Questions for breadmaking gurus...

[coco]

I am really interested in making my own bread and I am thinking of buying a breadmaker.... I have just done a search through threads on bread and breadmakers..... still have a couple of questions for breadmaking gurus.....

Does a breadmaker save you money? Think we currently spend about $35 on bread per week! (gluten free and regular bread)

Is is easy to make bread without using premixed bread mixes?

Are there any good organic gluten free breadmixes on the market?

Any more thoughts or advice on bread baking or breadmakers is very welcome.

Thank you.

[lrning2b]

We have a Sunbeam Quantum which is good because it is one of the rare models that you can program yourself. This is great for gluten free because some recipes are very particular. They do save money in the long run if you are consistent with it. We use it sporadically.
When you are tired, going to the shop and picking up a loaf is so much easier.
I found over the few years that we've had ours that the best gluten bread is not the premix. It just tastes fake. The absolute best bread is bread made from freshly ground organic wheat. It takes time but tastes so much better. The preground (even organic) tastes rancid and old. Try sprouted wheat (before it grows green) in the blend and you increase your nutritional value.

For gluten free we like to mix as many gf flours in as possible. We did see a few premixes that we like at the gf expo, but I still like our own blend. There is a recipe book that comes with the breadmaker and we just blend and swap flours to our taste.

[starbuckozzie]

I've been making my own bread for about 20 years. I haven't made a loaf by hand for some time (since my first was a baby!) and have had a few breadmakers through the years (had to buy a new one each time we moved country). We have a Breville now and it's fine for us but we don't do gf breads.

The bread dough is very easy to make up - I do it from memory now and it takes about 2 minutes. I always use the dough setting, give it extra rising time, move it to a bread tin and then bake it when I'm at home. This results in a vastly superior loaf to anything a breadmaker can produce (I hate those dried, tough crusts). My kids (4 and 1) love it and go through several loaves a week by themselves.

It definitely saves money. I buy my flours in bulk and am paying $2/kg for organic. Occasionally I get a Baker's Delight loaf and hate paying that much! It probably isn't cheaper if you don't mind supermarket bread (I won't touch it).

I don't use bread mixes. Last time I did they were still full of junk. I haven't checked them out recently. I'd still rather know what I'm putting in and how fresh the ingredients are.


As for whether it is easier to make a loaf or go to the shops: I'd say make it every time. 2 minutes of mixing versus loading kids into the car, unloading, etc. etc. I suppose it depends whether you live or work right next door to a good bakery or not!

[Jakaluma]

I haven't had a bread maker for years, but gee it was good when I had it. The smell... But funny you should mention the crust Starbuckozzie - didn't like the crusts much. Like your idea of pulling the dough out and baking it in the oven. I also did make it from flour and other bits rather than the premixes - was so easy, seemed unnecessary/pointless to buy a premix.

And here is an ultra easy recipe for beer bread (though not sure how it would work with gluten free flour? and does beer have gluten in it anyway?) Get 3 1/2 cups of flour. Stir in a bottle/tin of beer (I use the yucky midstrengths that guests sometimes leave ) and put into greased bread tin (the smaller ones - not a big loaf) HOt oven. Tada, loaf of fresh bread half to three quarters of an hour later

[emd]

Oooh must try that beer bread recipe! Our breadmaker is possibly dead after a decade of good service. The bread pan stuck to the bottom of the oven last time I used it, and now I don't know if the dough hook will turn. Will just have to try it and find out, I guess.

I also use the breadmaker to mix/knead, then put in a baker's tin and let it rise. We have proper bread tins made by FIL.

I also have my great grandfather's recipe book from his bakery. It was handed down to my grandfather when he took over the bakery, then given to me on Pa's passing. I've been slowly converting the measurements to metric as I get time. If anyone wants a recipe for bulk scones or sponge cakes, I'm your girl! But beware, you'll have to measure the eggs in litres and the flour in kilos.

[Dorasmum]

I'll second that Irning2b about the fresh ground flour bread, I do occasionally. I make more pancakes and pikelets for the kids with fresh ground, but it comes up a treat in the breadmaker. I just grind it as fine as I can and dump it straight in with the other ingredients. I just follow the recipe that came with the machine, added gluten, milkpowder etc. My mum has been grinding and making bread for as long as I can remember, I don't remember her ever buying bread. She has done a lot of research on the value of fresh flour and the problems with rancidity in flour more than several days old. The oils in the wheat once broken quickly break down and the nutrition reduces rapidly. She also has a rolled oat machine that she makes porridge oats with.

But having said all that I'm far from a super mum so I go through phases of buying 5kg bags of bread mix and making all our bread and then losing the momentum and buying bread. Lately the price of bread has prompted me to start buying the breadmix again.

The grinder I have is a tiny applicance about as big as a food processor, and it's so easy to use.

Oh and big tip for a perfect loaf in a bread machine, use an electronic scale and weigh instead of measuring out ingredients, it generally needs to be pretty accurate for it to work really well.

Em

[emd]

Hmmmm maybe I should get a grinder... I have ready access to unlimited quantities of wheat (farming family) but most of it would be too low protein for bread baking.

[Deesalie]

I don't have a bread maker but just use a loaf tin. I use the Kialla Organic bread mixes. They do spelt, rye, wholemeal etc etc. You can't beat homemade bread

[Dorasmum]

I have one big problem with breakmakers though, I'll just be starting a diet, vowing to cut down on bread and carbs a little, up the protein and salads etc and I'll bake some bread....the smell wafting through the house... and the thought of hot bread with butter...... all my efforts in vain..

Em

[RubyRoo]

I've just resurrected the breadmaker again in the last couple of weeks, after it has been in hibernation for the last few years... I've been buying premixes so far (Lauke brand....doesn't seem too bad), but am keen to learn how to do things by scratch too. I was thinking of starting a thread on this topic too, so this is well-timed!

As for if it saves money, DEFINITELY....I was previously paying $3.80 - $5.80 per loaf at Baker's Delight (Cape Seed Loaf is my fave....the really grainy but really exxy one), and now it costs about $1.80 a loaf to make my own. My mum is living with us atm, and DSD eats as much as an adult, so there's 4 adults and a child munching though lots of bread every day!

Only prob. I am finding, is that the top keeps on sinking in. Have tried keeping water and yeast separate for us long as poss, longer prewarm, different settings, to no avail. Our breadmaker is a Breville.

Originally Posted by Dorasmum

The grinder I have is a tiny applicance about as big as a food processor, and it's so easy to use.

Where do you get one of these? Are they expensive? Where do you get fresh wheat for grinding? Do health food shops sell it? Sorry for the hijack!