Bread machines & bread making.

[Zymer]

Originally Posted by gypsychic

You can do everything in the machine start to finish - pour the ingredients in the pan (as per the order in the instructions or recipe), set the proper baking course, and let it bake. Or, you can take the dough out after it has risen and bake it in the oven for a crisper crust. I have done both. The biggest problem for me about baking bread with or without the machine is slicing it - can't get the right thickness or even-ness. Guess I need a different or better knife.

Yep, it's great, I like being able to set the machine so that I wake up in the morning to just-baked and warm cinnamon raisin bread, and being able to make all sorts of different breads like potato bread with sage and onion, and others that you'd pay thru the nose for if you could even find them at a retail outlet.

I have two machines: a Sunbeam ($5 at a yard sale) and a Zojirushi ($15 at a yard sale), I can't see that either one is better than the other, they both work well.

I have a cheap serrated knife for slicing. I don't worry too much about thickness or even-ness...though trying to slice too thin can be a problem. I learned the hard way to let it cool for about 1/2 hour before trying to slice.

[algia]

Originally Posted by gypsychic

You can do everything in the machine start to finish - pour the ingredients in the pan (as per the order in the instructions or recipe), set the proper baking course, and let it bake. Or, you can take the dough out after it has risen and bake it in the oven for a crisper crust. I have done both. The biggest problem for me about baking bread with or without the machine is slicing it - can't get the right thickness or even-ness. Guess I need a different or better knife.

Thank you guys for clarifying!

Gypsy, does it taste anything like the Italian bread from Publix?

[Grandpa Pipes]

Originally Posted by elnina

The only thing I find annoying is that all models sold in the US are made with a non-stick or Teflon bowl surface.
Why not use ceramic bowls like in Europe? I do not cook with Teflon, why bake with it? It's too bad that we don't have any choices...

Teflon isn't the best but Americans want things "easy" to clean so until Americans as a people get back to better basics we all are stuck with Teflon coated pans.

I'm sure that all know this but baking with Teflon is way better than frying with Teflon since the heat is lower and there is no mechanical scraping (the spatula) inside the pan. It ain't great but , in this case, not that terrible.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by algia

Thank you guys for clarifying!

Gypsy, does it taste anything like the Italian bread from Publix?

Not sure, but there are ALL kinds of great breads you can make in the machine. Might be a little different than Publix bread, but will definitely taste good! (and cheap!)

[algia]

Ok.

Do you think the electric bill can go up if you keep that on baking for three hours like someone else mentioned above?

Is the loaf as big as Publix's?

Originally Posted by gypsychic

Not sure, but there are ALL kinds of great breads you can make in the machine. Might be a little different than Publix bread, but will definitely taste good! (and cheap!)

[Grandpa Pipes]

Originally Posted by algia

Ok.

Do you think the electric bill can go up if you keep that on baking for three hours like someone else mentioned above?

Is the loaf as big as Publix's?

Unless you have the exact recipe for making a bread just like "publix's" bread , or anyone else's bread, will be almost impossible.

I seriously doubt that the electricity to bake a loaf of bread will more than a nickel. On balance electricity is cheaper than natural gas ,or propane, so it's a no brainer to see that using electricity to bake your bread in a bread machine is going to be super cheap!

[kinkytoes]

Originally Posted by elnina

The only thing I find annoying is that all models sold in the US are made with a non-stick or Teflon bowl surface.
Why not use ceramic bowls like in Europe? I do not cook with Teflon, why bake with it? It's too bad that we don't have any choices...

I don't like the teflon, either. Too bad there's not a company making replacement parts out of enamel for the machines.

[brokencrayola]

Bread machines do everything from mixing the ingredients, to kneading, to letting it rise and then baking it. I have one of the nice ones, a Zojirushi. The directions tell you what order to put the ingredients in the machine.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by brokencrayola

Bread machines do everything from mixing the ingredients, to kneading, to letting it rise and then baking it. I have one of the nice ones, a Zojirushi. The directions tell you what order to put the ingredients in the machine.

The Zos are definitely the best. I have had few others, which were pretty much junk compared to the Zo.

[Grandpa Pipes]

Yee haaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!

I just discovered the grocer in my little town carries both bread flour and bread machine premixes!!

Seems that bread making and bread machines are very popular in my little town so the grocer can stock supplies with little worry about not selling any.