Thanks NJ I'm going to try it over the next few days. I've just been a bit baffled by the instructions supplied. At first, second and third glance it looked far too complimacated to believe.
This is the model we've been given Panasonic Bread maker. I like the "Hovis" type of bread too though I do prefer a nuttier bread. Do you mean you have not been able to get the bread or the bread mix? I'm sure I've seen a "Hovis" bread mix on my travels.
From: The Land of one Headlight on. Insane since: May 2001
posted 12-22-2008 00:01
From Caroline. Note the bit at the end about going green.
Monastery Bread makes 2 loaves
Ingredients:
2 cups white flour
4 cups whole wheat flour of 12 grain flour
2 handfuls each of the following
--sesame seeds
--sunflower seeds
--pumpkin seeds
--slivered almonds
4 tbsp. wheat bran
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
4 cups buttermilk
Method:
Heat oven to 350F
Grease and flour 2 bread pans (smaller narrow ones if possible) Mine are 12? x 3 ½?
Mix all dry ingredients together, add the buttermilk, and stir well. Mixture will be thick.
Spoon into bread pans
Bake at 350F for 55 minutes.
You can add any combination of nuts and seeds you like. Don?t be fooled into thinking your loaf has gone off?the pumpkin seeds will turn a very bright blue/green the day after being baked.
Enjoy!!
AS for the Hovis. I picked up a loaf a few years ago but it was all wrong to begin with. It was just like a regular big fluffy loaf of whatever.If it's not the little brick loaf... then what's the point. =)
___________________________________________________________________________
?Privatize the Profits - Socialize the Losses.? Randi Rhodes
Bread machines really are quite simple. Like NJ said, you just put the ingredients in and walk away (although you may want to stick around and watch the machine knead, just for kicks).
I am another one of those who prefers the oven for baking. In fact, I don't even use the machine for proofing, because I find that, if anything, there is a tendency to over-proof loaves rather than under-proof them. I like to have as much control over the process as possible, which means my dough comes out right after the kneading.
NJ: that Monastery Bread looks great! I might have a hard time getting my hands on wheat bran and buttermilk, though.
Yep, same with our machine. Pour ingredients in (wet stuff on bottom, dry stuff on top, it does make a difference), hit the magic combination of the three buttons (or however many it has) to select the type of work you want (quick bread, basic, dough only, etc, etc... I think ours has 8 'functions') and then the crust (light, medium, or dark), and maybe a delay for it to start.
Then leave and come back in a hour or two when it beeps, turn the bucket over, let the loaf cool for a bit, and chow down
There will be a hole/notch in the bottom where the paddle is, but it's much smaller than you might think (it doesn't move while it's baking, so the bread just fills in around it).
I'd like to start using it just to get dough ready, then bake it in the oven as NoJive mentioned, but I haven't tried yet. I'd like to get a good rye recipe figured out first
If yours has the little window at the top, it's really pretty neat watching the paddle beat the dough around when you would normally be kneading it.
Also, as NoJive said, there should be a list of recommended recipes with the book that came with it, and I'd suggest starting with one of the basic ones there to get a feel for the machine.
I think after the first loaf you do in the machine, you'll see why I was hesitant above to say we were "making bread" with it
[edit: well pffft, there were already posts on the 2nd page here that I didn't even see
How is the magic bread machine working out for you so far Tao?
--
Any sufficiently advanced bug is indistinguishable from a feature.
I have been learning of bread making this past fall. One of my friends started out making it by hand. I got excited, ate his bread, then helped him make a bread that resembled cake. I was hooked.
I am not the reverent type. I make it by hand. I make it by bread maker. I love it.
Tao, i understand your skepticism. However if the ingredients are layered correctly in the bread maker, it can sit for hours before it starts to make bread. I regularly set mine up at night time with a honey oat mix to be done 8 hours later. On a cold morning there is nothing better than waking up to fresh baked bread and the house smelling all warm and yummy.
my mouth is watering. Yes, yes, aesthetically, it is not a pretty loaf of bread. The bottom has a gouge it in, as does the side of the loafs, and they resemble squarish mushrooms, but hey. Its fresh bread. And all I had to do was put the water in first and the yeast in last.
Also, there is no need for a specific bread making flower. all purpose works just fine. And the chemicals... man, i know they ain't the best for the body, but dang. Chemicals are good. I have been using "better for bread" flower as a base flower so far, but yah. I kinda like the chemicals.
On the other hand, 2 days ago I made a loaf of white bread (no chemicals) with poppy seed, flax seed, and toasted sesame seeds. I think the mix was around 3 cups of flower and a little less than a quarter cup of each of the seeds. It was dang good. No bread maker involved.
home made bread butter and say a 1554 for dinner? I am not sure college life is supposed to be this good.
I'm making notes of all these recipes for future use thanks to allthebodies who've contributed.
I haven't used the bread maker yet but plan to do so in the next day or two, thanks for the reassurance about the hole the paddle makes, they don't mention that in the sales blurb.
As you say eyezaer, they may not be pretty loaves, but given a choice we'd rather have tasty than good looking.
Righto I'm off to wrap pressies.
Here are the results of the first loaf made with the bread machine. It is a very different process quite apart from not being "hands on". Our machine seems to have a minimum time of five hours, but I have to say I have not studied all the functions fully yet so there may be a quicker pre-set.
After I'd loaded up the bowl with the flour mixture, water and butter and closed the lid, I set the programme for wholemeal and switched it on. I spent nearly an hour hanging around in the kitchen waiting for some sign or sound of action but noticed nothing. Admittedly I did wander away a few times but not for long. Anyhow, after 1½ hours, convinced that I must have missed out a crucial step in my plans I opened the lid and lo... the dough had already been mixed and it was now in the process of proving, I quickly closed the lid again and decided not to check it again till the time was up and the beeps began.
Next step for me is to use a more traditional method with basic wholemeal flour rather than the bread mix I used here. All in all I'm happy with the results.
Looks pretty good How does it compare (taste/texture/etc) to a handmade loaf? Having not tried a handmade loaf myself, I'd be interested in what differences you noticed.
Santa brought us a couple books on breadmaking and a couple loaf pans (maybe he was browsing the threads here ), so I'm itching to try and loaf without the machine doing the work.
--
Any sufficiently advanced bug is indistinguishable from a feature.
I bake bread weekly, and just took my three loaves of whole wheat out of the oven.
If you guys want to learn more, and it can become obessive very easily, you may wish to go to http://www.thefreshloaf.com/
for more info on technique, etc.
Strange thing that so many people on that web site and this are technical people and guys......
OK folks, I am a slow learner but after 2 yrs. have come up with a sure fire recipe that works every time...It is from the folks at http://www.thefreshloaf.com/
Memo's Brown Bread; Yield: 2 Loaves
envelope active dry yeast.... 1 envel.
warm water (110° - 115°F)... 1/4 cup
potato water**.......... 2 ½ cups 5 cups
salt ................................1 Tablespoon
sugar.......................... 3 Tablespoons
shortening.................. 1/4 Cup
all-purpose flour.............. 3 ½- 4 ½cups
Hodgson Mill graham flour** 1 ½ cups 3 cups
**And be sure to look carefully because the bag says Whole Wheat Graham but the "whole wheat" part is in larger letters and so it is harder to read the "graham" part underneath. Graham flour, I've read, is a little bit healthier than regular whole wheat
Sprinkle yeast on 1/4 cup warm water. Stir to dissolve and set aside.
For the potatoe:*I peel and slice, very thinly, one small potato and boil in 4 (5) cups of water until very well done ? usually takes about 15 minutes because of the size of the slices. Then mash the potato in the water and usually the remaining water with the potato leaves the exact amount of liquid you need for the recipe ? the 2 1/2 cups or 5(when doubling.) If you need to, add a bit more water if you don?t have enough.
Place sugar, salt, and shortening in mixing bowl and pour hot spud water over this and cool. The potato water should be about the temp of a baby?s bottle, warm to the wrist, otherwise it can kill the yeast.
By Hand:
Stir 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour into bowl containing salt, sugar & potato/potato water to make a thin batter.
Add yeast and beat well.
Then add 1 1/2 cups graham flour and mix well. Stir in remaining all-purpose flour - 1 to 2 cups ? until it can be handled on a floured board or counter.
Knead in more flour until you have a smooth ball that no longer sticks to counter.
By Stand Mixer: Stir 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour into bowl containing salt, sugar & potato/potato water to make a thin batter. Add yeast and beat well. Then add 1 1/2 cups graham flour and mix well.
Stir in remaining all-purpose flour - 1 to 2 cups - to make a dough that leaves the sides of the bowl.
Knead/mix until smooth and elastic, about 7 - 10 minutes.
Place in greased bowl; turn dough over to grease top.
Cover and let rise in warm place until it doubles, about 1 1/2 hours.
Punch down. Turn onto board and divide in half; round up each half to make a ball. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.
Shape into loaves and place in 2 greased loaf pans. Cover with cloth or sheet of plastic wrap and let rise until dough reaches top of pan on sides and the top of loaf is well rounded above pan, about 1 1/4 hours.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, rotating half-way through if necessary. Cover loosely with sheet of foil the last 20 minutes, if necessary, to prevent excessive browning. Makes 2 loaves.
Brush melted butter over top of loaves upon removing from oven. Allow to cool.
**You must use Hodgson Mill, whole wheat graham flour to be authentic to Memo?s bread, or if there is another brand that is exactly as Hodgson Mill. Hodgson Mill is the only brand of graham flour I?ve found so far that is the correct coarseness, color of grain and flavor. Other flours can be used but the entire flavor and texture of the bread is completely changed from what Memo used to make. This is a taupe colored wheat bread not golden as with regular whole wheat. It is beautiful and makes the best toast!
I don't know that graham flour is necessarily more healthy than whole wheat flour, it just has a coarser texture. It has the same components as whole wheat (wholemeal) flour; the only difference is that the wheat germ and bran are separated from the rest of the wheat, ground separately, then incorporated back into the white flour. So I don't see how it would make any difference in terms of healthiness.
I realize you probably copied the recipe and explanation straight from the site, but I thought I would mention it.
(Alas, like many other specialty flours, I have never seen graham flour in Korea--let alone Hodgson Mill. )
quote:
graham flour is necessarily more healthy than whole wheat flour
but rather that it is different from the regular whole wheat flour.
I have made this recipe about 6 times and find it fool proof. and find that regular whole wheat is far more coarse and granular than graham flour ....at least with the Hodgson brand of flour. My wife has IBS or irritable bowel syndrome, is lactose intolerant, and does not seem able to digest regular whole wheat flour. However, she does find that this graham flour is different and more easily digested.
I guess each to his own.
Suggest that people bake the bread for 60 mins. rather than the 45 that I originally put in.
I do not believe that I said or implied that "graham flour is necessarily more healthy than whole wheat flour" but rather that it is different from the regular whole wheat flour.
Sorry, I didn't mean to step on any toes, but you did say that...
quote: countryboy said:
Graham flour, I've read, is a little bit healthier than regular whole wheat
Or, at least, it was part of your post. I wasn't sure whether this was something you were saying or whether you got it straight from the website. I didn't know that graham flour was more easily digestible by people with IBS, which is reason enough to use it in your case. I was just saying that it's not necessarily healthier.
But it's all good. I'm not trying to be a nit-picky jerk here. If I ever do get my hands on some graham flour, I certainly want to give that recipe a try.
From: The Land of one Headlight on. Insane since: May 2001
posted 02-11-2009 22:26
Interesting idea... and it's about a 40 minute drive from where I live.
quote:Grow Your Own Bread!
The idea is simple: Hand over $65, and McLeod and Walker will lease you a 200-square-foot slice of Makaria Farm, their 10-acre organic spread near the town of Duncan, in the fertile Cowichan Valley. They'll also give you a grain seed of your choice, seminars with guest experts, and basic infrastructure support, including irrigation and tools. ("Yes, we have a scythe!" notes the website.)
posted 12-21-2008 17:01
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