For those of you who make your own bread...

[Gillian76]

Do you use a breadmaker, or your own fair hands???

Am thinking about joining the club

[kid]

I use a bread maker but the bread doesn't taste nice. I end up putting it back in the cupboard for another 2 or 3 months and try again, still tastes horrible though!

[Miaou]

Own fair hands (actually to be totally honest it's usually dh's own fair hands )

Bread from a breadmaker is quite a different quality to handmade bread IMO. I'm not a big fan of breadmaker bread - it tends to produce a very thick hard crust and be a bit too fluffy inside.

[Gillian76]

Oh dear

Do you make any by hand? Does that taste nice?

[Gillian76]

Any time I do it by hand it comes out with a really thick hard crust, Miaou. What am I doing wrong?

[gigglinggoblin]

by hand bread is lovely and keeps the kids occupied if you give them a little bit of dough to mould into their initial or something

[gigglinggoblin]

it helps keep it soft if you give it a light coating of flour before you cook it

[Miaou]

Before you put it in the oven, use a flour shaker and generously douse the top of the loaf in flour. Then when it comes out, turn it out onto a cooling rack (right way up) and put a clean teatowel or muslin square over the top - helps retain enough moisture without making it soggy.

We also put a generous blob of olive oil in the mix (about two tablespoonsful) which helps with the softer crust.

[lunachic]

i used to make it with hands havent done for years
i have just started another thread for recipes please

[charleepeters]

We used our breadmaker for about a month as it was novel and fun! but then we got bored so now i jsut buy bread i found it tasted really nice though! its a good thing to have because i used to bake the bread overnight on the timer so it was fresh for breakfast in the morning.

[Gillian76]

I was just readng about horrid shop bought white bread. Having a big battle with DDs to eat brown. They will some of the time, but sometimes it's nice to have a treat

Will give it a try tonight - or is it better to do fresh in the morning? Although I suppose it'd be lunchtime before it was ready!

[Gillian76]

Oh, will try the olive oil. Butter is a no-no cos DD2 is dairy allergic. I wonder would soya spread do the same job?

[charleepeters]

Your thread has stirres my craving for fresh bread, i think i will haul it out the cupboard and make some tomorrow

[sarjon]

We always use the breadmaker in our house (thought it would just be a passing fad but we like the taste too much!!). Have found that by putting a crushed vit c tablet in with it makes it rise really well (only supposed to do that with brown/wholemeal bread but it works just as well with white). Also, making sure the yeast is v v fresh is important, didnt realise that yeast goes off so quickly and this is why our bread was so stodgy for a while!!!

[Miaou]

Gillian, there is no need to make it fresh every morning - that's a rod for your own back! Dh tends to make two loaves at a time, freeze one, and stick the other in the bread crock. A 2lb loaf lasts us about two days (four of us).

Re the white/brown - do what my mum did to us years ago - she started adding 1oz of wholemeal flour and taking out 1oz of white each time she made a batch of bread - by the time three months was up we were eating 50% white/wholemeal and no-one noticed!!!

[Ameriscot2005]

I use my Kenwood maxi with dough-hook. I let it knead for about 10 minutes.

I used to have a breadmaker but the loaf wouldn't make it even once round the table in our house, so it is easier to double up and put 2 loaves in the oven.

[Gillian76]

Oh, I have dried yeast. Is fresh better? How does one come by fresh yeast anyway???

[Miaou]

i've always used dried yeast and it's fine - perhaps better if you buy it in sachets rather than tubs, then if you don't use it for a while it won't go off. We use Allinsons Easybake yeast sachets - you get a box of 6 or 12 I think.

[Gillian76]

It's Hovis, but sounds just the same Miaou. WIll let you know how delicious it turns out!

[spidermama]

I used to have a bread maker and it was great. The bread tasted far better than ordinary bought bread.

My machine soon broke and I couldn't go back to bought bread so I started making it by hand. It's even nicer.

I use two thirds wholemeal to one third white flour. (Sometimes spelt flour) I also put in different things: Nuts, goat cheese, herbs, sun dried tomatoes, seeds).

I make three 1lb loaves at a time and usually give one away as a present or slice then freeze one. (You can take it out of the freezer in individual slices)

I'm hungry now.

[helsi]

I tend to make more of the dough in the machine then bake it in the oven.

[tortoiseshell]

I do a halfway house, using a breadmaker to make the dough, then take it out, shape into rolls/loaves, give it another rising and bake in the oven. Is the nicest bread I've ever had! I found that the sort of yeast you use is critical - the only one I've found that was ok is an orange packet one from Waitrose - will find the name out in a minute...

[expatinscotland]

We use a breadmaker and LOVE it! We have a Panasonic as well. We use it regularly and the 'novelty' hasn't worn off yet. In the long run, it's economical for us - we don't buy bread products from the shop anymore except very occasionally. It makes lovely pizza dough as well.

I use to do it by hand, but w/two jobs, a toddler, school and being pregnant, I haven't got time.

[katymac]

I'm interested in using Olive Oil for baking bread (as my cholesterol is so high) - I currently use veg suet - but I've got to cut down, does anyone have any recepies

[TwinSetAndPearls]

I use my own fair hands accompanied by the odd poke form dd.

Don't do this out of virtue or a desire for hard work I haven't got the money or room for a breadmaker. WE use Nigella's idea of adding a bit of smash with the water and it seems to improve the bread,