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Barb.b
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| Posted: April 20 2012 at 8:08am | IP Logged
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Anyone use one? I would love to make my own bread - and I know it isn't difficult - but truthfully, I just never get started on making bread. So, I am wondering if a bread maker is worth it? Or does it not make sense to purchase a bread maker in order to save money making bread?
Barb
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mommy4ever
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| Posted: April 20 2012 at 9:15am | IP Logged
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Hi Barb,
Barb,
I've had one, and it ended up in a garage sale. I found the bread heavy, and it didn't make enough to feed our family of 4(we're 6 now). I wouldn't recommend a breadmaker.
I recommend this book, I love it, we use it often. I want to used it weekly. Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a day.
You can try the main recipe from the book Artisan Bread - master recipe
This is simple enough my dd13 preps it for me. It is literal when it says 5 minutes. The MOST time it's taken me was the first 2 or 3 times, when it was closer to 10 minutes. With the kids, homeschool and the home daycare, there isn't enough time to make my big batch bread, that makes 10 loaves at a time, but this is easy.
You make the dough, cover it, walk away. 4 hours later, toss in the fridge until you want to back a loaf. Ready to bake? Take a chunk, shape it, let it sit for 25 to 40 minutes, back. Easy, my kids LOVE this bread. They have a whole grain recipe book too, it turns out just as nice. I find that I need to make 2 loaves, so we mix it up 2x a week... seems to work for us. Way simpler than the bread machine was to use, and it has never flopped. My breadmaker was brutal for bad batches.
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Mom to 4,
1 graduated June 2012
1 in Catholic school
2 homeschooled(one considering art school!)
ardently praying for a new addition to our family.
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stellamaris
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| Posted: April 20 2012 at 9:28am | IP Logged
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mommy4ever wrote:
| I recommend this book, I love it, we use it often. I want to used it weekly. Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a day. |
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I absolutely agree! Our bread machine is also just collecting dust in a closet. Making the Artisan bread is much less expensive, easier, and takes WAY less counter space. It does, however, require some refrigerator space. I made it regularly twice a week for several months, but then things got busy....
Another reason I've not made it for a while is because I wanted a good whole grain recipe. I was thrilled when a healthier version using the same technique was published.
I ordered that book, but have not started using it yet (even though it's been languishing here on my counter for a few months!  ). We are trying to reduce gluten, but realistically there are several folks here who still eat bread regularly (they just buy it because I'm not!) So, I think I ought to start at least making healthy bread again. It's easy to make bread when you are in the habit, but once you get out of the habit, it's hard to get back into it!
Once all of our traveling is over, I will start up again with the Artisan bread. I just hope I can ration it out to those who can tolerate it better! It really is the way to go!
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Caroline
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jawgee
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| Posted: April 20 2012 at 9:28am | IP Logged
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I LOVE my breadmaker. I use it usually twice a week. I use it to make pizza or dinner roll dough, to wake up to fresh oatmeal-raisin bread in the morning, or to make a nice loaf of bread to go with dinner. I've been using bread machines regularly for 15 years, and I'm on my third machine. The one I have now is a basic Breadman model (it's about 3 years old, so the particular one I have isn't on the market anymore).
There are SO many different recipes. I usually make our breads at least 1/2 whole wheat, and I use white whole wheat flour in place of regular whole wheat because it tastes more similar to a white loaf that way, and the texture isn't as dense as a whole wheat loaf.
A bread machine is a must-have in our busy house!
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Monica
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amarytbc
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| Posted: April 20 2012 at 10:32am | IP Logged
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I make artisan bread and have a bread machine that I use at least every other day. When I want a delicious loaf, I stir up the artisan mix at night and use it the next evening. I don't keep it for weeks at a time because it takes up to much room in the fridge.
Our bread machine has saved us $$$ and time over the years. Initially I had an expensive breadman machine that I loved. The timer function and ability to change the kneading and rising times was so helpful. When it died I decided to just buy what was on sale at Walmart--an Oster. They sell it on amazon for $59, but I paid less. It works fine, although without all of the bells and whistles. We use it mostly for rolls, sandwich bread, pizza dough, and bagel dough. I used to knead by hand, but my wrists started aching. I find it easier to use the bread machine with whole wheat too and haven't been able to do the same with the artisan. Still, if it's a loaf of bread with pasta on Sundays, it's the 5 minute artisan for our family. If you google 5 minute artisan bread you'll find youtube videos and links with the recipes. I believe the authors of the book have the original recipe and video links right on their site.
If you try a bread machine, read the reviews at amazon first as they often give tips for the machines. At Walmart you can always return the machine if you aren't satisfied.
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SuzanneG
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| Posted: April 20 2012 at 10:54pm | IP Logged
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I LOVE our bread machine and we use it ALL THE TIME! About 3-5 loaves a week with dough at least 1/week. We've been married 12 years, and I'm on my 4th bread machine, because eventually the motors give out when you use them so much. I have my second CUISINART CBK-200...it's one of the only non-professional-ones with a 3-year-warranty, which is helpful when you use it a lot. If you're not sure if you're going to use it so much, a one-year-warranty is fine.
And, I LOVE LOVE LOVE that this is something that anyone age 8 and up can take over as one of their jobs! I actually only end up pouring the ingredients in the pan about 1/month....otherwise, my 8, 9 and 11 year olds do it. 
I have a special bin set up for them, so it's easy to just PULL OUT (with the exception of the flour and fridge ingred) and they just measure away!
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jawgee
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| Posted: April 21 2012 at 6:08am | IP Logged
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SuzanneG wrote:
| I have a special bin set up for them, so it's easy to just PULL OUT (with the exception of the flour and fridge ingred) and they just measure away! |
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What a great idea!! May have to do something like that so that my 10YO can take over sometimes! 
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Monica
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Mackfam
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| Posted: April 21 2012 at 6:31am | IP Logged
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SuzanneG wrote:
I have a special bin set up for them, so it's easy to just PULL OUT (with the exception of the flour and fridge ingred) and they just measure away! |
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This is pretty key if you're going to bake bread with any regularity. A LONG time ago, Marilyn Shannon used to send out newsletters, and one of the things she encouraged was setting up a cupboard for baking, to have everything needed in one place. We did that and it is such a help.
I have a Zojirushi breadmaker and we've used it with regularity for nearly 8 years now!!!!! That thing is a workhorse! In fairness, we have taken a break from breadmaking with it for a while because we discovered some folks here are sensitive to gluten, especially my oldest dd. So, we've been working on gluten free and lower gluten options for the breadmaker, collecting some recipes and we're ready to start trying those with regularity again!
We like the traditional shape of the loaf that comes out of the Zoji, and the ease of baking. I also like the Zoji for the customizable programming, which is VERY necessary if you're going to bake with ANYTHING but plain white flour! If you use whole wheat, you'll need to change those settings to get a good rise. And baking with gluten free flours is a whole new ballgame, but I can change the settings on my machine to accomodate the new flours. Other factors that affect the chemistry of bread baking are your altitude and the relative humidity where you bake. Here in Alabama, is humidity a factor? Oh yeah!!!! These can be taken into account by adjusting knead, rise, bake and rest times.
Like Suzanne, breadmaking is a chore I delegate! Having a small bake center set up is a very nice thing because all the measuring tools, ingredients, recipe card is all right there. We try to keep all the bake center supplies near the bread machine. We usually keep a breadmaking section in our fridge, too so that the kids can go right to special refrigerated ingredients and know where to find them.
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leanne maree
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| Posted: April 23 2012 at 6:42am | IP Logged
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We found the bread heavy as well, so I rarely use it for Bread now.
WE use our bread maker now for Pizza dough. We have home made pizza and it makes really good dough.
I don't find they are too fatty or overfilling because the dogh is rolled out thin, and we select good nutritious topping. We have quite a production line going on, from cutting to rolling to putting topping on...
I keep a bread making ummm pizza making section as well.
Leanne 
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mathmama
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| Posted: April 23 2012 at 8:47am | IP Logged
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We always had a breadmaker, but found we were going through one every 1-2 years. It seemed like such a waste. We could never get replacement parts for the parts that broke and at the time we were a small family who didn't make bread more than once a week. I decided it would be more cost efficient to buy a mixer. I bought a Bosch. It is really not that much more work than a bread maker and it is much sturdier and versatile. The only extra work is punching down the bread, shaping and actually timing the baking. It was worth it to me.
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: April 23 2012 at 9:55am | IP Logged
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That's my next big kitchen purchase (I hope), Beth. My MIL bought us a very nice kitchen aid. All the reviews rave about it. And it does all those things wonderfully. I just kill them Seriously, I need a commercial level machine. Even following the directions on amount of ww flour you can put in the machine.. we'd make 2 loaves of bread several times a week minimum (close to every day in winter). The motor is still strong.. but I'm having to replace the gears once a year or more often. Need to do it again too.
The really COOL thing I found is that the main difficulty for a child in making bread is the strength required for kneading. And with the mixer doing that part, my oldest daughter's skill in baking is wonderful. She's competed against adults in a bread contest at our county fair twice now (the contest isn't every year) and gotten 3rd when she was 10 and 2nd when she was 14 (and I wasn't even here to help her with questions).
I do recommend even with a bread machine to experiment with different recipes and flours.. if you want whole wheat try and find a way to get fresh ground.. it does make a HUGE difference.
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4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
Topic: bread maker
