551106 Fri Aug 22 11:00:47 -0700 2008 8 31 Home Cooking 0 3978578 Which method do you prefer to make your own bread and why? I just tried a bread machine for the first time. It was so easy and the bread came out great! But I could see where making bread with your own hands would be preferable too. Fri Aug 22 11:00:58 -0700 2008 112406 Chew on That 1 3978941 Either way, whether it's hand kneaded and oven baked or done completely in the breadmaker, the bread would still be homemade, wouldn't it? I do bread both ways depending on my time limitations and the type of bread that I want to make. It requires a long slow rise, for example, to get a good crusty loaf of full-flavored and chewy textured bread. So that can't be achieved by using the breadmaker alone. The longest complete cycle from start to finish on my machine is about 4 hours. I almost always use the machine to knead the dough, even if I'm planning on baking the bread in the oven. So I consider the breadmaker a huge convenience and time saver. It is also great for preparing other yeast doughs such as for making cinnamon rolls or pizza dough. Fri Aug 22 12:53:46 -0700 2008 3978578 19094 Sam D. 1 3979038 Our first bread machine (it was a gift for me) ended up being a gateway drug for my husband. Although I think the machines can make decent loafs, I don't find them good enough to really be worth the extra effort. I much prefer the extreme effort my husband puts out with his own hands. Fri Aug 22 13:26:55 -0700 2008 3978578 15250 sebetti 2 3979686 3rd (and my fave) option: no knead bread, either Mark Bittman's or the Artisan Bread in five minutes a day. Great stuff, convenient and versatile. Fri Aug 22 17:59:40 -0700 2008 3979038 48292 powella 1 3981110 I have to admit that I have never quite seen the use of a bread machine. I have a stand mixer which kneads the bread and it does many, many other chores for me. I have an oven which bakes my bread and does many, many other chores for me. If I had a bread machine I would feel guilty not using it for all the other kinds of breads I make. This morning I made a bread that required a quickly put together starter (did last night in 7 minutes left out on the counter). Finished off this morning by rolling it up with lots of gruyere some herbs and a hit of garlic. The roll was cut up into 4 pieces and each placed on a cookie sheet so the cutside was up with the cheese spilling out. Can you do that in a bread machine? Sat Aug 23 13:47:23 -0700 2008 3978578 205842 The Old Gal 1 3981148 I've never used a bread machine, and so my preference would go to the "by hand" method. I have come to find the whole process quite relaxing, although some days I think my dough has mood swings. I've really enjoyed learning from Peter Reinharts and Laurel's bread books, and I'm pretty sure like TOG mentioned; a lot of those breads would have a hard time in a machine.I would also second the no knead bread, which works in a pinch, if I don't have the time in my day to prep a biga and such. Either way, my apartment right now is filled with the smell of an almost done loaf and I don't think it would matter how you got to that smell as long as you enjoy it! Sat Aug 23 14:07:19 -0700 2008 3978578 190434 raidar 2 3981791 You should know that you can make a biga from one of the Italian recipes and, if you make a lot, divide it up and toss it in the freezer. I usually have several frozen. About 6 months before Bittman's video came out there was an article in the local paper describing this bread making process. I finally tried it and it was great. BUT the real thrill came the second time I did it. When it came out of the oven there was that distinctive "crack" sound that the professionals claim is the sound that you have about reached perfection. I am afraid to try it again for fear it won't be so good. Sat Aug 23 21:00:42 -0700 2008 3981148 205842 The Old Gal 1 3981799 I am one of those types who never found joy in bread kneading that I used to read about so much in bread books. Thats why I love my bread maker. Sat Aug 23 21:08:57 -0700 2008 3978578 18981 Jimmy Buffet 1 3982031 They're different. I work full-time so it's hard for me to make bread by hand apart from at the weekend. Even the artisan bread in five minutes a day needs to sit at room temperature for a couple of hours before baking, so it's pretty impossible to make bread for dinner after work. And it's best straight out of the oven. So I use a breadmaker during the week for convenience, and it turns out some pretty decent bread for sandwiches (Mr GG loves the onion bread, and the seeded wholemeal is pretty good too). The great thing about it is that I can put all the ingredients in before I go to bed and then set the timer so the bread is ready when I get up. At the weekends I've been experimenting with no-knead sourdough and artisan bread in five minutes a day (white boules). There's no comparison between this and the breadmaker stuff in terms of flavour and crust. Sun Aug 24 02:18:40 -0700 2008 3978578 110146 greedygirl