Necessity is truly the mother of invention, and anyone who has ever made their own bread between carpooling and homework help, can tell you that household sized bread maker machines are one of the best. In 1996 we began to see the very same device concepts that have graced professional bread bakeries since the early 1950s, make their way into the household appliance market in their convenient compact packages.
Over a decade later, in the midst of this nationwide overhaul on healthful eating, we continue to see bread machine sales climb and it's no wonder. In today's society it is rare that people have the time to deal with a messy floured filled kitchen, the kneading of sticky dough, and waiting for the bread to rise in order to enjoy the health filled benefits of freshly made bread. This is where the convenience of the bread maker comes in.
This miracle machine eliminates all the hassle; drop your ingredients in, and you're ready to go. Most of these machines warm the ingredients to an even temperature, knead twice, allow rising time, mix again, allow for more rising time, and then bake to perfection; all in the push of a few buttons. Talk about convenient, you can even buy the mix so all you have to do is dump it in; however, this way is not always cost effective.
The most cost effective way to make your own bread is to use your own ingredients, just as you would in a conventional method. But be warned conventional recipes will not produce the same results when using a bread maker. The good news is that there are many ways to obtain great bread maker recipes that you can quickly mix together at home. There are books on this nature at your local book store, eBooks that cover the topic, and thousand of free recipe exchange websites that you can utilize. Here are a few sites of interest on the topic:
*Allrecipes.com: http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/bread/bread-machine/main.aspx *Bread-maker.net: http://www.bread-maker.net/bread-maker/bread-maker-recipes-list.htm *Bread-machine-recipes.com: http://www.bread-machine-recipes.com/ *Food.com: http://www.food.com/recipes/bread-machine *Best-bread-recipes.com: http://www.best-bread-recipes.com/bread-maker-recipes.html
The recipes you'll find on the previously listed sites offer you a variety to choose from, but be sure that you follow the directions carefully. Mistakes can happen even though the bread machine seems fool proof. The measurements are crucial in bread making, and too much flour or not enough yeast can create disaster, so make sure you are precise.
Another issue that creates mishaps is the use of wet ingredients. When adding wet ingredients you must compensate my reducing the water in the recipe or you'll end up with gooey bread. For every cup of wet ingredients (fruit, vegetables, potatoes, cottage cheese, or sour cream) added, you should decrease the water added by cup. The rising of wheat flour can also be a problem; however, adding a little wheat gluten can produce dramatic improvement. A bread machine can truly be a handy addition to your healthy lifestyle, but it may take a little experimentation to get things just right.
Over a decade later, in the midst of this nationwide overhaul on healthful eating, we continue to see bread machine sales climb and it's no wonder. In today's society it is rare that people have the time to deal with a messy floured filled kitchen, the kneading of sticky dough, and waiting for the bread to rise in order to enjoy the health filled benefits of freshly made bread. This is where the convenience of the bread maker comes in.
This miracle machine eliminates all the hassle; drop your ingredients in, and you're ready to go. Most of these machines warm the ingredients to an even temperature, knead twice, allow rising time, mix again, allow for more rising time, and then bake to perfection; all in the push of a few buttons. Talk about convenient, you can even buy the mix so all you have to do is dump it in; however, this way is not always cost effective.
The most cost effective way to make your own bread is to use your own ingredients, just as you would in a conventional method. But be warned conventional recipes will not produce the same results when using a bread maker. The good news is that there are many ways to obtain great bread maker recipes that you can quickly mix together at home. There are books on this nature at your local book store, eBooks that cover the topic, and thousand of free recipe exchange websites that you can utilize. Here are a few sites of interest on the topic:
*Allrecipes.com: http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/bread/bread-machine/main.aspx *Bread-maker.net: http://www.bread-maker.net/bread-maker/bread-maker-recipes-list.htm *Bread-machine-recipes.com: http://www.bread-machine-recipes.com/ *Food.com: http://www.food.com/recipes/bread-machine *Best-bread-recipes.com: http://www.best-bread-recipes.com/bread-maker-recipes.html
The recipes you'll find on the previously listed sites offer you a variety to choose from, but be sure that you follow the directions carefully. Mistakes can happen even though the bread machine seems fool proof. The measurements are crucial in bread making, and too much flour or not enough yeast can create disaster, so make sure you are precise.
Another issue that creates mishaps is the use of wet ingredients. When adding wet ingredients you must compensate my reducing the water in the recipe or you'll end up with gooey bread. For every cup of wet ingredients (fruit, vegetables, potatoes, cottage cheese, or sour cream) added, you should decrease the water added by cup. The rising of wheat flour can also be a problem; however, adding a little wheat gluten can produce dramatic improvement. A bread machine can truly be a handy addition to your healthy lifestyle, but it may take a little experimentation to get things just right.
About the Author:
Petrusia Kowal is a retired music teacher who now bakes bread in a small bakery in San Fernando Valley. Baking has been a hobby of Petrusia's for nearly three decades, and she now bread and pastries for a living. Visit http://www.bestbreadmakerreviews.com for inspired bread recipes, techniques, and reviews of the best bread making supplies.