I've been an off again .. on again baker for several years. The past few months have been ON again. Trying to eliminate hidden
Frankenfoods and unpronounceable ingredients from my diet make it necessary. Yesterday's bread came out rather tasty, good textured, and very flavorful .. although I let it rise a bit too much as it came out rather bulbous. This will make a good sandwich loaf as I added caraway seeds. Baking bread is a good way to use up extra cooked oatmeal from breakfast, or a dab of mashed potatoes from dinner. If these leftovers are not available, I cook and mash a small potato to add. I like to make the dough in my bread machine .. then shape the dough, let it rise, and bake in my oven. You can play with the dough while it spins in the machine by adding a bit more flour or liquid if you wing the recipe. Take a standard bread machine recipe and change it up. It's easy to do .. but check it for a good consistency (after it begins to knead, make sure the dough is neither too dry or too sticky) before walking away from the machine.
I haven't got a flour mill, but have discovered a good milled flour from Bob's Red Mill that you can buy at the market.
Bread freezes well if double wrapped in plastic bags. It's handy to have one or two loaves on hand for a backup emergency.
Photos: Mrs. Mac's home baked potato wheat bread with caraway, whole wheat Margarita pizza.
5 comments:
I make the dough for my breads in the bread machine, too. Your pizza looks real yummy!
The load looks delicious. How does making your own bread compare with the cost of shop bought bread? Is it cheaper? even including the cost of heating the oven.
Blessings, Star
Star ... from a five pound bag of flour you can make about five loaves of bread (3 cups of flour per loaf). If you bake the bread in the bread machine, that probably uses the least amount of energy. The bread I make takes about 35 minutes in the oven so it's not that much time of use. I figure using organic flour (which costs more) my loaves cost about $1.75 including cost of baking fuel, yeast, and other ingredients. Using non organic flour would cut the cost by quite a bit.
Darcy ... isn't the bread machine a good tool for making dough:)?
you inspire me so, now I want a bread machine!
You would be proud of me. I actively sought out organic produce and fruit at the grocery store this morning. Surprisingly, it wasn't that much more expensive.
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