I am on my second bread machine. My first, gave up the ghost midway through a wholemeal mix. Being a mere male of the species. I am not a big cooking fan. So I buy 'just add water' bread mixes. My machine makes a perfect loaf, in 3 hours. Which lasts me about four days. In spite of home made loaves having no added preservatives, my bread always remains fresh until finished.
I have arthritis in my hands, elbows and shoulders. My right hand is the worst. I use my bread machine to prepare my dough and then bake it off in the oven. I love my bread machine. Here is one of my favs that I made a lot.
Italian Bread Recipe (Bread Machine)
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 head of roasted garlic (optional)
3 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
cornmeal, for baking sheet
1 egg white, slightly beaten
Add flour, oil, salt, roasted garlic, sugar, yeast and water to your bread machine according to its instructions.
Set on dough setting.
Always follow your machines instructions, when mixing open it and keep check on the dough.
Dough should be in a nice round soft sticky to the touch ball.
If it is not add more water, or add flour which ever is needed.
Remove when signal beeps and cycle is done.
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Sprinkle cornflour or cornmeal onto a baking sheet.
Punch dough down and form into a long or oval loaf.
Cover and let rise for 25 more minutes.
(I set my baking sheet on a heating pad on low. Its perfect for letting bread rise)
It should be doubled again by this time.
Uncover and slash the top with a sharp knife or razor.
Brush all over with the beaten egg white.
Bake 25 minutes to 35 minutes, until hollow sounding when tapped on bottom.
Cool before slicing.
(I added the roasted garlic to the recipe. I love the flavor it gives the bread. You can leave it out if you like.)
Italian Bread Recipe (Bread Machine)
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 head of roasted garlic (optional)
3 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
cornmeal, for baking sheet
1 egg white, slightly beaten
Add flour, oil, salt, roasted garlic, sugar, yeast and water to your bread machine according to its instructions.
Set on dough setting.
Always follow your machines instructions, when mixing open it and keep check on the dough.
Dough should be in a nice round soft sticky to the touch ball.
If it is not add more water, or add flour which ever is needed.
Remove when signal beeps and cycle is done.
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Sprinkle cornflour or cornmeal onto a baking sheet.
Punch dough down and form into a long or oval loaf.
Cover and let rise for 25 more minutes.
(I set my baking sheet on a heating pad on low. Its perfect for letting bread rise)
It should be doubled again by this time.
Uncover and slash the top with a sharp knife or razor.
Brush all over with the beaten egg white.
Bake 25 minutes to 35 minutes, until hollow sounding when tapped on bottom.
Cool before slicing.
(I added the roasted garlic to the recipe. I love the flavor it gives the bread. You can leave it out if you like.)
Goldfynche wrote:I am on my second bread machine. My first, gave up the ghost midway through a wholemeal mix. Being a mere male of the species. I am not a big cooking fan. So I buy 'just add water' bread mixes. My machine makes a perfect loaf, in 3 hours. Which lasts me about four days. In spite of home made loaves having no added preservatives, my bread always remains fresh until finished.
If you use a mix it does have one preservative in it. Salt! It is a preservative and it aids in the rising process. It is the one ingredient I'm not allowed to have so I make mine from scratch.
jpshaw wrote:If you use a mix it does have one preservative in it. Salt! It is a preservative and it aids in the rising process. It is the one ingredient I'm not allowed to have so I make mine from scratch.
Salt doesn't help in the rising process. Sugar is what kick starts the yeast, feeds it and helps the baked product brown. Put some yeast into a bit of water, add some sugar and watch the yeast beasties come to life. Do the same with salt, nothing. Salt does prevent the yeast from getting out of control though and the dough turning into a messy blob growing out of control. I have never seen that happen though, lol.
Lol, Learned that in Home Economics 101 which was a mandatory class for both girls and boys back in the day. Our teacher loved to use the term, "Yeast Beasties"