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Post by Catbatty on Sept 2, 2021 18:21:00 GMT -5
I bought an expensive Zo bread machine a few years ago and have used ONCE to make a bread from their little book that came with. I keep it sitting out...waiting for me. (My husband has mentioned getting rid of it.) No way. Does anybody else feel same way? Anybody USE?  ? Any books that have made great results for bread machine? I have made all kinds of bread things (years ago) using my Food Processor, but have never dug into my bread machines. BTW: I see lots of them at thriftstores. PS: Do you use for BAKING or just for MIXING? I need to work up some enthusiasm...the thing is LOOKING AT ME everday!!! Thanks
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traildoggie
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Post by traildoggie on Sept 9, 2021 15:24:05 GMT -5
I have a very old bread machine, a simple cheap one. it worked fine when I made bread but I used it to mix and knead and pulled the dough out to finish it myself in a real oven. I have used it sometimes to make pizza dough. for no particular reason, DH and I don't eat much bread. we aren't avoiding gluten, low carbing etc, but don't make sandwiches much. I LOVE bread but the quality of "purchasable" bread is so much better and more varied than it used to be... so I doubt I will make bread again. bread I buy.... immediately freeze and take out a slice when I need it. for me it's a time that passed. I will keep the machine for pizza dough but in the basement not hogging counter space.
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Post by karenw on Sept 9, 2021 18:46:02 GMT -5
I have had two bread machines in the past. The first I bought myself when they first became popular many years ago. I used it a lot then but my kids were very small and I did not have the time to make bread without the help of the machine with 3 kids in diapers etc.... While the bread that it produced was not bad, there is no comparison in taste and texture between machine bread vs. non bread machine. Eventually as I began to make more of my bread without the machine from start to finish, I gave the bread machine away. I enjoyed the whole process of kneading, shaping, and baking and the better control I had over the dough. Years later I was gifted a bread machine from a friend who was moving out of the country. Again, it made a respectable loaf, but machine bread is just not my thing.
Karen
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Post by Catbatty on Sept 9, 2021 19:08:11 GMT -5
Interesting. Thanks for your thoughts.
I have a friend (Kathleen, where ARE you?) who did join our group here, but typical of her, she is very quiet. I have not heard from her AT ALL in a year or more. I hope she is ok in Tenn.
Kathleen has grown kids, but she loves to bake. She has freezers full of anything and everything yummy. She does use her bread machine, but mostly just for the mixing/kneading.
Not bread machine, but remember when the no-knead bread books came out? She baked through each. Many of the recipes became favorites of hers. Last I heard from her, she was baking from King Arthur's recipes. WISH SHE WOULD CONTACT US!!
Traildoggie: we do same with store-bought (usually Dave's Killer Bread...many grains). My husband tosses it in the freezer then takes out what he needs each day. I DON'T GET IT. I mean, shouldn't it be WRAPPED? But it seems no wrap doesn't bother it. ?? Do you wrap yours or just leave it in bag it came in when freezing it?
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Post by wallycat on Sept 10, 2021 10:00:08 GMT -5
I bought a bread machine when they were popular, back in the day and only made a few loaves. I never felt comfortable just leaving it go on its own (funny, the crockpot doesn't bother me). I'm a no-knead gal now when I bake a loaf. DH is trying to cut back on bread because he is like an addict when it is available. I occasionally buy a local (Paine d'amore) sourdough and do as you guys mentioned; freeze it and take out slices as needed. I keep it in the original wrapper and put that in a second plastic bag.
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gilgamesh37
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Post by gilgamesh37 on Sept 10, 2021 13:10:16 GMT -5
I still have the ancient (? Hitachi? can't remember the brand) that I got back in the early 90s and it still works fine. While I love the idea (and the smell) of using the timer to have a hot loaf when we get up in the morning, as others have mentioned, the quality of the bread isn't up to that of all the various artisanal loaves you can get now at your local grocery store. (I wonder, though, if a newer model would have more adjustability/versatility). I will occasionally bake off a loaf in the machine specifically to cut up and zizz into fresh bread crumbs. Mostly though I use it to mix/knead and then I hand shape and bake the dough. I probably do challah the most, it just makes it so much more manageable and really turns it into a simple project rather than a daunting all day task (for me, anyway). I've also done breadsticks, dozens of different rolls (including Moomie's buns). I don't use it every week, but I would miss it if it died.
There are two books I've used a lot, both something like "dough from the bread machine." One is by Beth Hensperger (sp?) and I'm not seeing the other in a quick spin through Amazon, so it may be out of print, it was one of those low narrow books that you sometimes used to see at the checkout counter at the grocery store.
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traildoggie
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Post by traildoggie on Sept 11, 2021 10:10:52 GMT -5
I do the same thing. stick the bread in the freezer in the bag it came in. Franz, Orowheat, or Daves. I don't think we use a loaf in 6 months. I also use thin buns more often for lunch on hiking trips where things need a lid. I do weight watchers long term. bread is not very point friendly. I have it but lots of WW points. benefits to one piece, a wrap or tortilla. I'm "older" and even being very active does not allow a lot of calorie leeway to maintain a steady weight. bread was a spot to trim calories. DH is more or less doing WW too, and so his bread consumption has dropped off too. we eat more whole grain salad dishes instead. neither of us is exactly wasting away but its a nice change from the sandwich rut.
my bread machine is old and rusty, might get used once a year? I never liked the texture of bread finished in the machine.
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annastoll
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Post by annastoll on Oct 15, 2021 9:13:25 GMT -5
I chose the Model JOLLY RIFINITO, a small built-in oven for professional use. The range is fully insulated, steel coated has a metal shelf and a small decorative copper chimney umbrella. The stove is ready to use. It does not need to be built into a wall opening. I ordered it through thegrafyt.com/ rather than a direct dealer. Since they are more convenient to work with. I originally got it for a new bakery store. But then I bought one for my home, too. It's convenient and compact. So now I bake bread as a hobby.
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Post by Catbatty on Nov 23, 2022 18:04:06 GMT -5
Getting mine back out (a Zo - used once...long ago). Found a new bread book that is making me want to use it. Go figure. I have lots of bread machine books, but this one I just got is lighting me up:
The Ultimate Bread Machine Cookbook: Family Recipes For Foolproof, Delicious Bakes by Tiffany Dahle
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VAcooker
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Post by VAcooker on Jan 25, 2023 19:45:48 GMT -5
I use my bread machine only for making pizza dough and for making Moomies Buns. I used to use it for bread making but no longer. My machine is over 20 years old and still works great!
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RQuam
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Post by RQuam on Apr 6, 2023 18:21:46 GMT -5
I wore out one Oster bread machine making a couple loaves a week. That machine got replaced by another similar Oster but finally gave up with bread making and the second machine went to Goodwill. I now buy the two-loaf packages of Dave's thin sliced at Costco and only have one slice at lunch. I agree that bakeries now produce many different varieties of really good bread.
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traildoggie
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Post by traildoggie on Apr 10, 2023 10:57:11 GMT -5
one benefit to using a bread machine to knead is the nonstick bucket makes it possible to go easy on the flour. I tend to over add flour when I hand knead. just a thought. I use t to knead dough for focaccia and cinnamon rolls where too much flour is a problem.
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Post by Catbatty on Apr 10, 2023 11:56:49 GMT -5
Great point, Traildoggie!! I never thought of that! I am always concerned about over-flouring. I have a friend to bakes pretty much daily (Kathleen, where are you lately??!!) and she uses her bread machine quite often...only to the stage of shaping by hand and baking in her real oven. I've yet to try that. I asked husband to set up the breakmaker on a tall table next to outside of kitchen counter...where I can easily make bread to my heart's content. HOWEVER, I've yet to do it. Still have the Zo that I made ONE LOAF from mfg booklet...back when I bought it a decade or more ago. SHAME SHAME SHAME. Why do some of us do that? Is it laziness?? (Or fear of failure? Or dietary thinking about bread being little nutrition and not all that good for us? OR ALL of the above? (Me, yeah, probably all...) Anyway, Traildoggie: THANKS FOR THIS TIP!! I LOVE IT!! Catbatty one benefit to using a bread machine to knead is the nonstick bucket makes it possible to go easy on the flour. I tend to over add flour when I hand knead. just a thought. I use t to knead dough for focaccia and cinnamon rolls where too much flour is a problem.
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