Bread Machine?

I wondered what compromises (other than odd shaped loaves) you make when you use a bread machine? I know you need to use quick raising yeast, for instance.

Are there any compromises with regard to flavour that come with the machine method as opposed to the traditional 'kneady' method?

I had one for many years and used it a lot. In fact, I used it so much the pan around the agitator cracked. Mine did not recommend fast rising yeast. In fact, it recommended against it. Most of the time I simply used it to mix dough, which I then baked in the oven in another shape, such as a baguette, pizza or a tube pan for Pannetone. When I did bake in it, it was decent with a nice crust. Also good for making stuffing bread. I did fix the crack, using a metal-bonding epoxy, but was afraid to bake it afterwards, so I just mixed dough. I learned a lot about making bread and dough using it. I gave it to my son's girl friend. Now I use the dough hooks for my Kitchen-Aid mixer. Another thing I learned - I have a Kenmore combo microwave/convection oven that has a convection setting for 100 degF. After mixing in my kitchen-Aid, I put a plate over the bowl and let it rise at that setting for 45 minutes.

Are you thinking of buying a bread machine? I had one for many years and loved it. Some of the bread recipes worked better than others. I finally got to the point that I had so many bread making ingredients, which I kept in my second fridge, and they were taking up too much space. As my cooking evolved, there were other ingredients that I wanted room for. I sold the bread machine and all the ingredients for making it. There is one loaf I still miss very much, and kept the recipe thinking I might actually make it by hand...but I never have. I dislike working with dough,and since then, we have a wonderful bakery in town run by a local couple. They use all natural ingredients, no preservatives or fillers of any kind. Still....there is nothing anywhere to compare with that one loaf I loved. Now, there are dough hooks with our mixers and I keep thinking about trying to make it. No action yet. As to your question, I did not have to do anything special, the machine did it all and well, with most breads. My issues were in the rising process....some did better than others, some crusts were better than others.

I'm going to try my wife out on a machine - she made some bread recently but found the perp a bit more than she said she'd want to do all the time, so I figured that if the machine could do some of the grunt work it might inspire her to hang in there. We shall see.

I have memories of helping my grandmother knead bread and so I learned at the apron strings as it were, I just don't take the time to do it myself, but a mutual friend of Jenise's and mine does and he does it so well, I've been thinking about it.....

We sold our bread machine because the bread was so good our intake of extra calories was sinful and for health's sake we got rid of it. Hmmmmmmm freshly made warm bread with sweet butter, I could never resist.

...but found the perp....

Force of habit?

Oops. Guess I 'knead' to 'proof' - read better!

[Jenise]

I'm going to try my wife out on a machine - she made some bread recently but found the perp a bit more than she said she'd want to do all the time, so I figured that if the machine could do some of the grunt work it might inspire her to hang in there. We shall see.

I have memories of helping my grandmother knead bread and so I learned at the apron strings as it were, I just don't take the time to do it myself, but a mutual friend of Jenise's and mine does and he does it so well, I've been thinking about it.....

I have never used a bread machine, but I've tasted the results of a few (not a lot, just a few) and have to say, I was never impressed with the results. None of the breads were ever artisinal quality--that is, none ever produced anything like what Coop or David N makes. Mostly they were square loaves suitable for sandwich breads, and in a few cases 'baguettes' that didn't have the texture or shape of the real thing. I'm surprised, actually, that so many of the responses you're getting are so positive; but since they are you might want to ignore my contribution to the discussion. That said, I make bread on occasion myself because 1) I have a Kitchen Aid mixer with a dough hook to do all the kneading for me and 2) I sometimes make a "no-knead' recipe that's excellent. If I had to knead bread myself, it wouldn't happen--the Kitchen Aid is an outstanding tool, and of course useful for things well beyond bread making. If carbs weren't an issue I'd be making bread all the time.

Agree on the carbs - but making bread for company is appealing.

What didn't click for me right off the bat was that you don't have to bake the bread in the machine (and get odd looking square loaves). You can just use it as a time saver to prepare the dough and then remove it and bake it normally in the oven using a regular pan. I looked for some recipes I could take home - I ordered a machine that should be here later this week and want to hand her some recipes, all for bread machines for her to look at. She'll no doubt say "But I don't have a bread machine" to which I can reply "Are you sure about that....?"

And if she thanks me for it, I can tell her it was the yeast I could do.....

My old 1950s Hamilton Beach is a work horse but didn't have a bread hook. Your mixer is a monster and I can see why you'd use it every chance you got, but I think we'd make bread only if we had the novelty/utility of a machine to do some of the hard work for us. OTOH, making bread does lead to eating bread......

[Jenise]

And if she thanks me for it, I can tell her it was the yeast I could do.....

My old 1950s Hamilton Beach is a work horse but didn't have a bread hook. Your mixer is a monster and I can see why you'd use it every chance you got, but I think we'd make bread only if we had the novelty/utility of a machine to do some of the hard work for us. OTOH, making bread does lead to eating bread......

So you weren't just poolishing your resources, you've already ordered one? You weren't loafing around then! Didn't mean to 'pan' your product.

Hope it works out for Suzanne. I know she's not very elastic (another bread word, though in this case inadvertent!) in terms of food prep, she can't wing it but needs a precise set of instructions and the confines of a does-it-all bread machine could actually work out very well for her. If you were doing this for just you, I'd argue a lot harder on the choice of bread machine vs. Kitchen Aid that could do so much more than just knead bread. Yesterday, for instance, I made stuffed cabbage rolls. I put on the meat grinder attachment and ground up two pounds of ham--chunks cut from a whole shank I bought last week--into the mixing bowl. I then switched dies and ground a pound of chopped pork twice for a very fine texture. I then removed the grinder attachment and put the bowl under the mixing blade to thoroughly mix the meats, then blended in a half cup of rice. In about ten minutes, from start to finish, I was ready to stuff. One machine, one bowl. My stepmother, whose Hungarian family recipe this is, used to have her store butcher custom-grind the meats to spec, but meat-handling laws now forbid such things. Without a Kitchen Aid, I couldn't duplicate the fine, velvety texture these heavenly little porcine bundles deserve. Then I washed out the bowl and kneaded a loaf of bread. And THAT'S why I own a Kitchen Aid, not a bread machine.

So you weren't just poolishing your resources, you've already ordered one? You weren't loafing around then! Didn't mean to 'pan' your product.

Now you are just trying to get a rise out of me! And I'm not sure your method is necessarily the 'Stairway to Leaven' anyway.....

fine, velvety texture these heavenly little porcine bundles

NOW you're just talking dirty - pray continue!

Yeah, if I baked (maybe when I retire) I'd certainly be doing it the good old way, although next to pastry, bread is probably the least flexible in terms of end result when you experiment, don't you think?

[Jenise]

...but found the perp....

Force of habit?

You're GOOD!

...but found the perp....

Force of habit?

You're GOOD!

Yes, very perp-spicacious!

[Jenise]

Yeah, if I baked (maybe when I retire) I'd certainly be doing it the good old way, although next to pastry, bread is probably the least flexible in terms of end result when you experiment, don't you think?

Don't mean to be a pain by disagreeing [she said ryely], but bread is actually a lot more flexible than most people think. Take a packet of yeast, throw it in a bowl. Add a coffee cup full of water--or two--and maybe a little sugar to feed the yeast. When it starts to bubble, start adding flour, a few pinches of salt, and keep adding flour and stirring until it feels like a loose, gloppy dough. When all the flour's incorporated, move it into another bowl and set aside to rise. Eventually, punch it down once, let it rise again, and then bake--in a pan, on an open sheet, however you want. You WILL have made bread! It will happen almost in spite of you--no measurements required. And as long as you didn't over or under salt, or over or under bake, it will taste like bread. Of course, certain refinements make a more refined result, but the basic elements for a basic loaf require surprisingly little more than common sense.

No, I loaf to get the real story. Who wants to wind up with a Limp Bizkit?

I'm a gluten for pun-ishment!

[Jenise]

No, I loaf to get the real story. Who wants to wind up with a Limp Bizkit?

I'm a gluten for pun-ishment!

He said, bran-dishing his word sword. I've bun beat!

I bought the bread maching I had from our local flour/grain mill. It was the same machine they used in the store to demonstrate bread making. It had a round bowl, not a square. I miss it at times, especially for the unusual breads I made with it. I should give those recipes to our local bakery and see if they could make one or two for me. Maybe I should do it myself....

No, I loaf to get the real story. Who wants to wind up with a Limp Bizkit?

I'm a gluten for pun-ishment!

He said, bran-dishing his word sword. I've bun beat!

But I'd feel crumb-y if I didn't console you with some flours....

Karen, mine is a square one by Sunbeam but I think I'd like a round pan version better.

OTOH, I guess I can't complain - I paid $49 for the thing (it retails in the $70-100 range up here) and when I went back in to Amazon to look at something, I see that they have been repriced to $99! Different seller (not Amazon itself). Guess I lucked out. It is a Sunbeam 5891-33 that sells on Amazon.com for $63

No-knead dough + cast iron Dutch oven = simple bread machine! Love it.

[Jenise]

But I'd feel crumb-y if I didn't console you with some flours....

Ah, you're just breadpudding me on. You're not the flour type. Speaking of flour, I'm levain for the store in a few minutes. Need anything?

Goodness, the humour seems to be sliding toward the 'unrefined' side! But I guess all's fair in loaf and war, so you ain't seen muffin yet! (unless you think we should let them off the <dough> hook now)

To turn serious for a moment, if the plan is to bake the bread in the oven anyway, what advantage does a bread machine offer over a Mixmaster equipped with a dough hook? Just askin'

Mark Lipton

...But I guess all's fair in loaf and war, so you ain't seen muffin yet!...

He said with a rye smile.

To turn serious for a moment, if the plan is to bake the bread in the oven anyway, what advantage does a bread machine offer over a Mixmaster equipped with a dough hook? Just askin'
Mark Lipton

None - but, if you do bake the bread in it, it does allow one to make an ugly shaped, but tasty fresh loaf for Tuesday night's dinner.