Bread making

[maderedundant]

I too mostly use my breadmaker for mixing to the dough stage. Splitting the dough in to two equal parts they are put in to 2 2lb loaf tins and left to rise again. In this weather the dough rises quite well enough on its own so theres no need to put the oven on until just before the bread goes in.
Favourite bread at the moment is made with Allinsons white bread with oatmeal mix. Great sandwiches and even better toast, specially with lemon marmalade.

[dragonfly]

I love my bread maker.... i haven't bought bread now for about 3 years!! You can't beat your own home made.

I do various loaves.. favourites in our house are granary, cheese & onion and multi seeded, i also do plain white and wholemeal. I use the dough setting to make rolls and pizza bases (again sooooooooo much nicer than shop bought).

I also make jam in it as well... Mmmmmmmm just the thought of it all makes me

Couldn't go back to shop bought bread now...

[wendy]

I also make jam, Dragonfly. I have two Victoria plum trees in my garden. They are absolutely laden with plums. Me thinks I will be busy in a few weeks.
Can't beat homemade bread and Jam.
Wendy

[Chicken Noob]

I started out with a bread maker a few years back, but after trying to make it without the machine, I have never turned back.

I now make bread on a weekly basis (If i wasnt working it would be daily!) I use a fast acting yeast so it only requires one proofing session with no need to knock it back and reproof, meaning its much faster.

I experiment with all shapes and sizes, its dirt cheap and if you knead it yourself, it burns off a few of those calories too!

My advice is to forget the machine and just hand bake - way cheaper and without a £50 investment!

[gbplumbing]

Hi June,

I find I make bigger savings on fancy bread products and morning goods - like pizza bases and english muffins. I rarely make a full loaf, mostly use the machine on the dough cycle.

Can't make a price comparison really - there isn't anything in the shops as good as home made bread

Effie

Mmmm, muffins! )chu:

any chance you could share the recipe for them?

[chickentina]

Have been making my own bread for four months know and wouldnt go back.Hardly have to buy any bread now and all my family and friends love it. I probably make one to two loaves a day considering I have a large family of five children and a husband. I definatly save money with making my own bread as it fills them up and they dont ask for more.

[Mo]

Wendy, we had so many plums last year, that the branches broke (my excuse was that it was too wet to get outside when I should have thinned them). This year a frost just at the wrong time, so a handful of Vics, 2 greengages that I can see, and no damsons. Good job I froze some last year and made plenty of jam.

[*Di*]

So thats why we have hardly any plums on our Vict tree too then?...and the same on the apple tree... :cry:

[wendy]

Yes last year was a good year and we also had branches break for the same reason. Thinning out ?? whats that?
No frost this year so loads of plums.
Wendy

[Mo]

Well, the plums taste so much better if they can grow to a big juicy egg size, rather than a cluster of little plums that are nothing but stone. And it's appparently the stones that demand most from the tree. so that may be the other reason our trees are having a rest this year.
, sorry.

[wendy]

Thanks Mo

[kerriehen]

If you do decide to buy a bread maker choose carefully, we have one at home that now its in the cuboard taking up space!! The arm that kneeds the dough doesn' t work properly and leaves us with a loaf with flour at the bottom :cry: !!!

[Effie]

Sorry It took so long to reply gb - been busy

I get a lot of recipes off www.allrecipes.com

It's an American site but you can convert to metric weights but I normally measure in cups.

I tried a few recipes but found 'Grandma's English Muffin Bread' was 100% reliable for the dough, then follow baking instructions for individual muffins which are on other muffin recipes - I have added a review comment which should point you in the right direction. Enjoy

Effie