Re: Bread day for me and a friend

Sage04 · ‎07-10-2011

@SharkE wrote:
I like them because they just make one loaf.
When I'm making for me and somebody else I do it the old way I think it tastes better too.

I'm old school LOL

@SharkE so was my mom. Oh my goodness I can still smell and taste everything she baked.

Icegoddess · ‎03-19-2010

@SharkE wrote:
Dough rising buckets. I had the big one,can't find it now. LOL

Thanks @SharkE . that's probably more pro than I need to be worried about.

SharkE · ‎08-19-2010

No, hun, I haven't I'd try KingArthur.com bet they have one.

Taste of Home is my favorite magazine and I have gotten lots of good recipes out of that mag, from libraries, etc.

Icegoddess · ‎03-19-2010

@Sooner wrote:
@SharkE wrote:
@Icegoddess wrote:
@SharkE wrote:

when I split the risen dough must had put to much in 1 piece LOL

may look too high, but , gees Marie, this tastes good. Fluffy and tender not like that blah bakery bread it's real solid and too dark. This has no air holes and is real light.

That brand of yeast that I can only buy online is the best stuff ever was. We don't have it here in Amarillo have to order thru Walmart or Amazon.

Platninum brand, the best. That stuff will raise in half hr. I lost my yeast bucket, had to raise the dough in a glass bowl did good though probably won't fool with buying another one. Postage is too high now days.

anyway, I'll give her and her husband the more pretty one and I'll keep the best tasting. ROFL
@SharkE I'm a little lost with these terms. Yeast bucket? What is that? Thanks for the Platinum yeast recommendation. I put it in my Amazon list. I take it you're doing it all manually? I'm trying to use a bread machine, but came to the conclusion that I'm gonna have to just use the dough cycle and cook it in the oven to get it decently browned. Don't want that hole in the bottom either.
They sell them at everythingKitchens . A big plastic container with measurements on the side and a lid.

My big glass bowl did a good job though. Bread making is something that you have to read lots of recipes, figure out the best flour, find the best yeast, make sure you got the right temperature when you mix the water with the yeast. I usually go with 115-120'. I got a thermomenter just for yeast.
Could be too when I folded over the rolled out dough I made the fat loaf a little to thick or my loaf pan wasn't big enough. As long as it didn't spill over in the oven and the taste is wonderful I don't fret over the looks.

Bread machine is not forgiving like homemade recipes are. Bread machines you have to be real precise I'd rather wing it a little. LOL
@SharkE Not so true. We've used bread machines for 30 years with great results. You can measure (use scoop and level method) or weigh--it doesn't matter. It helps to give a look soon after it starts kneading to see if you need a little more water or flour, but often we don't even do that. And the bread bakes great in the machine.

We have a large and a small 1 lb Zojirushi and use them a lot--just took out a beautiful whole wheat loaf about an hour ago--tastes great! Looks great. We probably use the 1 lb machine most though and keep it on the cabinet.

@Sooner my first attempt was a disaster. Now, I used to have a DAK (I called it R2D2), breakmaker that made the big round loaves and never had a problem. But, I now have a Hamilton Beach and it came out pretty flat and pale even on the dark setting. I'm hoping that using the dough cycle and cooking in my oven will yield better results. I've looked at the few videos that I can find using my machine and they all seem a bit pale.

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

@Icegoddess OH I wanted one of those R2D2 so bad! A friend had one but we got a Hitachi in 1992! It worked fine but wasn't cute like that!

We have a 1 lb Zo now and a 2 lb one, along with a Cuisinart that I got practically free at Williams-Sonoma one day that makes a 1 1/2 lb loaf and comes in handy some times.

I'm sorry yours isn't as brown on top as you like. We seem to be happy what what we are getting and do use our machines more than once weekly.

Icegoddess · ‎03-19-2010

@Sooner wrote:
@Icegoddess OH I wanted one of those R2D2 so bad! A friend had one but we got a Hitachi in 1992! It worked fine but wasn't cute like that!

We have a 1 lb Zo now and a 2 lb one, along with a Cuisinart that I got practically free at Williams-Sonoma one day that makes a 1 1/2 lb loaf and comes in handy some times.

I'm sorry yours isn't as brown on top as you like. We seem to be happy what what we are getting and do use our machines more than once weekly.

@Sooner hopefully, I'll figure it out and didn't get a bum machine. I don't mind the idea of cooking it in the oven since I can get the shape I want that way and won't have a hole in the bottom from the paddle. I know the Zo's are the cream of the crop, but I couldn't justify it.

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

@Icegoddess wrote:
@Sooner wrote:
@Icegoddess OH I wanted one of those R2D2 so bad! A friend had one but we got a Hitachi in 1992! It worked fine but wasn't cute like that!

We have a 1 lb Zo now and a 2 lb one, along with a Cuisinart that I got practically free at Williams-Sonoma one day that makes a 1 1/2 lb loaf and comes in handy some times.

I'm sorry yours isn't as brown on top as you like. We seem to be happy what what we are getting and do use our machines more than once weekly.
@Sooner hopefully, I'll figure it out and didn't get a bum machine. I don't mind the idea of cooking it in the oven since I can get the shape I want that way and won't have a hole in the bottom from the paddle. I know the Zo's are the cream of the crop, but I couldn't justify it.

@Icegoddess We hardly ever buy bread--loaf, buns, pizza dough, whatever. Plus it is an amusement for us now being retired. It is so nice not to be on the run all the time!

Sometimes you have to fiddle with the amount of flour or water by a tablespoon or so, sometimes it's a different flour or a different type of weather--'ya gotta peek in! Usually even if it isn't lovely it's GOOD!

We use whole wheat flour and make 1/4 or less of each cup volume bread flour, cut down on any added gluten a tad and it comes out great. That little dab of bread flour does a lot.

Icegoddess · ‎03-19-2010

@Sooner wrote:
@Icegoddess wrote:
@Sooner wrote:
@Icegoddess OH I wanted one of those R2D2 so bad! A friend had one but we got a Hitachi in 1992! It worked fine but wasn't cute like that!

We have a 1 lb Zo now and a 2 lb one, along with a Cuisinart that I got practically free at Williams-Sonoma one day that makes a 1 1/2 lb loaf and comes in handy some times.

I'm sorry yours isn't as brown on top as you like. We seem to be happy what what we are getting and do use our machines more than once weekly.
@Sooner hopefully, I'll figure it out and didn't get a bum machine. I don't mind the idea of cooking it in the oven since I can get the shape I want that way and won't have a hole in the bottom from the paddle. I know the Zo's are the cream of the crop, but I couldn't justify it.
@Icegoddess We hardly ever buy bread--loaf, buns, pizza dough, whatever. Plus it is an amusement for us now being retired. It is so nice not to be on the run all the time!

Sometimes you have to fiddle with the amount of flour or water by a tablespoon or so, sometimes it's a different flour or a different type of weather--'ya gotta peek in! Usually even if it isn't lovely it's GOOD!

We use whole wheat flour and make 1/4 or less of each cup volume bread flour, cut down on any added gluten a tad and it comes out great. That little dab of bread flour does a lot.

@Sooner I hope to get to the have fun stage. I now know I need to look in, but that causes another problem since I'm so short. As it is, I have to use a step stool just to see the settings (plus reading glasses and a magnifying glass). So, either I'll have to leave the step stool out until the first kneading is done or find some lower stand to set the machine on. I also picked up a small bag of King Arthur flour that has a higher protein content than what I was using. Hoping to try again tomorrow or Monday since I'm all alone for the holiday weekend.

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

@Icegoddess wrote:
@Sooner wrote:
@Icegoddess wrote:
@Sooner wrote:
@Icegoddess OH I wanted one of those R2D2 so bad! A friend had one but we got a Hitachi in 1992! It worked fine but wasn't cute like that!

We have a 1 lb Zo now and a 2 lb one, along with a Cuisinart that I got practically free at Williams-Sonoma one day that makes a 1 1/2 lb loaf and comes in handy some times.

I'm sorry yours isn't as brown on top as you like. We seem to be happy what what we are getting and do use our machines more than once weekly.
@Sooner hopefully, I'll figure it out and didn't get a bum machine. I don't mind the idea of cooking it in the oven since I can get the shape I want that way and won't have a hole in the bottom from the paddle. I know the Zo's are the cream of the crop, but I couldn't justify it.
@Icegoddess We hardly ever buy bread--loaf, buns, pizza dough, whatever. Plus it is an amusement for us now being retired. It is so nice not to be on the run all the time!

Sometimes you have to fiddle with the amount of flour or water by a tablespoon or so, sometimes it's a different flour or a different type of weather--'ya gotta peek in! Usually even if it isn't lovely it's GOOD!

We use whole wheat flour and make 1/4 or less of each cup volume bread flour, cut down on any added gluten a tad and it comes out great. That little dab of bread flour does a lot.
@Sooner I hope to get to the have fun stage. I now know I need to look in, but that causes another problem since I'm so short. As it is, I have to use a step stool just to see the settings (plus reading glasses and a magnifying glass). So, either I'll have to leave the step stool out until the first kneading is done or find some lower stand to set the machine on. I also picked up a small bag of King Arthur flour that has a higher protein content than what I was using. Hoping to try again tomorrow or Monday since I'm all alone for the holiday weekend.

@Icegoddess I am height challenged too! I have to tiptoe to see the top well. Good luck with the King Arthur flour! I hope it turns out great. It is a process, and we've been at it a long time but boy have we had good bread along the way.

One thing is we have had really consistent luck with SAF yeast--so you might try that some time. We keep it in a jar in the freezer and take a tsp or whatever right out of the jar to the bread machine and it is fine.

Icegoddess · ‎03-19-2010

@Sooner I just saw a video the other day with a woman who also keeps her yeast in the freezer. I currently have an unopened jar of Fleischman's Bread Machine yeast, so I'll use that and see how I like it, and then maybe try others. The one Sharkkey mentioned gets good reviews on Amazon too, so I have that one in my list. Don't want to get ahead on that though since yeast expires fairly quickly.