out pretty damn good despite the fact we followed the pamphlet recipie instead of finding a custom one. still, I found the crust a bit thick and once it started to dry a bit the bread got more 'powdery' than 'regular' bread that I'm used to - but those are the worst bad points ...

thing is, for each and every Breadmaker Brand out there there is also an Internet Support Forum where people post their 'Recipie Variants' developed from trial and error and creativity.

but in the end nothing beats the community of a few friends standing around a flour covered table and handling dough, talking and keeping the kids and pets out of the food ...

[calliope]

Very Easy Bread Recipe

served warm with butter

2 cups very warm water
large spoonful of honey
1 T. yeast
flour (a mix of white and whole wheat)
1 t. salt

1. Put warm water in a large mixing bowl and stir in honey

2. Sprinkle the yeast over the top of the water.

3. Start adding flour and sprinkle in the salt. Children love to make it snow in the bowl.

4. When the dough is stiff and no longer sticky, cover it with a "blanket" and let it rest for a little while (about 15 minutes).

5. Knead the dough and form dough into rolls.

6. Place rolls on an oiled baking sheet.

7. If you have time, you can let them rise a little longer in the pan, covered.

8. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, or until light brown.

From my Waldorf Kindergarten Snack Book