Question:
I know it's been discussed at length before, and I think I've read all the relevant posts, I've even downloaded and read a couple of instruction books, but before I shell out, is it going to work out for me?
We don't eat a huge amount of bread, but eldest takes sandwiches every day. Even when I buy the 'lasts 7 days' bread from the supermarket it's often mouldy before we finish it, before the 7 days is up. We all hate frozen bread - and yes, I do defrost it first! - and I resent paying 90p+ for a loaf from the corner shop when he's quite happy eating 'cheap' bread but a) I can't always get to the supermarket for cheap bread and b) by the time he realises the bread is either mouldy or all gone all the shops are shut.
Now, I know home made bread tastes and smells amazing but it also goes stale quicker than shop bread. So, if I make a small loaf on Sunday night, will it be eatable Wednesday lunchtime? Or will I have to set the timer, get it out of the machine first thing Monday morning and hope he can cut it for sandwiches without it falling apart?
Or do I need to wean the boys off crisps and offer fresh bread instead, so I'm cooking a loaf every day?
Answers:
Can't advise on breadmakers...don't have one. :-/
Thought I'd tell my bread making story for the 100th time. ;D
I've never made bread, but I wanted to, after seeing J.Oliver do it quite easily.
I bought all the flour, yeast etc, new bread tin etc.
Made the loaf. A small brown loaf.
It was perfect......beautiful colour....shape........texture...
But it weighed like a brick !!
I could quite easily have lobbed it through a window on a break and enter.
If you have success with a bread maker....Let me know.
I'm getting one !! ;D ;D
Answers:
I have a breadmaker gathering dust in my kitchen. Yes the bread is fab when you make it but because it smells so good they gooble it up that same day.
I don't buy long life processed rubbish but from local baker everyother day. Much nicer and always eaten even though we don't all take sarnies.
Answers:
I have a breadmaker gathering dust in my kitchen. Yes the bread is fab when you make it but because it smells so good they gooble it up that same day.
I don't buy long life processed rubbish but from local baker everyother day. Much nicer and always eaten even though we don't all take sarnies.
We don't have a local baker.
Answers:
I bought a goodmans bread machine in the tesco january sale two years ago and I use it all the time, it makes the bigger sized loaf I started of with one with the small pan and it wasn't big enough - luckily for me it went wrong and I took it back to the shop and got my money back!
I also use the nreadmaker to make pizza dough, and things like the dough for chelsea buns, pasta etc.
I got a book from one of those cheapy book shops and its great lets you know all the different types of things you can make!
Answers:
We use ours occasionally - actually I promised the other half i'd make him one today... :
The bread is really only good to eat the day you make it to be honest - and that takes about 3 hours in our machine.
hth
Answers:
I married a baker ;D saves me the hassle of baking my own when he can bring it home from work 8)
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Have to admit he rarely does bring it home :-[
Answers:
I have a bread maker, don't bother, would be my advice. Mine is sitting unused, I was full of good intentions, bought all the stuff and yes the novelty value the first few times is good, so is the smell, but it doesn't keep and really the cost of the ingredients makes it very expensive. Also it takes hours to make. Do you live near Aberdeen? you can have a go of mine? Have you tried the part baked bread?? I make sandwiches for hubby, the first few days, he gets real bread, the second couple, he gets part baked. Especially if you buy it up when it is on a BOGOf or 342.
Good Luck.
Answers:
Lidls bread flour is around 45p, making dough for rolls takes just under 2 hours - most people will sit and watch tv in the evening for that amount of time, or you can set the bread to cook overnight so you wake up to the smell of bread! as long as it doesn't contain milk oryou will wake up to food poisoning.
If you don't think you will get on with it spend your money on shop bought loaves or you will be seeling it at a bootfair or on ebay! Maybe thats a good place t pick one up! ;D
Answers:
Agree - I bought one at a car boot sale about four months ago for £3 and I've used it loads. It's an old Panasonic one with quite a small tin so it only lasts a day or two but as another poster said it doesn't keep as well anyway due to the lack of preservatives. Made 8 wholemeal rolls yesterday and they're all gone. Have made a white loaf today - delicious. If you get all your bread-making ingredients in one place you'll find that it takes about 5 minutes to get it going once you get used to it. Quicker than a trip to the shops, cheaper and so much better for you.
Answers:
I've got a cheapo bread machine - bought it in Superdrug a while back for £25. It does all the jobs and will bake up to a two pound loaf. I wouldn't recommend spending any more than that on a bread maker, you won't use all those twiddles. Besides £25 sitting down doing nothing is much better than £100+ sitting down doing nothing, if you get bored with using it
I can make a two pound loaf in about two hours, just chuck in all the ingredients and let it go about it's business. I would make bread by hand if I could but my kitchen is miniscule and there hardly any room for rolling out and such like.
Answers:
Thanks everyone that's all very helpful and confirms that NOT spending too much money is a good way to go. Nowhere near Aberdeen, unfortunately, but thanks for the offer Rosiesbabes, anyone near Bristol got one I could borrow?
Have used the part-bake bread but again it's only nice the day it's made, and I can't see the eldest cooking rolls before school in the morning and I'm not about to start, plus there's the cost of heating the oven for 15 minutes just to use it for 8!
Answers:
I recommend making better bread almost-manually, rather than using a bread machine. It's hardly any more effort.
I say 'almost manually', because I use a Kenwood Chef food mixer with a dough hook. Then place the dough in a bread tin, and put it in the gas oven. Simple. And gas is cheaper than electricity. Try it first. If you can't be bothered doing it that way, you probably won't be inclined to use a bread machine either. The bread isn't bad but can't match the good old fashioned method, via a hot oven.
Answers:
I bought a goodmans bread machine in the tesco january sale two years ago and I use it all the time, it makes the bigger sized loaf I started of with one with the small pan and it wasn't big enough - luckily for me it went wrong and I took it back to the shop and got my money back!
I also use the nreadmaker to make pizza dough, and things like the dough for chelsea buns, pasta etc.
I got a book from one of those cheapy book shops and its great lets you know all the different types of things you can make!
Snap! I bought the same one two years ago at £40 and it's brilliant! Haven't seen them around since though ???.
Answers:
I think the Anthony worrel thompson one is the same type Lara - I haven't seen them since but it was a very good buy at half price!
I have just got a kenwood chef which will be handy for me as the only thing with the breadmaker is I can't make two things at once!
Answers:
I recommend making better bread almost-manually, rather than using a bread machine. It's hardly any more effort.
I say 'almost manually', because I use a Kenwood Chef food mixer with a dough hook. Then place the dough in a bread tin, and put it in the gas oven. Simple. And gas is cheaper than electricity. Try it first. If you can't be bothered doing it that way, you probably won't be inclined to use a bread machine either. The bread isn't bad but can't match the good old fashioned method, via a hot oven.
Ah, well my Kenwood chef blew up and not been replaced. Think a breadmaker is cheaper than a new Kenwood ... and a gas oven, got electric built-in which could do with replacing, but leaving it as long as poss!