Anyone use a bread machine to bake their own bread?

[antsinmypants]

Since I'm an occasional breadmaker, I use my Kitchen Aid mixer for making bread.

Someone wanted to give me their breadmaker once, but since I'd heard that most people gain 10 pounds when they start using it, I decided not to accept the offer!

I usually make the dough hook knead the bread, and let the dough rise in the microwave, shaping and baking the loaf doesn't bother me, sort of fun to do that part, and I have some great recipes.

Really it depends on what you are making with the breadmaker, and how healthy a recipe it is... just like anything you cook.

But, IMHO... the Kitchenaid mixer with the dough hook is *way* better than a breadmachine any day.

I got my bread machine as a wedding present. For me, it is a convenience rather than a "need".

I wanted a Kitchenaid... we're still waiting to get one. They are so expensive here, and I insist it must match the decor of the kitchen if I am to have it (red), as I must enjoy every second of it, since it will get used nearly every day (not joking at all).

[pistis]

I am happy to share with you where I bought my Kitchen Aid, it was on Amazon.com, for only $99, with free shiping, it has 325 watts, and is refurbished. Kitchen Aid mixers were featured on their Friday Deals, plus they had a hefty point of sale immediate rebate combined with free shipping.

I had this mixer for 5 years, and it is one of the best purchases I've ever made for the kitchen. If you're in the market to buy a Kitchen Aid, keep your eye on their Today's Deals, and Friday Deals, and look for their Amazon rebate combined with free shipping. On most items, you can choose your color too.

Good luck!

[wife]

Really it depends on what you are making with the breadmaker, and how healthy a recipe it is... just like anything you cook.

But, IMHO... the Kitchenaid mixer with the dough hook is *way* better than a breadmachine any day.

I got my bread machine as a wedding present. For me, it is a convenience rather than a "need".

I wanted a Kitchenaid... we're still waiting to get one. They are so expensive here, and I insist it must match the decor of the kitchen if I am to have it (red), as I must enjoy every second of it, since it will get used nearly every day (not joking at all).

I love my kitchen aid. I use it with the dough hook for pizza crust, bread sticks, and even bread occasionally!!

[wife]

good idea to use the micro like that, a little dough-cubator....:heh


i zap a rice bag for a few seconds and stick the bowl with the oiled dough on it, sometimes if its too chilly in the house.



keeps it cozy :)

great idea. I put the oven on warm, and then turn it off a few min before it has to rise. I like the rice bag idea, and then using the micro too

[pistis]

Wow, great idea with the rice! I usually saute my rice in oil anyway before I add the water, a little extra zap or two along the way won't matter! Maybe good for homemade yogurt making too.:scratch

[Lynn]

L. . . but the nuker never gets to nuke it! I don't have a pilot light in my oven and it's kind of cold down there sometimes, so I feel the microwave is a little better place to park the dough in for an hour or so. :thumb
Where do you park your dough to let it rise? :)

I set my oven to 200 deg. while my bread dough is being kneaded in the Kitchen Aid bowl with the dough hook attachment. After the oven reaches the 200 deg temp, I turn it off. After the kneading time has elapsed, I put the dough in an oiled bowl, cover it and place it in the still warm oven. This method seems to really work well for me. I use the same process for the rising time in the baking pans. I re-set the oven to 200 deg. while rolling out the dough after first rising, then turn it off when it reaches that temp. The only time I open the door, is to put the pans of bread dough back inside to rise the second time. During last few minutes of this rising time in the top oven, I turn on the bottom oven to the baking temp, so that pans can be immediately placed in an oven that is already warmed to the correct temperature for baking. This is easier since I have a double ovens. Since our family loves homemade bread, I spend more time baking bread and dh helps with some of the other chores that I don't get done on bread making day. :)

[tygerkittn]

"Bread Machines for Dummies" is the greatest bread book ever, and I got mine for a couple of dollars used on amazon. The recipes for chili bread (add a can of chili, no beans) and for spaghetti bread (add ragu instead of water) are worth the price of the book, but it has so much information on what each ingredient does, it's wonderful!!!! The peanut butter and jelly bread, the rye bread, all of the recipes are so easy and so good!

[Poetmom4]

I used to have a bread maker and I got rid of it for a couple of reasons. I don't like the shape of the bread when you bake it in the machine, too big and blocky. I know I can just make dough and bake it in a regular pan in the oven but it's just as easy to do that with a mixer. The other reason was because I hated having to dig that little metal paddle thing out of the bottom of the loaf of bread. I have to make all of our bread now because my son has been diagnosed with celiac disease so he can't have gluten. that means no wheat, rye, or barley so I have to make special bread that I can't find in stores with flours made from rice, corn, tapioca and bean flours. So I use my mixer for those.

[icebear]

Maybe good for homemade yogurt making too.:scratch

i had to build my own yogurt incubator... i really wanted to try homemade yogurt but did not want to pay for a unitasker i wasn't sure if i'd ever use again.... so i took a styrofoam cooler, a spare submersible fishtank heater, a spare adjustable speed powerhead and a thermometor, filled the cooler with water, got it heated up, warm water circulating, put in 6 jars of culture-treated milk and i think 8 hours later i had yummy yogurt from spare parts!


i never had the time to do it again tho... so as much as i enjoyed the yogurt i am glad i didn't spend the money on a machine :D

[denny272]

Sounds like the Kitchenaid with the dough hook is the way to go for me. I'm loving all of the tips! I learn something new everyday!