The lovely smell of homemade bread.

@thea09 (18305)
Greece
November 23, 2009 7:43am CST
Firstly thanks to all who responded to my bread maker discussion as it was very useful in the decision of whether to buy one or not. I think the deciding factor was that breadmakers also make jam. Not every voice was for them but I was convinced by those who had them that I wouldn't be wasting my money. No one warned me how technical the instructions were going to be with all those bleeping buttons, so it was about an hour and half after it emerged from its packing that I actually got down to starting. All the buttons and settings were in Greek which was fine and the instructions were in English but complicated. Neverthless 3 hours later it bleeped and a perfect looking high boxed shape loaf of bread emerged. It smelt so good and I loved the boxy shape. It also passed the taste test. An excellent buy and when I've studied it more I'll be able to be creative with it. The jam making facility sounds a doddle though if I only knew what on earth preserving sugar was, but I've got a few weeks until the oranges will be in bulk supply for the home made marmalade. Just proves it really is worth asking opinions on here for unbiased opinions.
10 people like this
39 responses
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
23 Nov 09
gLAD U GOT IT ALL FIGURED OUT. i TO LOVE THE SMELL OF YEAST bread cooking. My grandmother made wonderful yeast rolls. The whole family loved them. I hope u come up w/alot of good creations. The next slice u eat of warm, buttered bread think about me.
2 people like this
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
23 Nov 09
I will think of you Aunty I promise, you got me through the dentist by thinking of you. Hugo couldn't understand why he couldn't eat it immediately but I knew it would just collapse, but he was very happy with the enormous sandwich it made for school lunch today as the usual bread here is either too dry or too hard by the next morning. Fine toasted but not for sandwiches. I'll get used to the techinical workings of it all before I try and get too creative.
1 person likes this
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
23 Nov 09
I'd been like hugo & wanted a piece right then while it was good & warm, lol. I know he enjoyed his lunch today. U will have fun w/your maker i'm sure. I don't have one but know alot of people do. enjoy it, niece, Yassou.
1 person likes this
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
23 Nov 09
Thanks Aunty. Have you ever done the home made jam thing and come across preserving sugar I wonder?
1 person likes this
@jwfarrimond (4473)
24 Nov 09
I think that you did well to get a good loaf the first time - it took me several tries before I managed that! I did a quick search to see what preserving sugar is because did'nt know either! It seem to be just sugar with larger grains than usual - see this website. http://www.silverspoon.co.uk/home/products/sugar-and-syrups-for-cooking/preserving-sugar I think that you could use any white granulated sugar though.
2 people like this
24 Nov 09
I was interested to see in the previous response that they use brown sugar. Proper Demerara sugar is a large grain sugar so I suppose that it might be used in place of the large grain preserving sugar. The molasses in the sugar might give the jam an interesting extra flavour.
1 person likes this
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
24 Nov 09
Hi jwfarrimond, well I stuck to the absoulute basic bake settings for the first time. I just went to make a coffee and thought I'd throw another loaf in and it took half the time as it did for the coffee to be ready, it's amazing really. Now I can just leave it to it and when my son comes home from school the fresh bread will be just about ready. Re the sugar that was the instructions on the machine but I haven't seen a single recipe that calls for anything but straight granulated.
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
24 Nov 09
I think I'll check that brown sugar doesn't harm the machine and probably use that as think it would be really nice with oranges and ginger, which is the plan.
@blackbriar (9076)
• United States
24 Nov 09
hmmmmmmmmmm...missed your other discussion but I would of agreed that a breadmaker is worth it's weight in gold. Especially if you can make jam with it. I have one we bought that got a LOT of use out of but doesn't make jam. My MIL has one she paid a pretty penny for but didn't use much that does make jam. She ended up giving it to me so now gotta find the time to set back and read the directions on making my own jam/preserves. We all LOVE the bread though. Specially the herb bread where I put my own creation into it.
2 people like this
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
24 Nov 09
Hi blackbriar, it was through the other discussion that I discovered they could also make jam, but no one had tried it. My friend here who has a bread maker has also never used the jam facility but the instructions on that part were at least clear and concise. I love thick homemade marmalade and my Greek has fifty orange trees so I will soon be making lots and I think the cooking time is only around an hour too. I found the making bread instructions for anything creative not too easy to understand with so many buttons to set but will study up well so I can get creative.
• Australia
23 Nov 09
I am glad you decided to buy one...you must've gotten a flash one coz I don't thnk my moms can make jam but I haven't read the instructions either...the only bad thing about home made bread is that it doesn't slice it for you lol...I'm glad you are enjoying your new "toy"
• Australia
23 Nov 09
What a bonus!!You definitely got your moneys worth there!! Slicing it is hard...my mom actually bought one of those slice guides...you put the loaf of bread in it & use the guides to slice your bread to your preferred thickness...I think it only cost her about $AU20
1 person likes this
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
24 Nov 09
I've never seen anyone tackle a loaf of box shaped bread like my Grandma did. After slicing the crust off she would stand the loaf on one end, butter the top, slice, butter, slice, butter, as quick as any machine could ever do it. It was an art. I will pass on a slicing machine as most likely would slice a bit of finger off.
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
23 Nov 09
Hi moonchild, when I heard they could do jam as well I wanted to look out to see if they were the same price as the ones that didn't and my friend called to say she'd seen one in town and it was the same price as the others and did jam, so I rushed up to get it before they sold out. Good job as they only had 3 left. Slicing it was quite hard as it was so fresh and big.
@jellymonty (2352)
23 Nov 09
I was wondering what's smelling so lovely that's making me run out of saliva in my mouth Could I have some please and give some to this guy am trying to impress? I told him I could cook so you don't mind if I take the credit on this one do you?
2 people like this
@LiveLove (443)
• United States
24 Nov 09
I haven't heard of a bread/jam maker before. I know i have a cookbook that has recipes for bread it and it highly suggested not investing in a breadmaker but i would like for my bread to be more perfectly shaped. I just use a bread pan and i am happy with it and kneading by hand. But it's very fortunate that you made a decision on a product that you didn't regret. I'm probably just going to keep making banana nut bread for now. But if you haven't done so already, please give an update on how your jam turned out.
2 people like this
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
24 Nov 09
Hi Livelove, well I wasn't sure at all about buying a bread maker, I have made it by hand but rarely as it takes ages. So I put a discussion on here asking for opinions and they were mostly glowing. We don't actually get square high loaves of bread made here so I loved the shape of it. I haven't started on jam making yet as want to wait until the mass of free oranges are out next month and need to amass some jars first too.
• Australia
23 Nov 09
Satisfaction! All that pouring over the instructions paid off and you were rewarded with the wonderful smell of fresh home-made bread - and of course, eating it! My friends buy ready-mix bags of various types/flavours - grains/wholemeal/pumpkin seed/herbs/etc. Apparently it is a different type of flour used in breadmakers? I'm waiting to hear stories of your creativity. I'm sure you'll track down some preserving sugar and then we'll be rejoicing with you over marmalade success too.
1 person likes this
• Australia
23 Nov 09
To even THINK of toasting fresh, home-made bread makes me cringe! WHY would a person toast such wonderful bread? Toasting is only for dry, old bread . . . Well, that's MY opinion, but I guess some people actually LIKE toast?
1 person likes this
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
23 Nov 09
Ha, Cloud you've just made me realise I don't actually eat much bread, but now I'll probably start having home made toast more. I'm sure my son can get through a loaf quickly and he really did appreciate the difference between what we normally have and the home made stuff so worthwhile. I think home made marmalade on home made toasted bread will be a winner and the jam instructions sounded like a piece of cake.
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
24 Nov 09
Well it depends on the time of day Cloud. Now it's getting cold and I may not always fancy a yogurt straight from the fridge then my choice would be hot toast and it is so much better when made from good fresh bread than hard old bread, I recommend it. I don't eat much bread but in the summer I like it with brie and basil leaves but I'll have to leave that for you as its summer with you now.
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
24 Nov 09
Congratulatioons on biying a bread making machoine. I didnt see yiour discussion on this. I have had a bread making machine for 12 years, so it's an old model but a very good one. I go through fads of baking bread in it. My daughter and I love the wholemeal bread varieties. I love to put garlic, herbs or cheese in my bread as well. I just have to be careful I dont out in fatty ingredients. What kinds of breads are you baking so far? I have never ever heard of making jam with a bread making machine? How could this be done?
1 person likes this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
25 Nov 09
I would LOVE to try the potato and apple bread in my machine. When you have time, would it be possible for you to PM me the recipe?
1 person likes this
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
24 Nov 09
Hi jennybianca, yes I did a discussion as wasn't sure if it would be a fad buy or a useful buy and was suprised to learn that there were models which make jam and no more expensive than the ones which just do bread, so that was the clincher. The instructions for the jam were much simpler to follow than those for bread, as jam has its own special button - simply throw the ingredients in the tin it says and turn the machine on. I'm waiting for the large amount of oranges to be ready before I do that. So far I just baked a normal loaf of bread to test it out, I can't get creative till I've figured out how what all these buttons do.I'll be doing breads with olives of course, herbs, will try cheese, but plan to use the veggies and fruits which are handed over as they come into season. Definitley though I'm going to do the potato and apple bread from one of my books.
1 person likes this
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
25 Nov 09
Desperately scrabbling round for a bit of paper to remind myself to do so. You can test it first and see if it works.
@ShepherdSpy (8544)
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
24 Nov 09
That's a new one for Me,I'd never yet heard a breadmaker could have a dual purpose as a Jam Maker! The only home made Jam I have experience of is the Rhubarb variety (With a hint of clove,maybe).. It goes SO well with Freshly baked Farmhouse Soda or Wheaten Bread..(Flashback to visiting My Great Aunt's Farm as a kid for this..) I don't like the commercially Made Jams for adding colouring to these fruits that they don't consider appetising enough..naturally cooked rhubarb jam is greenish,and Yet they add Red colouring! If You've enjoyed the real thing,Why would colouring it red make it any more appetising? I'd love to try home made marmalade,though..As for Preserving sugar..isn't that granulated in a more expensive bag?!
24 Nov 09
I think that you've got it right Call it a special name and charge a bit more. Or maybe quite a bit more...
1 person likes this
24 Nov 09
It's the jam sugar that has the pectin added, but I never saw that it had pectin added at all! I should look at my own linked websites a bit better!
1 person likes this
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
24 Nov 09
This is what happens when I dive into a discussion from the mylot email in my inbox..I miss relevant stuff from other comments! So it seems that preserving Sugar has Pectin added to it,which helps the cooked fruit Jell better...I don't have any fruits in my Garden that I'd feel the inclination to start Jam Making,but it's useful as info goes..
1 person likes this
@zed_k4 (17589)
• Singapore
23 Nov 09
I love the smell of homemade bread too. There's just something about the smell, the aura of everything and etc. Whenever I walk near a bakery shop, there will be this nice baking smell and smell of bread is one of the strongest. Just awesome. I agree with you; it really is worth asking for opinions.
@zed_k4 (17589)
• Singapore
26 Nov 09
That's so cool. So we can have bread toasts and cups of coffee/tea then.. Ask purple, jb and some others along as well..
1 person likes this
@zed_k4 (17589)
• Singapore
26 Nov 09
What did Sandra put inside? I think I might have a bite just now..
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
24 Nov 09
Hi Zed, I recall that you were reading the opinions too gleaming info on bread machines, much better to get personal opinions than boring reviews I found. There were a few from those who baked the traditional way saying that it was an easy job to do it that way but with something you can set a timer on and leave gives so much more convenience and means I can leave it on when I'm out, a big plus. Plus no washing up, which is a huge plus.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
24 Nov 09
While you're explaining to me what a "doddle" is, could you pass me a slice? :-)
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
24 Nov 09
No, we don't have that one here, and I got the meaning totally wrong guessing. It sounded something like a cross between something that's extremely difficult and a horrible muddle. :-)
1 person likes this
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
24 Nov 09
When you breeze through something at work you can tell your co-workers what a doddle it was and leave them gaping in shock at your new word. Actually it is a really excellent word and should be promoted immediatly within American language. Coffee?
1 person likes this
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
24 Nov 09
Ha, have I used the word doddle somewhere and you don't know what it is? It's not an actual thing but an expression, one says "that's a doddle" to mean something was very quick, or very easy, especially when one thought it may have been something that would take a long time or be difficult. Desperately tries to think of an example, here have some bread while I think. Ah, I would say it was a dodde to park the car when I actually manage to get into a space easily without blocking the road for 5 minutes whilst stalling and drawing attention to how useless I am at doing it. Do you not have the word over the pond Dawn?
1 person likes this
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
25 Nov 09
Guess what? I have good news - especially for my daughter as she was the one appointed to go to the Black Friday sales to get me a b/m machine. Well she was doubtful of getting it through customs and being charged duty etc. Then I had a light bulb moment and called a huge store in Mo'Bay and they have just one on the shelves. So I begged and pleased and they are keeping it aside for me to get it on Thursday. It is a Kenmore 2lb bread.making machine and the price is equivalent at US$80 - and this is the price before sale price in the US. So I am going to go for it. Just hope that it can make jam too - perhaps I could give a pot to the nice policeman that I met today
1 person likes this
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
27 Nov 09
Well, drove all the way to Mo'Bay yesterday to get the bread maker and yes, they did have it ther for me but there were no instructions. And no more in their stores around the Island either. This really was the last one. So I still bought it and you have reminded me to go online now ans see if I can download the instructions. It s a Kenmore and can make Jam etc and the timer and 55 thingies to play with. Am excited and will go online now to see if I can get the info. Nothing ever goes straightforward in m life - ever.
1 person likes this
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
28 Nov 09
Oh I hope you manage to get hold of some instructions. In my case my good friend who has one telephoned me from the shop to say they had one which appeared to be exactly the same as hers although a different make, but all the button bits were the same, so if I bought it and the instructions turned out to be in infathomable Greek she would be able to show me how to operate it, in fact a quick phone call sorted out the issue of the wrongly worded hook item. A tip, on my 4th loaf I had trouble getting the paddle bit on the stick up bit so I think the stick bit needs more cleaning than the rest of the pan.
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
25 Nov 09
Oh good show there, I hope it makes jam too. It's too late to calculate what 2lb equals, mine has a choice of 700g or 900 g. I hope it wasn't just my influence but the influence of all who joined in. My friend who I walked with today has had hers for several years and makes bread and cakes in it but has never tried out the jam bit. I can see we'll need a bread maker recipe interest soon to exchange ones that work. Hope you get it. I must say your policemen are very cheap to bribe if they accept pots of jam.
@chulce (1537)
• United States
23 Nov 09
We love the smell of home made bread in our house. However, my husband does not like using the breadmachines. He uses his own two hands to make our bread every week. It is one of his favorite ways to destress after a hard week. His favorite type to make is sourdough bread. Which, we enjoy. I am the lucky one I get to make the jams and jellies in the house, however, my mother in law is the pro at it. Usually, she will have a bunch made before I will. :) So, it has been a while since I have tgotten to make any.
1 person likes this
@chulce (1537)
• United States
24 Nov 09
Glad I could make you laugh. Hey 10 year-olds, great helpers. Okay, if you can bribe them enough. I just about fell over when I finally got my 17 year old off his butt to clean his bedroom. However, it took him getting a girlfriend to do that. My 15 and 13 year old boys are pretty good at helping, sometimes. But, if I can't get the help, they know that if Mom is in a mood, look out or help. On hubby's stress levels. There are some benefits to keeping them lowered as well, however, I may just have to come up with ideas to keep that stress up to keep the smells of fresh bread moving. :) Happy Baking!
1 person likes this
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
24 Nov 09
OK , I admit I do resort to bribes since he leant how to make mama coffee. Tricking him into believing that ironing was good fun only lasted twice though before he saw the mundane reality of it. Three of them though, that's a lot of bread you must need to bake.
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
23 Nov 09
Hi chulce, you made me laugh. I wouldn't have needed a machine if I had a man churning out home made bread on a weekly basis and someone else to the marmalade. You just need to make sure you keep your husbands stress levels up. I did persuade my ten year old to mash some potatoes tonight but most times I don't have any help in the kitchen.
• United States
23 Nov 09
Oh, that sounds so good, Thea! I love the smell of fresh baked bread. My mom and I never had anything so fancy as a breadmaker, but we used to do homemade bread in the oven. It would be an all day project, but it was definitely worth it. We usually made several kinds of bread that day, because there wasn't any sense going to all that trouble for just one kind. The normal ones that we made were the regular white bread, banana bread, and zucchini bread. Of course, the latter two didn't have to rise, so we would do them while waiting for the other loaves to rise. The first time I heard of zucchini bread, I thought it would be disgusting and did not want to try it, but it turned out to be my favorite kind. What kind of breads are you thinking of trying?
1 person likes this
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
23 Nov 09
Hi Purple, yes the all day project bit put me off because its not worth doing real baking without doing a lot but then it needs freezing and the freezer is always full of fish or homemade cake. I haven't got to the creative stage yet Purple as still mastering the machine but I have seen courgette bread (zucchini) in one of my books, but I'll wait until someone has some to hand over. I'll be doing seasonal bread. I definitely want to do potato bread, and I've got a recipe for Irish potato and apple bread too. Olive bread of course, herb bread, we'll have to come up with some more ideas. I can do my cakes in it too to save having the oven on. I was driving up for it thinking will I really use it, but when I added bread, cakes and marmalade, saved oven costs and no bending up and down to reach it out it sold me. It did smell good.
2 people like this
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
23 Nov 09
Is the postal strike over then now Alice, don't want you receiving a package of mould.
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
24 Nov 09
Alice my dear, do Scotish people call courgettes zuchininis now?
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
27 Nov 09
Congratulations thea on your new bread making gizmo...are you serious about it making jam as well? I toyed with the idea of a bread maker what with the price of bread these days. What stopped me is the fact that the machine doesn't slice the bread. Because there is only me here, I freeze my sliced bread and take 1 or 2 slices as required. Freezing keeps my bread fresh too.
1 person likes this
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
28 Nov 09
I love bread and toast and you have me ready to drool here.
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
28 Nov 09
Hi Ms Tickle, I kid not the gizmo does indeed make jam too, but I'm waiting for the orange supply before I use it. You are quite right that the hardest bit is slicing it as it is so fresh and I'm well used to doing the freezer trick myself. But in Greece we only have 2 varieties of sliced bread to start with both exorbitantly expensive as not a known concept here, we have hard as in fit only for hard toast, or mush which breaks when buttered. A complete failure for sandwiches whilst at least the gizmo is making bread which can be used for sandwiches. Already though I cut a loaf in half and freeze half. The savings will be on bread,and oven costs for baking as it has turned out fruit bread which is a cross between bread and a cake. Even that only took 3 minutes to be on its way with no mess. As I'm more of a toast person I have to say it makes the best toasted bread I've ever tasted.
1 person likes this
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
28 Nov 09
• United States
23 Nov 09
There is nothing better than smelling homemade bread, but I will leave that to you and all those other susie homemakers..lol....if I made a loaf of bread, it would be me who would eat the whole darn loaf....and I wouldn't be able to walk anymore..lol
1 person likes this
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
23 Nov 09
Hi sweetchariot, susie homemaker? No idea what one of those is but it doesn't sound like me. Now if I was slaving over a kitchen full of rising dough and kneading flour into the tiles yes, but this is throwing stuff in a machine and letting the machine do the work.
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
24 Nov 09
Hmmmm, well I cook and bake a lot but one has to eat. The term really doesn't fit though as I abhor all other forms of housework. Many Greek women would fit your term though as if you ask a Greek man why they rarely take their wives out for coffee they say that their wife prefers to stay at home and do the housework.
• United States
23 Nov 09
lolol...A "Suzie Homemaker" is a term we use for those women who cook all the time, and make wonderful housewives and mothers, and make their homes warm and nice to be in, it usually takes priority over everything else. That is their hobby and vocation. Unfortunately, I don't fit that description...lol
1 person likes this
@checkmail (2039)
• India
23 Nov 09
Hello thea09 this is checkmail and congrates on achieving in your target of making an bread by yourself.Well I missed your discusison over the bread maker, but still want to know whats the perfect steps for preparing the bread at home in microwave.I am still thinking of giving in a try at it, as cakes have been an sucess for me.Else also all fast foods are prepared by me in the microwave.Just could you discuss about the steps and material required to prepare a bread.
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
24 Nov 09
There was an email circulating a while back about how to make a chocolate cake in a mug in the microwave...straightforward enough,but I wasn't happy with the results..it either was over done or underdone for Me! I don't think a microwave oven would be really suited to bread Making,though I'm prepared to be proven wrong!
1 person likes this
@malpoa (1214)
• India
24 Nov 09
Wow, home made orange marmalade...yummmm! So cheers for your new breadmaker...now you can try diffrent types of breads...I dint know you can make jams and marmalades with that...how is it possible? I do not own a bread maker, but we have a oven wher my mother in law used to make breads...it came out as perfect breads! also preserving sugar is normal sugar isnt it? salt and sugar are good preserving agents..that is what I studied in school...:?
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
24 Nov 09
Hi malpoa, I'm sure your mother in law worked many hours producing the perfect bread and if you're going to do it by hand then please ask the brother the law to take charge of the heavy kneading for you. Your breads of course are different to our breads and whilst I prefer the type I made for toast and my sons sandwiches I'd take your paratha bread as a savoury every time. I must try it out in the bread maker but suspect it will have to come out half way through to be formed into shape and baked in the conventional oven. Or do you think I could get away with a large box shaped paratha? I'll let you advise me on that one Malpoa. Pergammano has additional information here on the sugar requirements.
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
25 Nov 09
You never know, as breadmakers have now come to Greece now they may come to India too soon and then you'll be able to try all these things whilst avoiding unclipped finger nails. I do some version of Indian bread which is quite simple with flour and olive oil and cook it in the griddle pan on top of the stove, but only when I'm cooking curry. I must do one soon.
@malpoa (1214)
• India
25 Nov 09
ha ha the funny thing is I havent had any of the breads she baked...It was long before I came to this home and now the oven is put up in the store section coz the glass on top has broken, the rest is in perfect condition...I have to get it down and do some experiments...with kneading...not him ever, remember he doesnt clip his nails!!!! why take the pain when we get so many varieties of bread in the confectionary shops...i wanted to try those which arent available here, like the cheese layered bread, and stuff like that. parathas are made on tava(flat pan). the basic paratha is either made of plain flour or wheat flour. make the dough, roll it out to 1/2cm thickness, and say 7inch dia, toss and cook on a tava. the thicker bread you say is made in an oven with a round tray to get the round shape. you make in your rectangular case, the taste will be same!!!
1 person likes this
@Cherryd41 (1119)
• United States
24 Nov 09
Hi Thea I make my own bread but I don't use a bread machine I just use good old fashioned kneading for me its better than a bread machine and the cleanup is easier for me. And I have to agree with you about the smell of bread baking when I bake bread in my house it smells absolutely wonderful My husband and kids usually eat it as soon as it comes out of the oven actually right after let put a little butter on the top and let it sweat a bit under the a clean dish towel. (which is the best time to eat it) I'm making some for Thanksgiving its usually the first thing to go I have to make a little extra this year because last year even though I made what I thought was enough it wasn't because with my family I could triple the amount and it would still not be to much they like to take it home with them to eat with the leftovers I like making my own bread it makes sandwiches taste so much better and there are only 5 or 6 ingredients in making homemade bread as opposed to all the additives and preservatives found in store bought bread to preserve shelf life
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
24 Nov 09
Hi Cherryd, I'd just said to Zed above that the advantage of the machine was no wahing up. When I've made bread by hand there's been flour everywhere, bowls and tins, whereas with this machine there's only the scales to wash and the tin. Thanks for the tea towel tip though, I shall try that. The sandwiches for my sons school lunch were a huge success as we don't actually have the kind of bread out here which is suitable for sandwiches. The big plus though is tomorrow I can set it before I go out in the morning and there will be fresh bread waiting when I return without having to wait for it to rise and keep an eye on the oven. But if you make huge amounts as you're planning to do then the home made way would be better as the machine takes 3 hours for one loaf, but that does include the rising time and cooling off time.
• Australia
24 Nov 09
Hi there Cherryd41, I have to agree with you the clean up for me is so much easier without the hassle of dealing with the bread machine and just like you I will have to make more bed this year but i had done a triple amount last year. Oh well and least it doesn't cost that much to make and so the hip pocket is always happy with that at this time of year. Enjoy making your bread!!
• United States
26 Nov 09
That sound amazingly delicious! What kind of bread did you make? My favorite breads are: Jewish Rye, Russian Light Rye, Sour Dough, and Potato Bread. :) What are your favorites?
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
26 Nov 09
Hi sherrypeck, well so far I've only done 2 loaves of basic white bread just to get a feel for the machine, but I'm definitely going to try a potoato bread, and will pop up in a while and put a cinnamon and rasin one in and see what happens. I'll have to search around a bit for recipes and would like to try a Jewish bread but no doubt won't be able to find the right ingredients, we're a bit limited here if it doesn't go in Greek cooking.
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
26 Nov 09
Ahhhh, you missed my discussion on getting things bought on line shipped to Greece. Don't mention the word Amazon to me.
• United States
26 Nov 09
you can buy the ingredients online. Just find the recipe on a recipe site, then order them on Amazon.com or some other shopping site.